Vlad: the Undead

Rating:
Summary: Neo-gothic craftsmanship
Review: Ahh yes. A vampire novel. But don't cringe yet. For those readers who enjoy good old-fashioned nineteenth century gothic novels, this slim book may be an undiscovered treat. Written for the young adult reader (but not exclusive) Lutzen's first book is a welcome contribution to vampire lore. If you are tired of Anne Rice's cult of the vampire society, bored with poorly written and unbelievable plot tactics (such as "The Book of Common Dread", Christopher Golden's "Vampire Epic" series and others) then I highly recommend "Vlad the Undead".

Lutzen uses letter and diary formats to convey the mysterious disappearance of her central character Lucia. Recently orphaned in 1994, Lucia lives with her often absent uncle. During one of his absences, she receives from her late grandfather the manuscript of an old mariner's tale recorded by her great-grandfather and passed down through the generations. With summer arriving and her next-to-last year of medical school completed, Lucia delves into the tale. The Demeter was found off the shore of Whitby in 1894. Except for the captain Maresciu, who was tied to the helm and a mangy wolf-like dog who ran away, there were no survivors. Lucia's great-grandfather was the doctor who attended Maresciu during his final hours, enough time to have the doctor write down his account of the last voyage of the Demeter. "As a faithful Christian he had to dismiss the tale as pure insanity, but some small part of him must have clung to the captain's words. He decided to keep it a secret but he never reached any understanding of the nature of Maresciu's confession...Perhaps you will be able to make sense of it, Lucia." What then is Maresciu's confession? Through Lucia's reading, the tale of the Demeter's voyage from Varna to England is retold. Maresciu accepts the offer to carry an older gentleman and his boxes of soil to England for a large fee, with the condition that no questions are asked and he is treated as a guest. Slowly, the guest reveals himself. He is a Roumanian, just like Maresciu, and can trace his ancestors back to the thirteenth century. His name is Vlad and he is a direct heir of "the Draculestis, holy knights of the Order of the Dragon, founded by the Roman Church."

Is your appetite wetted? Curious about Lucia's disappearance, which is directly related to her reading of an old manuscript? And what does this author have to offer about the identity of Vlad Dracul? Though there are familiar themes recognizable in Lutzen's retelling of the vampire - often associated with Herzog's film "Nosferatu" and Stoker's novel "Dracula" - "Vlad the Undead" is a fine web of myth, superstition and history that recreates the story of the Dracul family and its infamous heir, Vlad the Implarer. Lutzen's writing is reminiscent of noteworthy gothic writers such as William Beckford, Ann Radcliff and Anne of Swansea. In some parts of the world, the vampire myth preys on the fears of believers and non-believers alike. And if the myth has persisted for centuries is there not some unexplainable basis for its survival. The reader makes his/her own decision. My only complaint with this novel is that I wish it were longer.

Rating:
Summary: Bllllleeeeeeeeeegh
Review: I abosolutely hated this book with a pation. The book's story was oranairy and and the book just didnt grab my attention. When the author decided to write his book in the fom of letters it was a major mistake! Not only did you not know what time you were in, you didnt know who was talking most of the time and to whom the letter was addressed to! This book just make you sick to your stomach. I think his book should be burned and should never be spoken of again.

Rating:
Summary: bbblllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegga
Review: I hated this book with a pation. Out of the many books i read there are but a select few that i dispise and Vlad The Undead is one of them. The author decided to write this book from a letter point of view which is one of the parts i hate most about it. This book gets so confuseing because you dont know what point in time the letters were written or to whom they are addressed! Just even writing this review my stomach hurts! This story was clearly not ment to be written from this point of view. I also did not like the ending because you knew how the book was going to end by the end of the 2nd chapcter. All and All i really didnt like this book and i dont recomend it to anyone who doesnt belong to MENSA and doesnt like vampires.

Rating:
Summary: Very Original Take on a Classic Tale!
Review: Numerous writers have attempted variations on Bram Stoker's classic Dracula but few have done well (among the best are Fred Saberhagen's The Dracula Tapes and Kim Newman's Anno Dracula). Hanna Lutzen has definitely joined the best. Set in a world where Stoker's novel doesn't exist but the vampire Dracula most certainly does, The author's use of diary excerpts and readings from an old family document mixed with segues into readings that flow more like oral narration all combine to produce a gripping tale while paying homage to Stoker's inspiration. The horror in this tale is not öf the sort seen in slasher flicks, but subtle and deft - it creeps slowly up your spine and into your brain. I highly recommend this book!