#Laura reads Vampirismus

[lauralot89]

Just gonna quote from this text here:

Why should not a writer be permitted to make use the levers of fear, terror, and horror because some feeble soul here and there finds it more than it can bear? Shall there be no strong meat at table because there happen to be some guests there whose stomachs are weak, or who have spoiled their own digestions?

E.T.A. Hoffman (The Nutcracker author) understood this in 1821, what excuse do the rest of you have

[lauralot89]

Started reading "Vampirismus" by E.T.A. Hoffman and the characters are attributing "The Vampyre" to Lord Byron.

Now listen.

Did Polidori deserve to be flogged for his crimes against literature? Yes. But he deserved to be called by his actual name during the flogging.

[lauralot89]

I have now read Vampirismus/Aurelia/The Hyena/Cyprian's Tale/whatever other titles it goes by.

I would say that this is the first sympathetic vampire in fiction, but given that the creatures in this eat flesh rather than drink blood, we have a sympathetic ghoul instead. Or maybe the definition of a vampire used to be more broad, since this story was introduced in the novel with "speaking of vampires"?

Note to all the married people out there: If you suspect that your spouse is a vampire/ghoul, and by suspect I mean you actively saw them eating somebody, perhaps don't bring it up? Just quietly divorce or run away? Seems safer.

Anyway, it was E.T.A. Hoffman, so of course it was good. When has Hoffman ever been not good?