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The Finno-Ugrian Vampire
An entertaining story of a Budapest vampire dynasty. Jerne Voltampere's grandmother doesn't look her age, but she is 284 years old. She looks like a young woman. No wonder, as every night she sucks the blood of assorted men. She is a vampire and wants her grandchild to follow the family tradition.
Her granddaughter, Jerne, has just returned to Budapest after a posh education at the English college Winterwood. Reincarnations of the Brontë sisters taught her to write fairy tales. Jerne writes children's books, but they are considered too bloody to be published. Grandmother is adamant: Jerne will have to give up her literary ambitions and become a vampire. In the meantime, she takes an undemanding job as an editor. But the married couple who run the publishing house behave more and more suspiciously.
This is a story of a death and the afterlife told by a witty and irresistible narrator. It is the first Budapest vampire story from the home country of Béla Lugosi.
Her granddaughter, Jerne, has just returned to Budapest after a posh education at the English college Winterwood. Reincarnations of the Brontë sisters taught her to write fairy tales. Jerne writes children's books, but they are considered too bloody to be published. Grandmother is adamant: Jerne will have to give up her literary ambitions and become a vampire. In the meantime, she takes an undemanding job as an editor. But the married couple who run the publishing house behave more and more suspiciously.
This is a story of a death and the afterlife told by a witty and irresistible narrator. It is the first Budapest vampire story from the home country of Béla Lugosi.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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330 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 25, 2013
Set in Hungary - check
A novel partly about a vampire family bloodline, namely grandmother and granddaughter. Two kinds of bloodline - check.
Neither vampire sparkles or twinkles - check.
Sardonic Hungarian humour & superb one-liners- check, check.
Not a comic novel - check.
So what's not to like?
A novel partly about a vampire family bloodline, namely grandmother and granddaughter. Two kinds of bloodline - check.
Neither vampire sparkles or twinkles - check.
Sardonic Hungarian humour & superb one-liners- check, check.
Not a comic novel - check.
So what's not to like?
March 11, 2021
A very amusing take on modern Hungarian literature and publishing and old Hungarian folklore.
The vampires featured here are mostly very modern and pretty tech savvy; they're not subject to the silly myths that still populate vampire lore (neither sunlight nor mirrors phase them, and while human food isn't quite as tasty as human blood, it will do in a pinch) but basic human emotions still have a tendency to trip them up. I am certain there is a great deal regarding contemporary Hungarian mores and business practices that I am missing here, but this is a funny, charming, wryly humorous book even for those of us not familiar with a Finno-Ugrian language.
The vampires featured here are mostly very modern and pretty tech savvy; they're not subject to the silly myths that still populate vampire lore (neither sunlight nor mirrors phase them, and while human food isn't quite as tasty as human blood, it will do in a pinch) but basic human emotions still have a tendency to trip them up. I am certain there is a great deal regarding contemporary Hungarian mores and business practices that I am missing here, but this is a funny, charming, wryly humorous book even for those of us not familiar with a Finno-Ugrian language.
December 25, 2021
Újraolvasás: sorsszerűen valószínűtlen főhős (már a neve is! Voltamper Jerne, de semmiképp nem is hívhatnák másképp), bölcsész-metaszplín, marslakó-perspektíva és fergeteges deadpan poénok.
Szécsi Noémi játékosan biztos kézzel döfi tövig narratív karóját az elaléló olvasó füle közé.
Szécsi Noémi játékosan biztos kézzel döfi tövig narratív karóját az elaléló olvasó füle közé.
March 15, 2023
jaj de magyar jaj de bölcsész jaj de vámpír
nagyon jó volt lol
nagyon jó volt lol
April 21, 2015
la mia recensione potete leggerla qui:
http://www.letazzinediyoko.it/recensi...
http://www.letazzinediyoko.it/recensi...
December 1, 2024
Vampire humour such as this has been superseded in the last few years by things like 'What We Do In The Shadows'. Whereas this is clever in its satirical take on the the stereotypes of Eastern Europe, it is thin on plot, and probably considered inovative in 2013, but treads much more of a worn path a decade later.
I did enjoy part of the foreword very much though..
I did enjoy part of the foreword very much though..
Reader, do not doubt the truth of my words, for the tale I tell is a lie from beginning to end. It is often said that the only way to tell the truth is. through telling lies. But in my view reality is wholly devoid of interest. Yet every word of this tale is true.
