The Blood Countess (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A folk belief that on bitter cold nights the stars come down to mate with wolves. An adolescent boy, sexually aroused by an "iron maiden" torture device. The smell of paprika and boiled chicken served with Tokay wine. These and other vivid images of Hungary in the 16th century, and Hungary today, swirl together amid scenes of luxury and barbarity and talk of Martin Luther's Christianity and post-Communist ideals in this gloriously gruesome novel inspired by the life of Countess Elizabeth Bathory. They say she killed 650 virgin girls in order to rejuvenate herself with their blood.

From Publishers Weekly

NPR commentator and filmmaker Codrescu's first novel alternates between a pathological 16th-century Hungarian countess and her present-day descendant, a journalist seeking to come to grips with contemporary Europe.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 453 pages
• Publisher: Dell (July 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440221919
• ISBN-13: 978-0440221913
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #232,096 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #1 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Codrescu, Andrei

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Detail and an Interesting Story, June 27, 2000

By A Customer

As a graduate student in the area of Medieval and Renaissance Europe, I always go into historical novels with a bit of skepticism but also hopeful optimism. Codrescu's account of 17th century Hungary and the historical character of Countess Bathory met my optimistic hopes. The brutality, suspicion and general hardship of the time was obviously well-researched, as was the totalitarian power of the noble class which provoked peasant revolts like the one described in the book. The characters were possibly not developed enough, particularly the modern-day Count Bathory-Kereshtur about whom I would have liked to know more. But the complex psychological motivations of Elizabeth Bathory were developed quite well and in a chilling and descriptive manner. The descriptions of violent acts were perhaps a bit graphic, but relevant within the historical context for the period and place in which they occur. Overall a book definitely worth reading, but not for the squeamish.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Exciting, yet somewhat slow plot, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

I'm half Hungarian, and have been to Hungary many times. I'm 13, and I thought that this book was something I shouldn't have read! I feel that some of the sexuality was not necessary, but in a way, it explained some of Countess Bathory's actions. It was hard to finish the book (I read it in 3 days) because I felt disgusted and frustrated that Countess Bathory herself was not tortured as she had done to innocent girls. I threw the book at my wall a couple of times in disgust. This is a very disturbing book, and I don't recommend it to someone my age!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Blood Countess" weaves suspense and history., August 24, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Blood Countess: A Novel (Hardcover)

Codrescu is a talented and intelligent writer, one who understands that no amount of gore and violence can replace the magic of the true storyteller's art. What Elizabeth Bathory does to the young women who fall prey to her bizzare obsession is clearly secondary to why she does these things. Despite the rather lurid title, this book runs on taut psychological suspense.

Codrescu's dual plot, or tale-within-a-tale, is presented in the frame of a courtroom confession. What propelled this reader through the book was not a tawdry "whodunit" conundrum, but a desire to see when and why the two plotlines would converge. Codrescu evokes character and place so skillfully that the reader experiences the same double vision as the characters themselves.

The only real disappointment comes at the very end. After so much build up, so much allusion, Codrescu's denouement feels somewhat hurried, with a few threads left hanging, a few characters not quite fully utilized.

Nonetheless "The Blood Countess" is a powerful, beautifully written novel steeped in real history and the darkness of the human heart