#sir francis varney

[mayhemchicken-varneyposting]

and now. what started as a conversation riffing on this post and spiraled wildly out of control...

...eventually resulting in this

[livefromcastledracula]

Dracula: "I want to suck your blood."

Ruthven: "I've already sucked your sister’s blood and there's nothing you can do about it, nerd."

Orlok: "I sucked your blood. Also, everyone now has the plague."

Carmilla: "I live inside your veins, like a caterpillar in the chrysalis of your beautiful death, and by living in you I love you, and your loving blood will come to me and in my veins we shall die like lovers, and live sweetly forever more..."

Bathory: "Sucking? Amateurs. Hold still on that meat hook whilst I fetch the spigot."

Varney: "I say, now I know I sucked your blood, but I really do feel bad about it, so there's no need to be uncivilised. Sell me your house?"

[grelleswife]

Still losing it over chicken!Ruthven and his resemblance to a vampiric Angry Bird in Noé’s imagination. 😆

Mochijun appears to have continued this visual gag in the omake, where Marquis Machina presents Lord Ruthven with some fluffy chicks of his own. 🐥

Behold, the face of an innocent man who has never committed crimes against queen and country.

[hildred-rex]

@ibrithir-was-here: delightful tags!

I wish for something Dracula as sort of post-apocalypse. Maybe killing him did not stop the infestation, maybe it emboldened other vampires and you have now 100 Ruthvens in his wake having turf wars, maybe his visit awakened legendary dormant ancient evils, maybe it inspired ambitious lords of the dying british/european aristocracy wanting to copycat him and make devil pacts and training in the mountains. And the survivors who experienced it all first hand dealing with it.

Honestly, it stuns me how little has been done with the 'Dracula technically leaving an open spot at the top of the vampire food chain' possibilities. I think Castlevania kind of touches on it, but overall there's just a whole lot of nothing going on in Dracula-adjacent media about it.

Though I will hand the other public domain vampires a pass because, to be honest, I think Count Dracula was the only vampire in literature who was ever concerned about Taking Over the World. Everyone else in the undead scene is just sort of doing the smart thing and. You know. Chilling.

Lord Ruthven wasn't out to conscript others. Dude went out of his way to kill his victims with knives and drink the red runoff, as if to explicitly avoid making other vampires.

Carmilla was out there romancing and drinking girls like an undead Casanova. The vampire who turned her first when she was Countess Mircalla might have been different! But we never find out who that vampire was; we just know about Millie and the growing list of broken/siphoned hearts left in her wake.

Clarimonde, the dead woman in love~, was so bad at making another vampire. Comically, tragically bad at it. All she could bring herself to do was construct a fantasy dreamscape to live in with her human priest crush while taking literally only a single pinprick's worth of blood from him to keep herself going. This, when the priest in question openly declared SHE COULD HAVE HIS ENTIRE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM if she wanted it!

Varney the Vampire was and remains just...terrible at being a vampire. In general.

Countess Dolingen and her undead village, along with Gorcha and the Vourdalak village, both seem to have the whole 'conscript everyone around me/all those I love' angle handled. Except neither group ever ever expands past the borders of their territory. Maybe it's a rule? Maybe they just ran out of people they felt like drinking? Either way, they stopped caring about collecting others and just tucked themselves in their graves to doze once their respective villages were turned.

In short, for somebody to take over Dracula's ~King of the Vampires~ role, we'd actually need an OC to step in. All the actual classic literary vampires, many of whom were kicking well before Dracula appeared on the scene, just are not interested in the undead tyrant game.

(Probably why Dracula had to go around recruiting in the first place. None of the other vampires returned his letters or carrier pigeons for centuries. No, they don't want to join his pyramid scheme vampiric onslaught campaign, thanks. Too busy minding their business and/or dealing with personal drama. Please lose their address.)

[doctorbluesmanreturns]

love seeing discourse where the people involved don't know what they're talking about but are very confident that they do.