August 24, 2024
Mollato all'inizio della seconda parte. Sono stufo marcio di una protagonista che si fa sballottare di qua e di là, di cui non viene scritta l'interiorità e quindi non si sa MAI perché faccia o non faccia qualcosa, della mancanza di action bit che spieghino come interpretare i dialoghi quando ce ne sono più di 3 di fila, di personaggi fastidiosi che non vengono mandati mai a quel paese perché lei è uno zerbino che reagisce agli stimoli meno di una persona con sintomi depressivi.
Sono proprio incazzato.
Sono proprio incazzato.
Read
April 16, 2013*ARC Copy*
My problem with this story is that it's translated from Hungarian. So you always feel like you're several steps behind in understanding what's going on. It was 50 pages or so before I realized the main character was a girl. The writing was awkward and there was no use of pronouns so how was I supposed to know "Jerne" was a girl's name? It's that kind of thing which is frustrating when reading a poorly translated book.
I don't know the social customs, or insider jokes, or cultural references that are made in this book. So I can't relate to what's going on in anyway. And things I get the impression are supposed to be witty or a commentary on life don't have any impact to me since they don't make any sense. I have no frame of reference to relate to.
I got through the first half of the book and intended to take a break but then push through the second half. But I just found myself not wanting to finish it. I don't think it's a bad book - if you read it in the native language. But I do think that it's awkward and unrelatable for the general vampire-fiction loving public of English speakers. It's just a case of being too foreign to truly enjoy.
My problem with this story is that it's translated from Hungarian. So you always feel like you're several steps behind in understanding what's going on. It was 50 pages or so before I realized the main character was a girl. The writing was awkward and there was no use of pronouns so how was I supposed to know "Jerne" was a girl's name? It's that kind of thing which is frustrating when reading a poorly translated book.
I don't know the social customs, or insider jokes, or cultural references that are made in this book. So I can't relate to what's going on in anyway. And things I get the impression are supposed to be witty or a commentary on life don't have any impact to me since they don't make any sense. I have no frame of reference to relate to.
I got through the first half of the book and intended to take a break but then push through the second half. But I just found myself not wanting to finish it. I don't think it's a bad book - if you read it in the native language. But I do think that it's awkward and unrelatable for the general vampire-fiction loving public of English speakers. It's just a case of being too foreign to truly enjoy.
March 26, 2014
Ho letto questo libro poiché pensavo potesse essere interessante leggere una storia di vampiri in chiave moderna. Purtroppo il libro ha deluso le mie aspettative... L' ho trovato privo di contenuti, dialoghi praticamente senza sostanza , di una superficialità imbarazzante. Forse tutto è' dovuto alla traduzione dall' ungherese all'italiano.. Forse.. Ad ogni modo ho letto le ultime 50 pagine saltando alcune parti e facendo zapping... Non vedevo l'ora di terminarlo per passare ad altro!
October 10, 2013
3.5 stars because I felt parts of the story were 3 stars & other parts were worthy of 4 stars.
A sardonic, dark comedy (in the ancient Greek definition of comedy) of a vampire book, one of the few vampire stories written by a Hungarian author (& maybe one of the only ones then translated into English).
A sardonic, dark comedy (in the ancient Greek definition of comedy) of a vampire book, one of the few vampire stories written by a Hungarian author (& maybe one of the only ones then translated into English).
April 5, 2016
the beginning was great, but it lost me in the middle. I was glad to finish it.
September 5, 2020
How can one be bored reading a novel about a Hungarian vampire??? Monumental achievement for an author.
July 18, 2025
Powieść nie zapowiada się początkowo na żadną rewelację - trąci pretensjonalnością i ahtyzmem, proponując czytelnikowi nieco zbyt mętne realia i wyczuwalnie wydumane postaci. Z biegiem stron fabuła jednak nabiera wartkości, postaci głębi, a narracja odświeżającego, mile cynicznego humoru. To jedna z tych książek, które z rozwojem akcji mocno zyskują, trzymając solidną jakość do samego końca. To miła odmiana w przypadku książek Wydawnictwa Czarnego, bo jak dotąd miałem pecha trafiać na - mówiąc delikatnie - niezbyt zachwycające twory.
