Nevermore: William Trevor, Bram Stoker, Alexandra David-Neel

 

Nevermore 10-15-24 Reported by Rita

Selected Stories by William Trevor

Collects forty-eight short stories by the author that span more than half a century, illuminating the human condition.

 I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely beautiful.   – MD      5 stars

 

Dracula by Bram Stoker

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of terrifying discoveries about his client.

I was surprised by the writing style. I found it very prudish and not extremely scary, but I loved it and highly recommend it.    – VC       5 stars

 

My Journey to  Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel

First published in 1927, a memoir by the first Western woman to reach the Tibetan city of Lhasa describes her journey to the remote and forbidden region, her travels throughout the continent of Asia, her meeting with the Dalai Lama, and her remarkable encounters with and understanding of Asian culture.

A beautiful exhibition of strength and resilience.    – CD      5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Suffrage Song: the Haunted History of Gender, Race and Voting Rights in the United States of America by Caitlin Cass

Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke

Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman

Holy City by Henry Wise

Dumpty by John Lithgow

Let's Read Our Feet by Jane Sheehan

Serena : a novel by Ron Rash

Telltale Hearts: A Public Health Doctor, His Patients, and the Power of Story by Dean-david Schillinger

Long Haul by Figliuzzi,  Frank

Olive Kitteridge by Strout, Elizabeth

New Books

On Freedom by Timothy Snyder

Keeping the Faith by Brenda Wineapple

Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson

Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula by Koren Shadmi

 

 Reviewed by Jeanne

 

As he did with his excellent graphic novel style biography of Rod Serling, Koren Shadmi presents a fascinating look at another entertainment icon:  Bela Lugosi. The moody black and white drawings seem especially appropriate for a figure whose best known works were filmed that way.  The book opens in 1955 with the elderly Lugosi checking himself into a hospital to try to beat his addiction.  During his delirium, he sees figures, some from his past, some who are just representations, who illuminate his life.

He was born Bela Blasko in Lugos, Hungary, the youngest child of a relatively prosperous family.  His father had begun as a baker but had become a respected banker. Bela’s theatrical aspirations didn’t please his family, so he left for Budapest as a youth, taking the name of his hometown as his surname. The novel traces his career and personal life, both of which could be fraught. He was married multiple times and had numerous affairs, including one with Clara Bow. The “IT Girl” finagled a meeting with Lugosi because she wanted to know more about how he learned his lines phonetically, as his English was limited.  Bow had a thick Brooklyn accent and at that time the motion picture industry was transitioning from silent pictures to talkies. 

Of course, Lugosi’s big break came when he was cast in the stage version of Dracula in 1927, which led to his being cast in the 1931 movie. Suddenly, he was a hot commodity, but his accent and typecasting limited his roles. He had a screen test for the role of the monster in Frankenstein but he hated the heavy make-up and the creature’s lack of lines.  The role eventually went to Boris Karloff.

In order to make ends meet, Lugosi took roles in low-budget productions, which did nothing to enhance his reputation as an actor. Of course, near the end of his life he worked with Ed Wood, which is a whole ‘nother story.

Overall, I enjoyed Lugosi. Shadmi uses the graphic art medium to great effect, uniting image and words to make a memorable story.  I especially love the way he uses the art to both set mood and to give a strong sense of time and place.  I found the scenes set in the ‘20s and ‘30s to be particularly atmospheric. 

The author appends a list of the articles, books, and other sources he used to create this book. Some aspects of Lugosi’s life are given scant attention and some incidents are not included, but that’s also the nature of the medium.  It doesn’t help that in reading about the actor there can be multiple versions of an event, making it difficult for any biographer to sift out truth from fiction. If I have a quibble, it is that I would have liked some indication of the source for some incidents Shadmi depicted.

I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in early Hollywood, and especially the dawn of horror movies, or anyone who enjoys a good graphic novel biography.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Reviewed by Ambrea

Dracula is a collection of stories—journals, newspaper clippings, transcriptions and personal testimonies—from Jonathan and Mina Harker, Dr. John Seward, Lucy Westenra, Arthur Holmwood, Quincy Morris, and Dr. Abraham van Helsing, in which they confront the world’s most terrifying creature:  a vampire.

As one might expect, Dracula is a riveting story and Bram Stoker is an excellent storyteller.  Besides creating one of literature’s most fascinating—and chilling—villains, Stoker takes the time and care to recreate the details of life within his characters’ journals and letters.  And, considering the sheer volume of correspondences between characters and the specific connections necessary to complete the story, Dracula is an amazingly intricate piece of work.