[dross-the-fish]

He's been talked about a little but here's a quick sketch I did of Theo's deadbeat sire, Sir Francis Varney

I had a lot of fun with this guy's design. I imagine that he tends to give Micheal Keaton as "Beetlejuice" energy and overall reads as something of a trashbag. Most people are very put off by him.

Despite this he's actually the most sympathetic to humans and the most likely to be compassionate. He tries to avoid killing if possible and sometimes just seeks out humans for company rather than food.

Most higher vampires have animal forms or motifs. Dracula has two, bats and wolves, Carmilla's is a cat and Varney can take the shape of a rat swarm.

[cleolinda]

Varney the Vampire: Chapter 16

Chapter 15: Our nephew can't marry some German vampyre!

PREVIOUSLY ON: We had a dance break to introduce two new comic-relief characters. But before that, Flora's sorta-fiancé that she met on the Continent and hadn't seen since showed up, and Flora's oldest brother started trying to warn him (Charles Holland) that since Flora has been bitten by a vampyre, he (Charles Holland) should not marry her. Flora said he should not marry her. The stalwart and faithful Charles Holland is not having any of that shit.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE MEETING OF THE LOVERS IN THE GARDEN. -- AN AFFECTING SCENE. -- THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF SIR FRANCIS VARNEY.

Or is he?

Our readers will recollect that Flora Bannerworth had made an appointment with Charles Holland in the garden of the hall. [...] The thought that he should be much urged by Flora to give up all thoughts of making her his, was a most bitter one to him, who loved her with so much truth and constancy, and that she would say all she could to induce such a resolution in his mind he felt certain. But to him the idea of now abandoning her presented itself in the worst of aspects.

Okay but. We just had like a chapter and a half of you swearing up and down that you'd never—

“Dare I be so base as actually or virtually to pad out out the word count say to her, 'Flora, when your beauty was undimmed by sorrow -- when all around you seemed life and joy, I loved you selfishly for the increased happiness which you might bestow upon me; but now the hand of misfortune presses heavily upon you -- you are not what you were, and I desert you?' Never -- never -- never!"

Atta boy.

James Malcolm Rymer decides to throw in that Charles Holland (if you are just joining us, I feel like you always have to say his full name. Rymer often does. It just feels right) "felt more acutely than he reasoned." I'm not sure if this is meant to be snarky or not; at least Rymer follows this up by lauding his "nobility of soul."

As for Flora, Heaven only knows if at that precise time her intellect had completely stood the test of the trying events which had nearly overwhelmed it.

On one hand, I get it: Flora's had a tough week. On the other hand, shut the fuck up, Rymer.

The two grand feelings that seemed to possess her mind were fear of the renewed visits of the vampyre, and an earnest desire to release Charles Holland from his repeated vows of constancy towards her.

She's still holding up better than her brother Henry, who was constantly wailing about how the horror of having a sister bitten by a vampyre ancestor is driving him maaaaad. Flora's intellect seems to be working perfectly fine, however, as she weighs her love for Charles Holland vs. the depth of his suffering: "To link him to her fate, would be to make him to a real extent a sharer in it."

In the sense that he might have to watch her be staked, and grieve her death?

In the sense that she might become a vampyre and come after her nearest and dearest (i.e., him) first, as vampires were folklorically said to do?

In the sense that she might bear… tainted children?!

[And] the more she [had] heard fall from his lips in the way of generous feelings of continued attachment to her, the more severely did she feel that he would suffer most acutely if united to her. And she was right.

But they were going to have a romantic rendezvous to talk this out, right? Charles is now waiting for her in Bannerworth Hall's [overdescribed] flower garden, secluded from the main building,

and in its centre was a summer-house, which at the usual season of the year was covered with all kinds of creeping plants of exquisite perfumes, and rare beauty. All around, too, bloomed the fairest and sweetest of flowers, which a rich soil and a sheltered situation could produce.