Fabuła książki jest prościutka i pozbawiona jakiejś głębszej intrygi. Ot, wnuczka salonowej wampirzycy, w nieskończoność rozpamiętującej wspaniałe, dawne czasy, jest dla babci źródłem niekończących się rozczarowań. Nie chce przejść inicjacji (bo generalnie ciągle jest człowiekiem i żeby stać się wampirem, musi najpierw umrzeć), brzydzi się krwią, a na dodatek upiera się, żeby wieść żywot bajkopisarki, mimo że bajki wychodzą jej brutalne, przesycone zwichrowanym erotyzmem i skomplikowanym, nieprzystającym do literackiego języka słownictwem. Sęk w tym, że bajkopisarstwo bohaterki - choć wybrane jako zawód z założenia niedochodowy, pozwalający udawać przed sąsiadami, że się pracuje, a jednocześnie nie rzucać się w oczy - zaczyna w pewnym momencie rokować finansowe nadzieje, co jeszcze bardziej denerwuje babkę.
Książka jest po prostu przyjemna, lekka, nieco zabarwiona fatalizmem, i jest jednocześnie doskonałym zwierciadłem przemian zachodzących na Węgrzech, gdzie rozpleniła się bardzo podobna do polskiej wersja kapitalizmu. Tym bliższa jest więc opowieść czytelnikom znad Wisły, i tym łatwiej może przypaść do gustu.
Na koniec dwa spostrzeżenia. Pierwsze - ulżyło mi, że nie tylko ja mam ambiwalentne podejście do jakości polskich konserw rybnych:
"(...) zaczęłam się zastanawiać, czy różnica między reniferem białym a tym w kolorze ziemi jest porównywalna z różnicą między norweską a polską konserwą z dorsza."
Drugie - grafika, który machnął fatalnego bohomaza na okładce, powinno się pogonić na cztery wiatry.
Fabuła książki jest prościutka i pozbawiona jakiejś głębszej intrygi. Ot, wnuczka salonowej wampirzycy, w nieskończoność rozpamiętującej wspaniałe, dawne czasy, jest dla babci źródłem niekończących się rozczarowań. Nie chce przejść inicjacji (bo generalnie ciągle jest człowiekiem i żeby stać się wampirem, musi najpierw umrzeć), brzydzi się krwią, a na dodatek upiera się, żeby wieść żywot bajkopisarki, mimo że bajki wychodzą jej brutalne, przesycone zwichrowanym erotyzmem i skomplikowanym, nieprzystającym do literackiego języka słownictwem. Sęk w tym, że bajkopisarstwo bohaterki - choć wybrane jako zawód z założenia niedochodowy, pozwalający udawać przed sąsiadami, że się pracuje, a jednocześnie nie rzucać się w oczy - zaczyna w pewnym momencie rokować finansowe nadzieje, co jeszcze bardziej denerwuje babkę.
Książka jest po prostu przyjemna, lekka, nieco zabarwiona fatalizmem, i jest jednocześnie doskonałym zwierciadłem przemian zachodzących na Węgrzech, gdzie rozpleniła się bardzo podobna do polskiej wersja kapitalizmu. Tym bliższa jest więc opowieść czytelnikom znad Wisły, i tym łatwiej może przypaść do gustu.
Na koniec dwa spostrzeżenia. Pierwsze - ulżyło mi, że nie tylko ja mam ambiwalentne podejście do jakości polskich konserw rybnych:
"(...) zaczęłam się zastanawiać, czy różnica między reniferem białym a tym w kolorze ziemi jest porównywalna z różnicą między norweską a polską konserwą z dorsza."
Drugie - grafika, który machnął fatalnego bohomaza na okładce, powinno się pogonić na cztery wiatry.
March 6, 2019
My used copy once belonged to the Austin Public Library, Windsor Park branch.
Was it a matter of humor? Was the translation somehow off? Was the story weird by itself?
I didn't get it. I didn't get the humor. I didn't even like the protagonist, Jerne. She's a woman belonging to a family of vampires and she knows she has to become one, even if she didn't like the idea that much. I didn't like her because she's so superior to everyone and she keeps pretending (and failing) to be human. I really can't understand how people can find her pleasant. The whole part about O. ... I didn't get the meaning of it. Why trying to seduce a woman? Is this a sort of consequence after turning into a vampire? Or was it just a way to introduce a GLBT theme? Because Jerne .
I didn't understand why she had to work as a dish girl and pretend to be stupid but, at the same, have tons of money to spend on cultural activities.
