Reading the Vampire (Popular Fictions Series) [Paperback]

Ken Gelder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0415080134 | ISBN-13: 978-0415080132

Insatiable bloodlust, dangerous sexualities, the horror of the undead, uncharted Trannsylvanian wildernesses, and a morbid fascination with the `other': the legend of the vampire continues to haunt popular imagination.
Reading the Vampire examines the vampire in all its various manifestations and cultural meanings. Ken Gelder investigates vampire narratives in literature and in film, from early vampire stories like Sheridan Le Fanu's `lesbian vampire' tale Carmilla and Bram Stoker's Dracula, the most famous vampire narrative of all, to contemporary American vampire blockbusters by Stephen King and others, the vampire chronicles of Anne Rice, `post-Ceausescu' vampire narratives, and films such as FW Murnau's Nosferatu and Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Reading the Vampire embeds vampires in their cultural contexts, showing vampire narratives feeding off the anxieties and fascinations of their times: from the nineteenth century perils of tourism, issues of colonialism and national identity, and obsessions with sex and death, to the `queer' identity of the vampire or current vampiric metaphors for dangerous exchanges of bodily fluids and AIDS.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`The book is really outstanding. It is a magnificent survey of vampire literature and criticism.' - A Ballesteros Gonzalez, Autonoma Univ --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Ken Gelder is based at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is currently Principal Lecturer in English, Media and Cultural Studies at De Montfort University, Leicester. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (December 11, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415080134
• ISBN-13: 978-0415080132
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,183,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Gothic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, September 9, 2001

By 

"slsailors" (BIrmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading the Vampire (Popular Fictions Series) (Paperback)

This is a fabulous book. It's a great place to start for one who is interested in the more intellectual side of vampire fiction. There is some great discussion of the vampire as an economic metaphor.

2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ken gelder is a interlecctual genius, November 14, 2004

By 

slik_collio (australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reading the Vampire (Popular Fictions Series) (Paperback)

what ken does with this book is amazing for a basic person like me to sit down and read a book like this is amazing i learnt soooooo much!!!!!!!!!!! buy this book!!!!!!!!!!!