Customer Reviews

V Is for Vampire: The A-Z Guide to Everything Undead

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very good book. It is a very full and in depth reference guide to vampires in both popular fiction and in folklore. It's practically an encyclopedia that gives some interesting tidbits of information. The only flaw with this book is that it was published in 1996 and has not been updated since then. I wish there was an updated version. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to research vampires in folklore and fiction before the mess that is Twilight came along and muddied the genre up with it's glittering porcelain doll style vampires...

This book was very well written and thoroughly researched by a respected author who does not (as some authors do) twist things to suit his own views of the genre and mythology as if playing with historical knowledge is perfectly acceptable. There is a professional unbias here that is to be respected. I strongly recommend this book.

V Is for Vampire by David Skal, is a monster lover's book of information on the supernatural creatures of death. It is a reference like an encyclopedia of all things Vampire, from films and actors, to the history of Dracula. Anyone who is interested in Universal monsters will be very intrigued by the facts and background information. This book is recommended more for classic horror movies than buffs of Twilight and other current vampire films. By all means check out this book.

"V is for Vampire" doesn't hold a candle to David J. Skal's other books - nearly all of which are minor classics - and he knows it. He admits in his introduction to "V is for Vampire" that the book is neither all-inclusive nor complete. With that in mind, this "A to Z Guide to Everything Undead" is still very enjoyable to read, and is well-suited to relaxed browsing. The problem, however, is that a large number of people who will purchase this book are probably the kinds of horror fans who already know a great deal about the genre and will not be bowled over by anything less than a complete overview of everything they already know, as well as a number of things they don't. "V is for Vampire" is hit-and-miss, and seems more like a loose and disconnected series of notes for a larger book that was never actually finished. Also, several factual errors (a couple of which are quite egregious) destroy a smidgin of the book's credibility, and Skal often seems more interested in being flippant than in getting to the heart of what he is writing about (his misreading of George A. Romero's film "Martin" is especially wrongheaded). Nevertheless, "V is for Vampire" still furnishes a fairly comprehensive and enjoyable overview of the role of the vampire in nineteenth and twentieth century literature, art, and film. And it's a lot of fun.

This book gives short shrift to anything vampire-related that doesn't interest the author personally. It also, as a previous reviewer noted, paints vampire afficianadoes as sexual deviants and credits too much to the Freudian idea that all forms of personal expression are rooted in sexual misgivings. Not of the slightest interest to anyone who REALLY wants to know what vampires are all about.

David Skal is one of the better writers on Horror Literature and Media.
However,in this particular book, he spends too much time analysing our love of vampires and the like,as an indication that we are sexually disturbed or have a streak of facism in our character.
Sorry David, but some of us just liked to be spooked!

Had high expectations for this one especially since it claims to be the A-Z of everything undead. Other than vampires though it really doesn't touch much on non vampire undead creatures so already the title is misleading from that fact alone. This book is very high school text book in appearance with the same cheap paper used for the pages that you'll remember for your school days and the dark photocopied look black and white photographs which obviously in most cases are scans of colored originals or stills from movies.

The book does provide a decent length list of vampire and vampire related novels, movies and TV shows but it is by no means comprehensive. There's also not much depth to the reviews. If you went by what was written you wouldn't be inspired to pick up classics like I Am Legend. If it was done properly you should be able to use this book to know what great reads are still out there that you haven't read yet.

As well as movies etc under each letter of the alphabet topics are also covered. AIDS would have been a good one but when brought up only compares AIDS impact on the world to that of a vampire in a fictional story and not the obvious if a vampire drank the blood or someone with AIDs what would happen to it?

Better entertaining and educational books on vampires out there are the brilliant Informania: Vampires or Spine-Tingling Tales. Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying TRUTH! About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters, and More is also very good. Not vampires but on the undead theme, the The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead is another great buy.

this book is an excellent source of information on vampires, if for no other reason than the list of novels and films. for anyone who is interested in vampires, this book is a must.

This book is so cute and fun to read! If you're planning to purchase this book, one word of advice: ENJOY!!!! :)

I think it's great that there is a spin on an old topic and itgoes deeper than just naming movies. It's about time someone dwelvedinto the psychological aspects of vampirism. A very good book and avery enjoyable read. As a footnote, I was especially impressed by the fact that he mentioned "Vampire Hunter D". Very comprehensive and fun!