The Grandma is terrible. Jerne's doesn't act on her own but always follows what her Grandma says. She was completely dominated by her Grandma.
There were places where the story could be fun and witty but I feared I miss the subtext.
The only interesting part was the pre-ending in Tallinn. The epilogue is a nonsense as the rest of the novel.
Well, I had higher expectations for this book but I finished it just because it was relatively short and because I had to pay for it.
Was it a matter of humor? Was the translation somehow off? Was the story weird by itself?
I didn't get it. I didn't get the humor. I didn't even like the protagonist, Jerne. She's a woman belonging to a family of vampires and she knows she has to become one, even if she didn't like the idea that much. I didn't like her because she's so superior to everyone and she keeps pretending (and failing) to be human. I really can't understand how people can find her pleasant. The whole part about O. ... I didn't get the meaning of it. Why trying to seduce a woman? Is this a sort of consequence after turning into a vampire? Or was it just a way to introduce a GLBT theme? Because Jerne .
I didn't understand why she had to work as a dish girl and pretend to be stupid but, at the same, have tons of money to spend on cultural activities.
The Grandma is terrible. Jerne's doesn't act on her own but always follows what her Grandma says. She was completely dominated by her Grandma.
There were places where the story could be fun and witty but I feared I miss the subtext.
The only interesting part was the pre-ending in Tallinn. The epilogue is a nonsense as the rest of the novel.
Well, I had higher expectations for this book but I finished it just because it was relatively short and because I had to pay for it.
September 12, 2019
Annyira szerettem volna szeretni! És ehhez képest a végére egyetlen mondatban tudnám összefoglalni: Bölcsészvámpír dolgokon picsnyog.
Pedig olyan jól indult. Azt, hogy a főszereplő nemében a könyv végéig kételkedem, gyorsan feledtetette az érdekes felvezetés, és a kis humoros, szatirikus elemek megjelenése. A vámpírnagyinak hála én még a kis bölcsésznyiminyumit is hajlandó voltam megbocsátani.
A 150. oldalnál azt mondtam, hogy nekem ez kell otthonra a polcra.
Majd jött a második rész, szöges bakancsban, baseballütővel, és agyonverte az első részt. Majd rápöccintette a csikket, és ráhugyozott a hullára.
Szinte hallottam a reccsenést a ponton, ahol derékba tört az írói lendület. Vagy elfogyott a kötetre felvett előleg, vagy vészesen közeledett a leadási határidő, vagy én nemtom, de a finnugor denevérke zuhanórepülése határozottan nem volt kellemes.
Pedig olyan jól indult. Azt, hogy a főszereplő nemében a könyv végéig kételkedem, gyorsan feledtetette az érdekes felvezetés, és a kis humoros, szatirikus elemek megjelenése. A vámpírnagyinak hála én még a kis bölcsésznyiminyumit is hajlandó voltam megbocsátani.
A 150. oldalnál azt mondtam, hogy nekem ez kell otthonra a polcra.
Majd jött a második rész, szöges bakancsban, baseballütővel, és agyonverte az első részt. Majd rápöccintette a csikket, és ráhugyozott a hullára.
Szinte hallottam a reccsenést a ponton, ahol derékba tört az írói lendület. Vagy elfogyott a kötetre felvett előleg, vagy vészesen közeledett a leadási határidő, vagy én nemtom, de a finnugor denevérke zuhanórepülése határozottan nem volt kellemes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2019
The book has a fun premise, a vampire grandmother controlling her vampire-in-training grand daughter. The book was noted in Hungary for its sharp commentary and use of language, notably puns. Unfortunately, I don't think the translator was up to the quality required. I felt like points were missing, that the translation was missing subtleties. The literary features of the work were bypass for just the plot. Even then I couldn't connect motivations and character.
That said, the grandmother is full of fun stories, such as her encounter with Oscar Wilde. She enthralls Jerne, who has to die to become a vampire. Before then she falls for a woman poet. That relationship has her doubting vampire life. The second part of the novel concerns her moral quandary.
Those familiar with Hungary will see glimpses of satire, though I expect the original has more. The overall story is worth the quick read, being told by people who prefer evil. Szechi is admired as a rising writer, and deserved a thoughtful translation.
That said, the grandmother is full of fun stories, such as her encounter with Oscar Wilde. She enthralls Jerne, who has to die to become a vampire. Before then she falls for a woman poet. That relationship has her doubting vampire life. The second part of the novel concerns her moral quandary.