Honestly, I had a long discussion/comparison of Flora to Stoker's Lucy Westenra here, and I feel like it needs to go take a nap and come back some other time as a separate post. But suffice it to say, I think wealth is an important factor in how pleasantly "sheltered" these two characters are: not to take anything away from their sweetness and purity of heart (this is where I start going on about how misunderstood Lucy is), but they can afford to be sweet and lovely and naive, if you see what I'm saying (and this is more apparent in Dracula, in comparison to Mina, her level head, and her professional skills). As much as we need to point out that Rymer is romanticizing whiteness (figuratively and literally), I think we also have to consider that he's romanticizing wealth—class—by going on and on about a family estate with a large, "sheltered," professionally-tended garden.

Rymer continues this metaphor by saying that the "more estimable Flora floral culture" has declined,

for the decayed fortunes of the family had prevented them from keeping the necessary servants, to place the Hall and its grounds in a state of neatness, such as it had once been the pride of the inhabitants of the place to see them. It was then in this flower-garden that Charles and Flora used to meet.

I SAID, THAT SHE MET ON THE CONTINENT AND HASN'T SEEN SINCE

Nonetheless, Charles Holland has arrived early to this garden of lies. He is ready to romance. "Aníron" plays softly in the distance.

A light sound, as of some fairy footstep among the flowers, came upon his ears, and turning instantly to the direction from whence the sound proceeded, he saw what his heart had previously assured him of, namely that it was his Flora that was coming.

Alas, the flower that to his mind was fairer than them all, was blighted, and in the wan cheek of her whom he loved, he sighed to see the lily usurping the place of the radiant rose.

Yes, it was she; but, ah, how pale, how wan -- how languid and full of the evidences of much mental suffering was she. Where now was the elasticity of that youthful step? Where now was that lustrous beaming beauty of mirthfulness, which was wont to dawn in those eyes? Alas, all was changed. The exquisite beauty of form was there, but the light of joy which had lent its most transcendent charms to that heavenly face, was gone.

There's a reason Rymer goes to such lengths to (also; additionally; is there anything he doesn't) romanticize Flora's ill health:

While tuberculosis has been traced back thousands of years (and is still considered a pandemic), it wasn't named as such until 1834. And because it wasn't identified as a single disease until the 1820s, it was often thought to be vampirism: blood would appear on a patient's lips, people around them would also sicken and die, and so on. The colloquial name for tuberculosis (as you probably know) was consumption, even: being consumed by something unseen, unto death.

But as the Dead Maidens article up there points out, tuberculosis was glamorized among the upper class (not the only class who came down with it, mind you). Tuberculosis, as diseases go, had more dignity than dysentery and cholera, and happened to exaggerate what people already considered to be attractive:

[Early] symptoms seemed to heighten already established beauty standards of the time, and a wealthy young woman could waste away for years before the horrible end came. In the meantime, poor circulation turned fair complexions ghastly white. The blue veins and translucent fragile skin were treated as a crystalline delicacy. The constant low fever kept the cheeks and lips flushed with a rosy hue and the eyes wide and watery. Patients would waste away growing ethereally thin.

Chicken or egg: Did tuberculosis underline existing beauty ideals, or was it a matter of people glamorizing what they saw happening around them anyway? Yes, I think, is the answer to that.

Meanwhile, the contagion ramped up through the 1700s and 1800s, and when you combine this with the increase in both literacy and affordable publishing during the Industrial Revolution, you get the first era, the pre-Dracula era, of Western vampire literature, starting with Lenore (1773) and The Bride of Corinth (1797). (Which were published after the 1750s Austrian Vampire Problem we talked about last time.) Meanwhile, in 2023, I wrote a gigantic digression about heroes coddling heroines as validation for readers who feel unvalidated and beauty as virtue that I am straight-up going to have to cut out and maybe post separately, because this recap is already way too long.