In particular, I enjoyed the marked differences between characters.  Each individual has their own personality, their own history, and their own reactions to a situation or experience.  Each has a singular voice, a unique way of telling their story that makes them memorable and utterly captivating.  They are honest, endearing folks and they have a frightening, fascinating story to tell.

Truthfully, Dracula has it all for the horror enthusiast:  guts, gore, mayhem, madness, death, destruction and, of course, vampires.  It’s a dark and delightful treat, and it’s definitely a story I would recommend reading at least once.

By the same token, all the details involved in Stoker’s novel makes his work a bit tricky.  Once I finally made the connections, it was easy to find those tenuous links between characters and locations and mysterious events; however, those connections can sometimes prove slightly elusive.

Moreover, chapters can occasionally take a while to build up to a climactic point.  The story picks up considerably when certain realizations come together, when the characters are in danger of not only losing their lives but their immortal souls. Before that point, the narrative may seem a little lackluster and disjointed, but the reader who perseveres will be well rewarded.

Nevermore: Dracula, Romanov Sisters, Camelot's Court, Book Thief, and Purity of Vengeance

Our Nevermore readers choose books of all sorts: fiction and nonfiction, the newest books to the classics. It makes for an interesting mix. This time the first book up was Dracula by Bram Stoker, arguably the most influential vampire book of all time. While Stoker had his own literary influences (Camilla by Sheridan Le Fanu and Varney the Vampire by James Malcolm Rymer spring to mind), it was Dracula which stoked the public’s imagination.  Our reviewer had just started the book, but said that at 25 pages in, it was “very readable.”

A new non-fiction book about the ill-fated Russian grand duchesses was up next.  The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport uses diaries and letters to tell the stories of the four daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra who were executed along with the rest of their family in 1917.  Rappaport specializes in Victorian history and Russian history of the era, and has written several other books on the subject.  While for the most part the sisters have been treated as a group (except for books on Anastasia, due to rumors that she survived), this book seeks to present them as individuals.  Our reader found the book “really interesting” and recommended it.

Another new non-fiction history book discussed was Camelot’s Court by Robert Dallek.  This is a detailed account of the Kennedy White House with an emphasis on policy and advisors.  Dallek has written a number of books about modern presidents, including  titles on Roosevelt, Nixon, Reagan, and Johnson.  Our reviewer said it was well written and filled with quotations, and he thought the epilogue was especially interesting.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is narrated by Death himself. The title refers to Liesl,  a young girl in Nazi Germany who is sent to live with a foster family.  At her younger brother’s funeral she steals a book even though she cannot read.  After her foster father teaches her to read, she steals more books and finds that stories can be transformative, no matter the circumstances.  This is a compelling book, and our reviewer highly recommends it.

Jussi Adler Olsen is one of the “Nordic Noir” writers whose work has been translated into English following the popularity of Stieg Larsson’s books.  Set in Copenhagen, the books feature Detective Carl Morck of Department Q who specializes in solving cold cases.  Our reviewer had just read The Purity of Vengeance, the fourth book in the series, which finds Morck investigating the 1980s disappearance of  a brothel owner.  Our reviewer said this was another good entry in the series.

Ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties

Comments by Jeanne

"From ghoulies and ghosties and long legged beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord deliver us."

variously attributed as a Cornish, Scottish or Irish prayer

There’s something about the chill in the air, the falling leaves, and the ever-early evenings that makes people want to read something spooky. Here are some true creepy classics:


“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs was written in 1902 but a hundred and ten years later it can still chill. A couple is given a charm which will grant them three wishes. . . but each wish comes with a cost.

“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allen Poe gives me the screaming meemies. I can’t tell you much about it because I really just don’t like to think about it. Most anything by Poe is a good read this time of year.

“The Screaming Skull” by F. Marion Crawford is a first person narration by a man who has an unusual little souvenir, the skull of an acquaintance. He may also have given someone the idea for a murder.

H. P. Lovecraft shows up on a lot of lists of seminal horror authors, having influenced folk from Stephen King to Neil Gaiman. Try “Rats in the Walls” or “The Dunwich Horror” to get an idea of his work.

He doesn’t sparkle and he’s not exactly high school age, but Dracula by Bram Stoker really started something. His book wasn’t the first tale to feature a vampire, but somehow Stoker’s Count from Transylvania captured the public’s imagination. There have been innumerable sequels, retellings and crossovers with other characters (Sherlock Holmes in particular) which just goes to show you can’t really keep a good vampire down. As sequels go, a personal favorite is Fred Saberhagen’s An Old Friend of the Family.

Of course, the other great influential classic is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.  People tend to forget it's named for the scientist and not for his creation, which begs the question as to who is the real monster.  This story too is still going strong in films like Frankenweenie, on stage, and in books by authors like Dean Koontz.