Those familiar with Hungary will see glimpses of satire, though I expect the original has more. The overall story is worth the quick read, being told by people who prefer evil. Szechi is admired as a rising writer, and deserved a thoughtful translation.
October 13, 2018
First things first: this book was anarchically fun, and put the most brilliant twists on the Vampire genre.
The book follows Jerne, a reluctant soon-to-be vampire, who attempts to break free from the path her grandmother has set out for the rest of her immortal life. Starting out in a publishing house, Jerne quickly disgraces herself by writing a little too well, and... a few other spoiler-y things I'll leave out. After a career change, and a family friend's windfall, Jerne finally sees the chance to take her un-life back into her own hands. But will she ever be able to break free from her grandmother's clutches?
Some of the reviews took issue with the fact that this book was originally written in Hungarian, and translated into English. Whilst Hungarian is unknown to me, translation is not. I can say with a hand on my heart that this translation sparkles in places- the acerbic wit of Jerne's grandmother, the pretensions of O, and the detachment of Jerne herself are apparent throughout.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wants a break from the dirivative paranormal romance-fest that has been leaching the fun out of recent vampire literature.
The book follows Jerne, a reluctant soon-to-be vampire, who attempts to break free from the path her grandmother has set out for the rest of her immortal life. Starting out in a publishing house, Jerne quickly disgraces herself by writing a little too well, and... a few other spoiler-y things I'll leave out. After a career change, and a family friend's windfall, Jerne finally sees the chance to take her un-life back into her own hands. But will she ever be able to break free from her grandmother's clutches?
Some of the reviews took issue with the fact that this book was originally written in Hungarian, and translated into English. Whilst Hungarian is unknown to me, translation is not. I can say with a hand on my heart that this translation sparkles in places- the acerbic wit of Jerne's grandmother, the pretensions of O, and the detachment of Jerne herself are apparent throughout.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wants a break from the dirivative paranormal romance-fest that has been leaching the fun out of recent vampire literature.
September 28, 2023
Kétkedéssel kezdtem olvasni a könyvet, mert bár Camus óta tudom, hogy minden abszurd, a magukat deklaráltan abszurdnak valló könyvek, néha átütik a homloklebenyemet. Ez a könyv nekem egy írói próbálkozásnak tűnik, ami azt hiszem jól sült el végül.
A történetben a vámpír, vagy a vámpírnak képzelt karakterek úgy ragadtak bele a pusztuló magyar valóság szövetébe és halhatatlanságukban olyan halandónak tűntek, mint a pannon néplélek. A "revizionista" magyar vámpír kiváló metaforája a valóságtól fényévekre elkallódott identitásnak is. Az abszurd, hogy nincs abszurd a történetben, csak sodródó vérszívók, akikkel bármikor össze lehet futni egy könnyű sétát téve akárhol az országban.
Várakozásaimon felül teljesített a kötet. Köszönöm.
A történetben a vámpír, vagy a vámpírnak képzelt karakterek úgy ragadtak bele a pusztuló magyar valóság szövetébe és halhatatlanságukban olyan halandónak tűntek, mint a pannon néplélek. A "revizionista" magyar vámpír kiváló metaforája a valóságtól fényévekre elkallódott identitásnak is. Az abszurd, hogy nincs abszurd a történetben, csak sodródó vérszívók, akikkel bármikor össze lehet futni egy könnyű sétát téve akárhol az országban.
Várakozásaimon felül teljesített a kötet. Köszönöm.
July 23, 2019
Really a 2.5 but a 3 for novelty value. A tale of a young woman born of vampire, err, bloodline, set primarily in Budapest. A heroine who has literary aspirations and who is, by her account at least, quite talented. She is a reluctant vampire, the opposite of her grandmother who is voracious. I’m unsure of the point of the book though. Part modern folk tale and, maybe that’s it.
It’s quite funny and witty from time to time, and that carried me through.
It’s quite funny and witty from time to time, and that carried me through.
December 22, 2020
Short story about nothing in particular, neither a funny, enjoyable read nor deep alegory of human condition. Unbelievable main character, unbelievable plot twist, side characters showing and dissapearing with no reason (what was the deal with an angel?) and dialogue which sounded completely unnatural. The somehow funny setting didn't deliver a single joke.