ANYWAY, MY DEAR FLORA, said Charles Holland,

"remember that there are warm hearts that love you. Remember that neither time nor circumstance can change such endearing affection as mine. [...] Wherefore, Flora, would you still the voice of pure affection? I love you surely, as few have ever loved."

I love this shit. I absolutely love stories where Our Hero (Gender Neutral) tells me the Reader Proxy, for several paragraphs, that they love her/him/them heart and mind and body and soul for all time unto the heat death of the universe. LOVE. THAT. SHIT.

No, cries Flora! We mustn't! (But we MUST!) I will not quote all of this scene to you, but suffice it to say that they argue over how Charles Holland's entire face would shout his love if his tongue didn't happen to show up at the office that day. He is not just words! He is action! No, you mustn't! BUT I MUST! Love it.

Notice, though, how you must not is not I do not want you to. A lot of older romance writing either doesn't care about consent (I know a number of current romance writers who do, very much much so), or it stays sort of muddled and unclear as to how much a heroine is really into it. This may be either in the spirit of dubcon or honestly, because characters in an era when they weren't supposed to touch (Charles and Flora are actually pretty handsy. Waist action happens) are kind of pushing the envelope by talking too much about it at all. Flora may really be saying, "Charles Holland, we mustn't speak of love at such agonizing length in a wholesome publication!" ("I mean, is a pamphlet that wholesome, it's not a real newspaper or anything...") "Well, it has to be reasonably decent! I have to at least blush and avert my maidenly eyes every couple of sentences! We should probably talk about God watching us at some point!" ("Like... watching us...?") ("NO!!!")

"I must not now hear this. Great God of Heaven give me strength to carry out the purpose of my soul. […] Charles, I know I cannot reason with you. I know I have not power of language, aptitude of illustration, nor depth of thought to hold a mental contention with you."

POINTS:

Flora needing strength to carry out her purpose—refusing Charles Holland—underlines that this is something she does not, in fact, want to do. While Charles Holland's persistence might be functionally indistinguishable from Dude Who Won't Take No For An Answer, here in a fictional context, we're given cues that Charles understands correctly that Flora is only trying to break up with him For His Own Good.

Compared to these frequent comments on Flora's allegedly weak intellect, can you see how "She has man’s brain [and] a woman's heart" is actually a fairly decent compliment to Mina Harker on Stoker's part?

Shut the fuck up, Rymer

Why not speak of love, demands Charles Holland?? We spoke of love 24/7 on the Continent! Whyfore not thereunto??

"I am changed, Charles. Fearfully changed. The curse of God has fallen upon me, I know not why. I know not that in word or in thought I have done evil, except perchance unwittingly, and yet -- the vampyre."

Charles Holland insists that there's got to be a rational explanation, because he is not actually the one who shot a vampyre in the face, nor has he been anyone's repast. To which Flora basically says, "WELL FIND ONE THEN." Saying which, she flings herself onto a seat in the summer-house (I'm imagining a gazebo here), and "covering her beautiful face with her hands, [sobs] compulsively." To hundreds of words of Charles Holland's dismay, Flora goes on to say that he should go find someone else, and "justice, religion, mercy -- every human attribute which bears the name of virtue" calls upon her to dump him. Which, again: if Flora really wanted to break up with him, she wouldn't be talking about all the external factors making her do it. There are several great breakup scenes in English-language literature of the 1800s from Pride and Prejudice onward, and this, on many levels, is not one of them. Charles Holland (and a reader used to this kind of writing) would pick up on that subtext. (Truly, I cannot emphasize enough that fiction is not real life. Don't presume to know what other people "really" mean IRL.) Thus, Charles Holland counters with the wonderful marshmallow romance goo:

