The Vampire Lectures [Paperback]

Laurence A. Rickels (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Since 1986, Rickels, a specialist in German literature and psychoanalytic theory (Aberrations of Mourning), has been giving vampire lectures at UC-Santa Barbara. He developed this "course load of auto-stimulation" to interest students in FreudAin particular, in his psychoanalytic treatment of mourning. The course was not an instant success, but 10 years later, it's standing room only. What appears here is, according to Rickels, "between reading/writing and the propagandistic talking of teaching." From embalming practices to pop culture, Rickels draws on every possible vampire metaphor to make his points. Claiming (dubiously) that the occult dates from the onset of technology, he calls vampire tales the "afterimage" of technological innovation. In his first "lecture," Rickels discusses Stoker, Rice, sexology and Vlad the Impaler to show that there are four distinct histories of vampirism. Many chapters focus on contemporary contributions such as "Buffy, Near Dark Salem Lot," while some dissect obscure works such as Guy de Maupassant's The Horla (a tale about a malevolent invisible force). Rickels even throws in shlock filmmaker Ed Wood. Yet he returns repeatedly to Stoker's Dracula to illustrate our psychodynamic reality, filled with death wishes, erotic substitution and symbolic meanings. The central problem is the analysis. Perhaps Rickels is trying to mimic teenage jargon, but his insights often come out as a convoluted blend of academic affectation and pop interpretation. For example, to explain why the university is the perfect place for his "Freudo-vampiric intervention," he describes it as "the heartbeat-later fleshing and flushing out of the emerging techno externalizations of what Freud would analyze as internal psychic mechanisms." While this book offers a sophisticated survey of vampire culture, most readers wouldn't want to be taking notes. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This collection of class lectures/essays from a course Rickels (Univ. of Santa Barbara) taught in 1986 systematically explores the rich treasury of beliefs about vampirism. More than an anthology of vampire lore, the book examines issues associated with the supernatural. The historical treatment ranges widely from runes to medieval folklore to current pop artist Marilyn Manson, weaving together complex symbolism and philosophical arguments associated with the nightmarish figures dwelling in netherland. Rickels mines the study of cult phenomena, including vampire attacks, burial rituals, and sexual taboos that are recounted in legends, literature, and folklore. This vigorous contribution to literary and paranormal theory collections will enhance the pursuit of often remote scholarship into mythology and sorcery.ARichard K. Burns, MSLS, Hatboro, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (August 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816633924
• ISBN-13: 978-0816633920
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intellectual Chocolate Mousse - Anne Rice, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vampire Lectures (Paperback)

I have just discovered this book and make a strong recommendation of it. It is called THE VAMPIRE LECTURES. The author is a professor at U.C. Santa Barbara. His name is Laurence A. Rickels. The publisher sent me the book, and I am very glad that they did because Professor Rickels has a great deal to say in THE VAMPIRE LECTURES about the first three books of the Vampire Chronicles as well as about other vampire literature and film in general.

According to the info that came with the book, Professor Rickels' class on vampires has apparently become extremely popular over the years, on the Santa Barbara Campus. He started with a few students and he now has hundreds.

I am quite amazed by many of his observations in the book, but above all, I'm honored to be included as a subject for study. The book is quite intellectually hefty.

I think many of you will find this book interesting. Some of you will find it extremely challenging and engrossing. Many of you will find it satisfying. It's the ultimate book to give to anyone who makes fun of you for liking vampire novels or films. To quote the publisher, the book "makes an original and intellectually rigorous contribution to literary and psychoanalytic theory, identifying the subconscious meanings, complex symbolism, and philosophical arguments-- particularly those of Marx, Freud, and Nietzche--embedded in vampirism and gothic literature."

I've ordered several copies of the book from Amazon.com so I know it's available. It's published by the University of Minnesota Press. Again, I recommend it. It is not easy going as a read but it is incredibly rich and thought provoking. I'm grateful for it. When I write novels, I think and feel as Lestat or Louis or Armand, and it's wonderful to read Professor Rickels' commentary on what I've done.

Anne Rice (Submitted by Anne Rice, author)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book, but consider this before you read it..., February 12, 2004

By 

P. Funk - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vampire Lectures (Paperback)

Lawrence Rickels has a very particular writing style that is often frowned upon because the 'average' reader cannot really handle it. It is jargonistic, self-inflating, self-validating, and extremely complex. Like many other writers of critical theory, Rickels is engaging in a discourse for those 'in the know.' This is not an introductory book on the subject of vampyrism, and I would not recommend it to any reader if they are not at first familar with contemporary psychoanalytic theory. I enjoy reading Rickels' writing because he loves to play around with word puns in a very witty way. Perhaps a better introduction to Rickels' writings would be his many short articles in various art exhibition catalogues (check your local university library). I do not think I would have enjoyed this book had I not had the opportunity to listen to Rickels' lectures. This book requires an active reader who is willing to struggle with the text (that is the beauty of theory, right? A sort of painful pleasure). That said, it can be rewarding if you are up for a challenge.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars psycho-analysis of the legend, October 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vampire Lectures (Paperback)

The author's style can make this a challenging read, rife with puns, wordplay, and prose that probably works better in the original lectures. The psycho-analytic angles are not technically dense and should not discourage interested readers. Not a quick read, but a good one, the book covers the breadth of its topic with respect and humor.