Wasn't painful to read, but overall a waste of time.
Wasn't painful to read, but overall a waste of time.
January 10, 2022
Noemi Szecsi is a talented writer and this novel started out with such power and creativity. The characters were fascinating and kept my interest--until the last third or so of the novel, when the book seemed to lose its way. I still enjoyed the book, but felt that the end lacked the same fire and brilliance as the beginning.
November 9, 2019
I found it a bit slow and Jerne rather unlikable in the beginning, but the more the book went on, the better I liked it. It was funny (though I'm sure some of the jokes went over my head, due to the language difference) and I really enjoyed the characters of Somi, O., and Uncle Oscar in particular.
Read
September 18, 2019marvelous
March 29, 2021
This the the slightly amusing story of the life, death and undeath of a Hungarian vampire and her grandmother. Entertaining but a bit short on plot.
June 26, 2022
Za jakie grzechy. Dałabym może dwie gwiazdki, ale ta jedna to z dodatkową dedykacją za jakość tłumaczenia.
June 4, 2025
"Azt akarom, hogy nekem Magyarországon mindig legyen egy koporsóm. Hogy érezzem: nem örökre mentem el. Lesz még itt nemzethalál. Én bízom a magyarokban."
February 10, 2024
A somewhat surreal although humorous take on a vampire story.
October 7, 2013
It has been suggested to me that magic realist books cannot include books that are part of a sub-genre, such as ghost stories or in this case vampire novels. But then not all books conform to genre memes, even if they have ghost as an essential element or in this case a vampire or two. This book is so many things - it's a coming of age tale, it's about following one's calling and ignoring the demands of family tradition, it is political and social satire, it plays with words, language and literature. One thing it is not is a conventional vampire story. If you are expecting lots of blood, thrills, and sharp teeth, then you will be disappointed in this book. This is very different to the books of Stephanie Meyer and Anne Rice. And as I am not a great reader of those books, that's fine by me. In fact this book was fine by me in all sorts of ways.
The book is as the blurb says funny and intelligent and had me giggling and snorting in an embarrassing way in a Prague cafe, as I waited for my husband to arrive from England. But then this book is a very central European in its references to history, to literature, fraught national identity and dry humour.
Jerne is the most wonderful narrator. She may have been born into a family of vampires, but she wants to write children's stories about rabbits. Admittedly, being a vampire, she has none of the empathy or sacharin needed by a successful children's author - her first collection of stories is called Rotten Animals, the problem with which, as the editor points out, is "These rabbits, foxes, wolves, polecats, moles and gophers—they’re all cynical and evil." There are lots of jokes and wry comment on the world of publishing in the first half of the book, as Jerne works for a publisher which produces self-help books. Jerne is always comparing herself with her literary hero, Hans Christian Andersen, but her dry sadonic style is as far from Hans Christian Andersen as you can get.
Jerne's vampire grandmother is also a wonderful creation. She keeps rats as pets (and to annoy the neighbours), decorates the walls of her flat with bullet holes, chops up grandfather and puts him through a meat mincer and (appropriately for a vampire) makes huge amounts of money on the financial markets: 'For two hundred years I lived in the lap of luxury but I have realised its vanity. Then I moved into a run-down block of flats in Pest and I have been happy ever since. The flat leaks, the cockroaches roam free, but I know my money is in a Swiss bank account and I can get the hell out of here anytime I want. Knowing this, you too can go and work. Treat work as your spiritual exercises.'
'You're telling me this as my grandmother?'
'No. I am giving you knowledge from a higher spiritual plane and as a sadistic old woman.'
Grandmother is also proudly Hungarian. Before she leaves for a stay abroad Jerne describes her grandmother in a frenzy buying up Hungarica. It is Jerne's grandmother who uses the phrase Finno-Ugrian Vampire. Finno-Ugrian is a family of languages of which Hungarian is one. I am sure I missed out on all sorts of injokes about Hungary and its language, but it doesn't matter.
These two are the main characters in the book, but there are other characters (human and vampire) that are shown to be as self-centred and amoral as Jerne and Grandmother. Oscar, the gay guardian appointed by Grandmother to keep an eye on Jerne, appears to be dedicated to culture and Marxism, but is waiting for his grandmother to die and leave him a fortune. There is O - Jerne's preening female love interest - and there's the xenophobic vegetarian cook. Is the characters' cynicism because we are seeing these people through the eyes of a vampire? Or is it because people really are that way? Whatever the answer, this book is a delight.