"Well I know that gentle maiden modesty [that we need to have in this Reasonably Decent Publication] would seal your lips to the soft confession that you love me. I could not hope the joy of hearing you utter these words. The tender devoted lover is content to see the truthful passion in the speaking eyes of beauty. Content is he to translate it from a thousand acts, which, to eyes that look not so acutely as a lover's, bear no signification; but when you tell me to seek happiness with another, well may the anxious question burst from my throbbing heart of, 'Did you ever love me, Flora?'" Her senses hung entranced upon his words. Oh, what a witchery is in the tongue of love. Some even of the former colour of her cheek returned as, forgetting all for the moment but that she was listening to the voice of him, the thoughts of whom had made up the day dream of her happiness, she gazed upon his face. His voice ceased. To her it seemed as if some music had suddenly left off in its most exquisite passage. She clung to his arm -- she looked imploringly up to him. Her head sunk upon his breast as she cried, "Charles, Charles, I did love you. I do love you now." "Then let sorrow and misfortune shake their grisly locks in vain," he cried. "Heart to heart -- hand to hand with me, defy them."

Their... gory hair? ANYWAY WE DEFY THE FATES, BELOVED! OUR LOVE CONQUERS ALL! WE CARE-BEAR STARE AT DESTINY, FLORA! Good hustle, that's what I wanna hear.

He lifted up his arms towards Heaven as he spoke, and at the moment came such a rattling peal of thunder, that the very earth seemed to shake upon its axis. [Flora screams and there is extensive discussion of how scary it is.] Another peal, of almost equal intensity to the other, shook the firmament. Flora trembled.

Gonna be honest, I thought for a moment that Varney was falling off a wall again. Flora declares that this is the Voice of Heaven insisting that they break up forever, but Charles Holland insists that

"The sunshine of joy will shine on you again." There was a small break in the clouds, like a window looking into Heaven. From it streamed one beam of sunlight, so bright, so dazzling, and so beautiful, that it was a sight of wonder to look upon. It fell upon the face of Flora; it warmed her cheek; it lent lustre to her pale lips and tearful eyes; it illuminated that little summer-house as if it had been the shrine of some saint.

Here we go again, let's note, with the insistence that Flora is intrinsically pure. How you like them omens? Now this, this is a promise of God, and yea, a dove with an olive branch probably flies through a rainbow somewhere over the house. Back in the day, I took a graduate class on (American, mid-1800s) sentimental literature, which my professor characterized as "weepin' and prayin'." A certain kind of Protestant piety runs deep through these texts—not just the American ones—and appears as a default mindset in a lot of 19th-century literature:

Most of the high profile female writers of this period were committed Christians. The Broad Church Brontës, the Unitarian Mrs Gaskell and the systematically unconventional Emily Dickinson made much use of their faith in their work. So did George Eliot, supersaturated with a religion in which she no longer believed, yet an accomplished theologian. The male writers were often committed believers too, despite the apparently worldly outlook of many, including apparently cynical Thackeray and robustly conventional Trollope. Throughout Victoria's reign, religious controversy simmers, not only among journalists but poets and novelists too. These Christian turf wars are sometimes edited out of readings of Victorian texts because they might not feel relevant to modern studies. Marianne Thormählen in The Brontës and Religion sees it differently: ‘The Christian life is a foreign country to most people today and I believe it serves some purpose to be reminded that to the Brontës it was home.’

The flip side of this is that vampire fiction tends to bring in a Catholic Christian vibe: no matter what denomination anyone was before the fangs came out, let's throw holy water and a wafer at the problem. But in the meantime!

She allowed him to clasp her to his heart. It was beating for her, and for her only.  [...] "Charles, we will live, love, and die together."

In "a wrapt stillness" and "a trance of joy," they stare at each other and smile and nearly cry for a good long while, which is very sweet. BUT THEN!

A shriek burst from Flora's lips -- as shriek so wild and shrill that it awakened echoes far and near. Charles staggered back a step, as if shot, and then in such agonised accents as he was long indeed in banishing the remembrance of, she cried, -- "The vampyre! the vampyre!"

