Roof Beam Reader
Adam Burgess
The House of the Vampire by G.S. Viereck
George Sylvester Viereck published The House of the Vampire in 1907. It is one of the first “psychic vampire” novels ever written, but what makes it even more interesting is the romance at its center is a homosexual one (in fact, a homosexual love triangle, of sorts.)
I first encountered Viereck while working on my dissertation (which, side note, has been edited and revised, and is soon to be published as a book on Amazon; I’ll be posting about this soon), and I was surprised by the themes of his work, the stark clarity with which he wrote them, and the deep awareness he brought to issues of gender and sexuality in a time that always seems so deeply ignorant and puritan to our contemporary one. (Spoiler Alert: My book upends a lot of these misconceptions about the early-twentieth century!)
Perhaps the most compelling element of this novel, gay “romance” of the early-1900s aside, is the psychic aspect. It is not a straightforward, “the vampire will drink your blood” kind of horror. Instead, the antagonist feeds off of the creativity of those around him, specifically focusing on a slow devouring of one talented individual at a time. The vampire takes an apprentice under his wing, showers him (or her) with affection, and all the while drinks the life-source of that individual’s creative talents, until the writer, artist, or poet has nothing left to give. It’s in many ways more horrific than the simple vampire villain.
Despite being relatively unknown, it is safe to say that House of the Vampire is, or deserves to be, a classic of the Victorian Gothic genre. The writing is suitably Romantic, the blurring of lines between reality and the supernatural is present and effective, and the exploration of humanity through art and relationships, love and fear, is both interesting and touching. Although relatively short and fast-paced, much more akin to Jekyll than Udolpho, the questions at its core are what make House of the Vampire worth reading, and reading in particular for the honesty with which Viereck treats the possibilities of human love and action.
Overall: 3.5/5.0 This book was selected as part of my 2019 TBR Pile Challenge.
Roof Beam Reader 
Pingback: February Checkpoint #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
I have so many thoughts! First, congratulations on your upcoming book! I will definitely check it out. This book sounds so interesting for the love triangle and its take on vampires. I had never heard of it, or this author, before your post. That’s so incredible that such an innovative story on so many levels was penned at the beginning of the twentieth century. I learn something new every day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much! My book actually covers openly gay writers/literature from 1900-1968. So much that so many people don’t know about (I certainly didn’t a few years ago.) I’m excited to get it out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, the idea of being an artist who’s struggling to produce work and not knowing your creativity is being drained is pretty terrifying! This sounds fascinating.
LikeLike
Pingback: March Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: April Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: May Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | He Writes Words
Pingback: June Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: July Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: August Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: September Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: October Checkpoint #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: November Checkpoint #TBR2019RBR | Roof Beam Reader
Pingback: The Final Checkpoint! #TBR2019RBR – Roof Beam Reader