I received this book from the publisher in return for a fair review.
This review first appeared on the Magic Realism Book blog - http://magic-realism-books.blogspot.com
The book is as the blurb says funny and intelligent and had me giggling and snorting in an embarrassing way in a Prague cafe, as I waited for my husband to arrive from England. But then this book is a very central European in its references to history, to literature, fraught national identity and dry humour.
Jerne is the most wonderful narrator. She may have been born into a family of vampires, but she wants to write children's stories about rabbits. Admittedly, being a vampire, she has none of the empathy or sacharin needed by a successful children's author - her first collection of stories is called Rotten Animals, the problem with which, as the editor points out, is "These rabbits, foxes, wolves, polecats, moles and gophers—they’re all cynical and evil." There are lots of jokes and wry comment on the world of publishing in the first half of the book, as Jerne works for a publisher which produces self-help books. Jerne is always comparing herself with her literary hero, Hans Christian Andersen, but her dry sadonic style is as far from Hans Christian Andersen as you can get.
Jerne's vampire grandmother is also a wonderful creation. She keeps rats as pets (and to annoy the neighbours), decorates the walls of her flat with bullet holes, chops up grandfather and puts him through a meat mincer and (appropriately for a vampire) makes huge amounts of money on the financial markets: 'For two hundred years I lived in the lap of luxury but I have realised its vanity. Then I moved into a run-down block of flats in Pest and I have been happy ever since. The flat leaks, the cockroaches roam free, but I know my money is in a Swiss bank account and I can get the hell out of here anytime I want. Knowing this, you too can go and work. Treat work as your spiritual exercises.'
'You're telling me this as my grandmother?'
'No. I am giving you knowledge from a higher spiritual plane and as a sadistic old woman.'
Grandmother is also proudly Hungarian. Before she leaves for a stay abroad Jerne describes her grandmother in a frenzy buying up Hungarica. It is Jerne's grandmother who uses the phrase Finno-Ugrian Vampire. Finno-Ugrian is a family of languages of which Hungarian is one. I am sure I missed out on all sorts of injokes about Hungary and its language, but it doesn't matter.
These two are the main characters in the book, but there are other characters (human and vampire) that are shown to be as self-centred and amoral as Jerne and Grandmother. Oscar, the gay guardian appointed by Grandmother to keep an eye on Jerne, appears to be dedicated to culture and Marxism, but is waiting for his grandmother to die and leave him a fortune. There is O - Jerne's preening female love interest - and there's the xenophobic vegetarian cook. Is the characters' cynicism because we are seeing these people through the eyes of a vampire? Or is it because people really are that way? Whatever the answer, this book is a delight.
I received this book from the publisher in return for a fair review.
This review first appeared on the Magic Realism Book blog - http://magic-realism-books.blogspot.com
December 23, 2012
In the first half of the novel, Jerne has a boring job in a small publishing house; she edits yoga handbooks and neuters old folk tales so that they can be sold to children.
She is obsessed with writing allegorical animal stories, but she doesn’t understand human morality, and she doesn’t properly remember or respect the twisted versions of folk tales that her grandmother taught her as a child – “I could never be bothered to wait for the end of the story. It was as boring as hell.”
The book is witty and bleak, and in the first half in particular it’s tightly drawn together. The second part is more absurd and defiant in its refusal to become what readers might expect.
Any of the small plots that start to build tension become shaggy dog stories, as Jerne simply walks away instead of finding any sort of satisfying resolution. Characters are introduced and never really do anything – Edward is a prime example of this – then leave as inconsequentially as they arrived.
This isn’t a criticism of the book, as this is exactly what it seems that Szécsi intended. Jerne’s grandmother is obsessed with her becoming the sort of vampire who meets notable historical figures and has her way with attractive young men, while Jerne is uninterested in this type of existence.
She longs for a more literary life – but she wants no real trajectory here, feeling that any book that attracts ‘a vast reading public’ would be something to be ashamed of – such popularity would reveal her as not ‘as uniquely spiritual a story writer as I considered myself to be’. All she wants is publication and a handful of readers.
more here:
http://forbookssake.net/2012/11/30/th...