Finally, if I had time to curl up and reread some good books before All Saints’ Day, here’s what I’d choose:

• It’s dark. The wind shakes the dead leaves and causes the bare branches to wave. Two young boys heading home after school come upon a carnival that seems not quite right. . . . Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

• A young lawyer is sent to settle an estate in an isolated English village. He doesn’t believe in ghosts. He will by the time he leaves. And no, the movie ending isn’t the same. Try The Woman in Black by Susan Hill.

• At a Halloween party, a young girl brags that she once saw a murder. Most people don’t believe her, but apparently one person does: the girl is found drowned in the apple-bobbing tub. Clearly, this is a case for Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party.  

Christy's Picks for Halloween

Christy Herndon is one of our most faithful volunteers.  Here are her recommendations for a spirited Halloween!

Autumn is my favorite time of year. Oddly enough, I feel almost guilty admitting that because my birthday isn’t even until winter, and a little part of me thinks birthdays should trump all. But autumn has changing leaves, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, hot apple cider, cozy piles of blankets, and the best thing of all: Halloween. Yes, winter has some of those things too but autumn is where it all begins. After suffering in the sweltering Tennessee heat, autumn offers relief with cool breezes and crisp air. But by the time December rolls around hot beverages and blankets are old news. And to stack the odds even higher, winter does not have Halloween.

Fellow Halloween enthusiasts may take this time to indulge in some creepy reading or horror movie viewing or both! This year I seem to have taken on the classics. I’m currently reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It is much more melancholy than I anticipated but quite beautiful. (Fun fact: Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was only 19!)

In a similar vein, I highly recommend Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Written in 1897 and still genuinely creepy, it is one of my favorite books of any genre.

Modern Books

Carrie by Stephen King: If you’ve never read this King classic now is the perfect time to get acquainted with the source material before the remake is released next spring.

The Shining by Stephen King : The book is so different from Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation that they almost shouldn’t even be compared – except to say that they are both very good.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski: Quite a bit of an undertaking, this creepy mammoth of a novel broke new ground with traditional storytelling and book formatting. Very interesting read.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk: Told as a series of stories, this is not horror in the traditional supernatural sense but rather the horrors to which humanity can sink. Fun fact: Some editions have glow-in-the-dark covers!

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz: A childhood staple of many millennials, this series was the most challenged book series from 1990-1999, according to the American Library Association, due to its violence. While the stories are fun, and generally aimed towards children, the original macabre illustrations by Stephen Gammell are really what make this series memorable.

Check out the Bristol Public Library for some of these titles and more!

 Film Recommendations

But what’s Halloween without some good old fashioned horror movies? Sticking with my classic theme, so far this month I’ve watched the Universal monster movies The Invisible Man and Dracula. (Enjoyed the latter much more than the former.)

As for modern horror, I’m a little bit obsessed with The Cabin in the Woods right now. Described by the director as a “love letter to horror movies”, this film takes classic horror tropes and satires them on a new, crazy-fun level. Reactions to this movie seem to go to either extreme - you either love it or hate it. But I think for any horror fan it’s definitely worth checking out.

John Carpenter’s The Thing: If you’re fan of practical effects, creature gore, or Kurt Russell with a tremendous beard you might want to check out this 1982 classic.

Insidious: While it received mixed reviews I really enjoyed this “haunted house” movie. Three dimensional characters and delightfully creepy imagery set it apart from the recent torture trend in horror.

The House of the Devil: This slow-burner was shot in 2009 but effectively styled as an early 1980s horror film. The plot is simple and familiar – a babysitter alone in a big, old house – but the escalating tension and resulting pay-off make it one of the best horror movies in recent years. (Fun fact: As a promo, this movie was released on VHS like the ones of the early ‘80s would have been. It is the final film to be released in that format.)

Frozen: Thanks to absent-minded operators, three friends get stuck high up on a ski lift and must survive the freezing cold night. A nice change of pace from supernatural horror.

Slither: This underrated gem is extremely funny, extremely gross, and a perfect mood-lightener for your horror movie marathon.

With the exception of The Cabin in the Woods, all these movies are available on instant Netflix! (And some at our library too!)

If you like your spooky fun a little bit more interactive there are plenty of activities around the Tri-Cities to get you in the spirit. Whether you’re in the mood for something haunted (house, forest, corn maze or otherwise) or want something more kid-friendly like pumpkin painting, WXBQ’s website (www.wxbq.com) has a great list of Halloween fun to choose from.

However you decide to celebrate Halloween just remember to have fun, be safe, and eat LOTS of candy. (But save me a Kit Kat or three.)  

Happy Halloween!