Yeah, that's the chapter. You might recall that Sir Francis the Vampyre expressed hopes of courting Flora, so this is gonna get interesting.

Varney the Vampire masterpost

[antiquesfreaks]

#hes so shit at everything i love u varney #hes so cool when hes a normal guy #but the moment hes a vampire or doing anything vampire adjacent he just trips over and dies

varney "sorry i ate ur daughter twice can i hide from an AWFUL IGNORANT MOB in your house they think im a vampire (he is a vampire) and wanna kill me :( " the vampire

[lauralot89]

Just finished reading Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw.

It's a novel about Greta Helsing (descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, somewhere along the line the family dropped the Van), who runs a London clinic for supernatural creatures. Then a cult in the city starts killing off both human and inhuman Londoners, and Greta finds herself and her friends targeted.

Dracula does not appear in this novel, I assume because he's likely dead thanks to the efforts of Greta's ancestor, but Lord Ruthven and Sir Francis Varney are main characters.

All in all, I found it an entertaining read, but necessarily the serial killer business took up a lot of the book and what I found most fascinating was the medical aspect. At one point, Greta mentions that it's flu season for ghouls. I need to know more about this. What are the symptoms of ghoul flu? How is it treated? I need House but for vampires and mummies and werewolves and all of that.

Though this book is the first in a series, so maybe the next one will be a bit more Grey's Anatomy.

[too-tired-to-write]

Varney, the vampyre, who had been holding this conversation with no other than Marchdale

NO

Mr. Marchdale, who now stands out in his true colours to the reader as the confidant and abettor of Sir Francis Varney

ROBERT MARCHDALE HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US

[antiquesfreaks]

Our heroes meet Sir Francis Varney face-to-face at last! But is he a vampyre? (Yes.)

We are joined this week by our dear friend @0bfvscate ! Check out her short speculative fiction and essays at ofcieri.com, and read her new book BACKMASK!

To instantly unlock a hundred more chapters (literally), check out our Patreon.

[mayhemchicken-varneyposting]

tonight's varney/charles is served to you with a side of henry having a gay awakening

[darklingichor]

Bitter Waters, by Vivian Shaw

Greta Helsing short story!!

I adore this series and was hoping for more after Grave Importance. This really should be read after the main trilogy.

Greta is enjoying an evening at Dark Heart House with her new husband, vampyre Sir Francis Varney, and their sort of ward, Emily, vampire and supernatural veterinarian student, when a creature arrives at their house with a little girl who had been turned into a vampire and dumped in the woods.

The creature is a barrow-wight. Far from Tolkien's interpretation of her species, she is simply trying to get the child somewhere safe.

Lucy is an orphan who has been in multiple foster homes. She was taken by a vampire during a school trip to Stonehenge, turned and abandoned. She is all of ten years old.

This is an abdominal thing to do and it pisses all of our favorite Sanguinvores off to no end. They are all taken with Lucy. She is sweet, smart and is resilient as all get out. Ruthven especially takes on a fatherly role. Varney wants to track down the vampire that turned her. Greta and Ruthven, while in agreement are more concerned about how best to help give Lucy the most stable version of life possible. Grisaille, of course just hangs out with her watching The Great British Bake Off and answering questions the others are too preoccupied to answer. All of this (well, except for the Bake Off) gets Count Dracula involved.

This is an interesting story, you think that its going to be a case of our heros tracking down this asshole vampire and taking him down. Instead what you get is a look into the structure of Sanguinvore culture and a really cool peek inside Ruthven's head. And when Lucy, a insatiable reader gets a library and iPad free pass... let's just say that all of our characters classic literature connections are discovered to various levels of embarrassment.

I enjoyed the hell out of this, and the fact that it leaves a door cracked open for more stories is a fantastic bonus!