She is obsessed with writing allegorical animal stories, but she doesn’t understand human morality, and she doesn’t properly remember or respect the twisted versions of folk tales that her grandmother taught her as a child – “I could never be bothered to wait for the end of the story. It was as boring as hell.”
The book is witty and bleak, and in the first half in particular it’s tightly drawn together. The second part is more absurd and defiant in its refusal to become what readers might expect.
Any of the small plots that start to build tension become shaggy dog stories, as Jerne simply walks away instead of finding any sort of satisfying resolution. Characters are introduced and never really do anything – Edward is a prime example of this – then leave as inconsequentially as they arrived.
This isn’t a criticism of the book, as this is exactly what it seems that Szécsi intended. Jerne’s grandmother is obsessed with her becoming the sort of vampire who meets notable historical figures and has her way with attractive young men, while Jerne is uninterested in this type of existence.
She longs for a more literary life – but she wants no real trajectory here, feeling that any book that attracts ‘a vast reading public’ would be something to be ashamed of – such popularity would reveal her as not ‘as uniquely spiritual a story writer as I considered myself to be’. All she wants is publication and a handful of readers.
more here:
http://forbookssake.net/2012/11/30/th...
February 12, 2019
Recensione completa sul blog: https://sweetyreviews.blogspot.com/20...
Le premesse di questo romanzo erano buone, la trama ed il titolo mi hanno incuriosito fin dall'inizio, non vedevo l'ora di conoscere questa vampira snob. Ma a lettura iniziata ho avuto qualche difficoltà, il romanzo non mi ha convinto per nulla ed ho fatto fatica a terminarlo.
In La vampira snob scopriremo la storia di Jerne, una vampira decisamente fuori dal comune, quasi "snob", sua nonna dai mille nomi e da un'avvenenza unica e dei personaggi alquanto bizzarri.
La narrazione è dal POV di Jerne, con una scrittura ricercata e con tanti giri di parole che tendono a confondere e perdere il lettore. La trama mi aveva affascinato, il titolo mi ha totalmente illuso credendo raccontasse una commedia divertente, ironica e magari anche romantica. Purtroppo mi sono trovata a leggere un romanzo piatto, senza azione e terribilmente lento (vi assicuro che ho fatto davvero fatica a terminarlo). Un umorismo freddo, cinico e stravagante che non ho saputo cogliere appieno.
I personaggi non mi hanno preso appieno, specialmente la protagonista che non sono riuscita a capire (probabilmente sarà stata anche la trama piena di buchi e che lascia il lettore pieno di interrogativi). L'unico personaggio che sono riuscita a farmi piacere e che mi ha fatto ridere per la sua bizzarria è la nonna di Jerne: sensualissima succhiasangue che affascina giovani innocenti per poi nutrirsi di loro. Cercherà in tutti i modi di educare la nipote al vampirismo, utilizzando anche con metodi un po' stravaganti.
Le premesse di questo romanzo erano buone, la trama ed il titolo mi hanno incuriosito fin dall'inizio, non vedevo l'ora di conoscere questa vampira snob. Ma a lettura iniziata ho avuto qualche difficoltà, il romanzo non mi ha convinto per nulla ed ho fatto fatica a terminarlo.
In La vampira snob scopriremo la storia di Jerne, una vampira decisamente fuori dal comune, quasi "snob", sua nonna dai mille nomi e da un'avvenenza unica e dei personaggi alquanto bizzarri.
La narrazione è dal POV di Jerne, con una scrittura ricercata e con tanti giri di parole che tendono a confondere e perdere il lettore. La trama mi aveva affascinato, il titolo mi ha totalmente illuso credendo raccontasse una commedia divertente, ironica e magari anche romantica. Purtroppo mi sono trovata a leggere un romanzo piatto, senza azione e terribilmente lento (vi assicuro che ho fatto davvero fatica a terminarlo). Un umorismo freddo, cinico e stravagante che non ho saputo cogliere appieno.
I personaggi non mi hanno preso appieno, specialmente la protagonista che non sono riuscita a capire (probabilmente sarà stata anche la trama piena di buchi e che lascia il lettore pieno di interrogativi). L'unico personaggio che sono riuscita a farmi piacere e che mi ha fatto ridere per la sua bizzarria è la nonna di Jerne: sensualissima succhiasangue che affascina giovani innocenti per poi nutrirsi di loro. Cercherà in tutti i modi di educare la nipote al vampirismo, utilizzando anche con metodi un po' stravaganti.
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