Customer Reviews

The Vampire Lectures

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4 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

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)

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.

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.

Laurence Rickel's Vampire Lectures is that kind of book..You love it,you hate it.It annoys you, it inspires you.Who else than the author of "The Case for California" could give you a wonderful insight into the mourning process as seen through the eyes of Vampires,the undead and all those really bad films you saw on late night t TV? This is the post modern world of TV culture,psycho film and cultural analysis....in the mondial of Calfornia sun,surf and sand....

Great stuff

Do not read this book after dark!

I bought this book when I was writing a long critical paper on vampires and feminism. There were some interesting information but mostly it was an overview of things I got elsewhere. Even though it focused on some of the same stories I did (Dracula and Carmilla) I pulled only two quotes to put in my notes and only one ended up in my paper. I was able to get much more in depth, interesting critical analysis from Our Vampires, Ourselves and The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis (Popular Fictions Series).

Only get this book if you want a general, scattered overview.

That book covers a lot, and honestly if you are unfamiliar with the topics dealt with, then you will feel lost at times; but that is hardly avoidable considering the quite impressive span of the work in question.

This being said, the style is very humorous and punny, so provided you're familiar with the material discussed there, you'll like this book. Yet, if you hate Psychoanalysis and/or Freudism (cheap psychoanalysis) then you may have some issues. Of course, the book doesn't discuss psychoanalysis, since it's not its point, but it's essentially a Freudian reading, and if you disagree with Freud's theories (the primal tribe and stuff like that) then you may shake your head now and then. But that won't be a problem at all if you're looking for deepened analysis of Vampire-ness.

I bought this book along with several others because I was researching vampires. This is a great book but very technical. I believe it is written more for college students and people who would understand university 'lingo'. The book goes in depth into the psychological theories concerning vampires, why people believe in them, and even certain books like Dracula! I would recommend this book for any college or university level student or graduate who is interested in vampires.

Rickels' book is incredibly informative and just as readable. It'll tell you all you ever wanted to know about vampires and the undead. It is very sophisticated yet also accessible. Buy it now! Check out his other books as well.

I am a professor and, yes, I also teach a course on vampires. I've read countless books on the subject and this one was the biggest waste of time and money. Rickels may have genuine ideas that are worth considering, but it is obfuscated by his use of artificially created academic language (putting a familiar term in a new context or juxtaposing two terms for the same reason to enhance the discussion). I am used to academics who employ this style (I read it daily), but it is usually used sparingly and meaningfully. The sparing use of the creative usage adds impact to the concept the academic tries to convey. It usually adds something new to the conversation (sometimes entering into the language as familiar from then on). However, Rickels employs this creative academic new usage or juxtaposition in every sentence (many times on several occasions within the clauses of single sentences). It is very off-putting and counterproductive. Rickels does not provide enough context to his creative usage in his discussion to clearly convey his point, thereby, making his point useless. His style makes him come off as pretentious and irreverant towards the reader. Academics who rely on smoke and mirrors like this kill true intelligent conversation.

I have always liked academics such as Carl Sagan or Stephen Gould who could take the mysteries of the universe and explain them to neophytes such as myself. Hearing Gould explain evolution in terms of baseball batting averages is as good as life gets. "The Vampire Lectures" by Professor Rickels is in that tradition, although the subject matter is not exactly top drawer. Ultimately, you will find his musings either insightful or at least provocative. But there has to be some sort of "deep meaning" behind our fascination with vampires and Rickels will at least getting you thinking about them in ways you probably never thought about before. What more could you want?