Nosferatu [Paperback]

Dana Gioia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

I am the past that feeds upon the present.
I am the darkness that daylight denies.
I am the sins that you must inherit--
The final truth in a world full of lies.

Based on F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent vampire film--a classic of German Expressionist cinema--Gioia's Nosferatu creates a poetic version of the Dracula story in the form of an opera libretto. Written for the neoromantic composer Alva Henderson, the opera Nosferatu has been triumphantly showcased around the U.S. and will soon be staged in New York. Giogia's thrilling version of the vampire myth brings forth the terror of Nosferatu, "the undead," as seen through the eyes of the heroine, a gifted young woman trapped in a tragedy beyond her control.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

I am the past that feeds upon the present.
I am the darkness that daylight denies.
I am the sins that you must inherit--
The final truth in a world full of lies.

Based on F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent vampire film--a classic of German Expressionist cinema--Gioia's Nosferatu creates a poetic version of the Dracula story in the form of an opera libretto. Written for the neoromantic composer Alva Henderson, the opera Nosferatu has been triumphantly showcased around the U.S. and will soon be staged in New York. Giogia's thrilling version of the vampire myth brings forth the terror of Nosferatu, "the undead," as seen through the eyes of the heroine, a gifted young woman trapped in a tragedy beyond her control.

Dana Gioia received his B.A. and M.B.A. from Stanford University. He also completed an M.A. at Harvard where he studied with poets Robert Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Bishop. Gioia is the author of Can Poetry Matter?: Essays on Poetry and American Culture as well as three collections of poetry, Interrogations at Noon, The Gods of Winter, and Daily Horoscope. He lives in Santa Rosa, California.

About the Author

Dana Gioia received his B.A. and M.B.A. from Stanford University. He also completed an M.A. at Harvard where he studied with poets Robert Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Bishop. Gioia is the author of Can Poetry Matter?: Essays on Poetry and American Culture as well as three collections of poetry, Interrogations at Noon, The Gods of Winter, and Daily Horoscope. He lives in Santa Rosa, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Graywolf Press; 1 edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555973191
• ISBN-13: 978-1555973193
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #801,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's opera without the music?, July 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nosferatu (Paperback)

In this case, it's a remarkable dramatic poem, in which good vs. evil, light vs. darkness, need vs. greed and all the other Big Fights come evocatively wrapped in a vampire's cape. Despite the grand scale of the tragedy and the Gothic settting, or maybe because of it, you will find yourself identifying with the cursed and gifted heroine, her doomed goof of a husband, and the desperately lonely Orlock. The language is straight-forward and precise. How long will it take the Anne Rice crowd to find the anthems waiting between the covers of this undiscovered masterpiece?

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Vamp, September 12, 2009

By 

revucrew "revucrew" (VA-USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nosferatu (Paperback)

This is a play- so if you are looking for a Vanmpire book, this isn't for you. But, if you are into plays, this is a good one.