[tga-ines-soares]

Penny Dreadfuls The Accidental Murderess by Missus E. Mooney

"Accidental Murderess" is a short story by Missus E. Mooney that revolves around a woman who finds herself in a precarious situation after unintentionally causing someone's death. The narrative likely explores themes of guilt, responsibility, and the moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist in dealing with the aftermath of such an even

The Gift Of The Sailor, aka The String of Pearls, aka Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

"The String of Pearls," also known as "The Gift of the Sailor," is the serialized story that introduced the infamous character Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, to the public. It was initially published in 1846-1847 as a penny dreadful, a type of sensational fiction popular in Victorian England.

The story revolves around Sweeney Todd, a barber in London who murders his customers by pulling a lever that sends them tumbling down a chute to their deaths. With the assistance of Mrs. Lovett, who runs a pie shop below his barber shop, Todd disposes of the bodies by turning them into meat pies.

The tale is known for its macabre and dark themes, depicting the horrors of urban life and the criminal underworld in Victorian London. Over time, it has been adapted into various stage productions, movies, and other forms of media, becoming a classic part of horror literature.

Varney The Vampyre or The Feast of Blood by Thomas Preskett Prest

"Varney the Vampyre; or, The Feast of Blood" is a serialized gothic horror story published in the mid-19th century. It was written by James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest, though Rymer is often considered the primary author.

The story follows the adventures of Sir Francis Varney, a vampire who preys on the living for sustenance. Varney is portrayed as a tragic figure, struggling with his vampiric nature while trying to find a cure for his condition. The narrative includes elements of romance, mystery, and the supernatural, with Varney encountering various challenges and adversaries throughout the tale.

"Varney the Vampyre" is considered one of the early works that contributed to popularizing vampire fiction in English literature. It was initially published as a series of pamphlets known as "penny dreadfuls," catering to the Victorian-era audience's taste for sensational and thrilling stories. The character of Varney has since become a notable figure in vampire lore and influenced later vampire fiction, including Bram Stoker's "Dracula."

I Am – John Clare

"I Am" is a famous poem by John Clare, an English poet from the 19th century. In this poem, Clare expresses his connection to nature and his sense of identity within it. He explores themes of self-awareness, existence, and the interconnectedness between himself and the natural world.

The poem reflects Clare's deep appreciation for the countryside and his understanding of his place within it. It speaks to his personal experiences and his profound connection to nature, emphasizing how his very being is intertwined with the landscape, animals, and elements surrounding him.

The opening lines of the poem "I Am" are:

"I am—yet what I am none cares or knows; My friends forsake me like a memory lost: I am the self-consumer of my woes— They rise and vanish in oblivious host,"

These lines set the tone for the introspective nature of the poem, delving into the poet's inner thoughts and feelings about his existence. Throughout the verses, Clare contemplates his identity, his place in society, and his relationship with the natural world.

Overall, "I Am" is a reflective piece that captures John Clare's deep introspection and his profound connection to nature as an integral part of his being.

Getting Away With Murder by Mary-Ann Verkuyl

"Getting Away With Murder" is a book by Mary-Ann Verkuyl that explores the psychology and behavior of killers who have successfully evaded capture or conviction for their crimes. It delves into various case studies and examines the tactics and strategies these individuals employed to avoid being caught.

The book likely delves into the intricacies of criminal investigations, the mistakes made by law enforcement, and the psychological aspects of criminal behavior that contributed to these killers escaping justice. It might also discuss the impact on the victims' families and the challenges faced by authorities in solving such cases.

A Better Life by Mary-Ann Verkuyl

"A Better Life" by Mary-Ann Verkuyl is a self-help book that delves into personal development and growth. It explores various strategies and techniques aimed at helping individuals improve their lives, achieve their goals, and find fulfillment. Verkuyl likely discusses topics such as setting meaningful goals, overcoming obstacles, cultivating positive habits, managing time effectively, and enhancing overall well-being. The book might offer practical advice, actionable steps, and insights to empower readers to make positive changes in their lives and create a better future for themselves.

How Sweet The Spirit of Those Departed by Connie Spears.

"Sweet the Spirit of Those Departed" by Connie Spears is a novel set in the Victorian era, centered around Penny Dreadfuls, which were cheap sensationalist fiction publications. The story likely delves into the world of Penny Dreadfuls, exploring themes of mystery, suspense, and possibly the supernatural, typical of the genre. The title itself suggests a focus on departed spirits or the afterlife, implying a potential exploration of spiritual or ghostly elements within the narrative.

Stage Door Secrets by Connie-Spears

"Stage Door Secrets" by Connie Spears is a romance novel that follows the story of a theater actress named Jenna Matthews. Jenna is determined to make a name for herself in the competitive world of Broadway. However, her plans take an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with the charming and enigmatic actor, Alex Fisher.

As Jenna navigates the challenges of her career and tries to balance her personal life, she finds herself drawn to Alex despite his mysterious past. The book delves into their budding relationship, the intricacies of the theater world, and the secrets that both Jenna and Alex are hiding. It's a tale of love, ambition, and the complexities of following one's dreams in the spotlight of Broadway.

The Curse of Persephone Templar by Patricia-Miskimins

"Curse of Persephone Templar" by Patricia Miskimins is a historical mystery novel that intertwines elements of the supernatural and suspense. The story revolves around Persephone Templar, a young woman whose life becomes entangled with an ancient curse that has haunted her family for generations.

As Persephone delves deeper into her family's history, she uncovers dark secrets and hidden truths that date back centuries. The curse seems to hold a mysterious power that affects the women in her lineage, and Persephone is determined to break free from its grasp.

Throughout the book, readers are taken on a journey through different time periods, exploring the lives of Persephone's ancestors and the origins of the curse. The novel combines elements of mystery, history, and the supernatural as Persephone races against time to unravel the curse's mysteries and save herself and her family from its ominous influence.

[see-arcane]

Sir Francis Varney could have had sooo many on a chokehold:

He's so so so tormented by his vampirism and quest for salvation in love or death. He is tall, strong, and broody. He is hunted by mobs of people. He dies several times but gets revived by the moon and laments it every time. He is cultured. He literally just wants to be loved, despite being a murderous vampire who scams and terrorises. Put him into situations with your oc.

Lord Ruthven, too. He is your sexy, well regarded male killer who gambles, travels the world with Good Company, corrupts, and seduces virgins with his charm to drink their blood and move on to the next one. And he's not the slightest bit sorry. Tailor made for the vampiric dark romances you may wish. It's because of his entire Byronic premise why so many German and French writers and playwrights made fanfics of him. #BringRuthvenmaniaBack.

Two different literary vampires for different tastes.

One for the sad wet cat enjoyers and one for the ‘he’s so so evil and terrible I love that for him :)’ folks, it’s a win-win

[catherinek-g]

Penny Dreadfuls

Varney the Vampire:

Ran form 1845-1847 and was of epic length having 232 chapters totaling nearly 667,000 words. This story introduced many tropes seen and used in vampire fiction today.

"The plot concerns the troubles that Sir Francis Varney inflicts upon the Bannerworths, a formerly wealthy family driven to ruin by their recently deceased father" (source Wikipedia)

The Accidental murderess:

This story follows the unfortunate events caused by an unhealthy relationship involving the main character, Miss Hermione Tandy. This resulted in her father disproving the couple and killing her partner which then lead to Miss Hermione accidentally killing her own dad as she had followed him to the docks (were her partner was).

I Am:

This is a poem said to be wrote in late 1844 or early 1845 by English poet John Clare (later published in 1848). It was composed when he was in an asylum. The poem focuses on the ideas of loneliness and depression and how the speaker wants to find peace in heaven.