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Reading the Vampire Slayer: The Unofficial Critical Companion to Buffy and Angel (Tauris Parke Paperbacks)
The first edition of Reading the Vampire Slayer was highly praised in both the fan magazine SFX and the Times Literary Supplement. This second edition is hugely revised and expanded to cover the sixth and seventh seasons of Buffy and the third and fourth seasons of Angel. It contains chapters on the relationship between Buffy and the lovelorn vampire Spike and on the thematic structure of Angel, as well as interviews on the writing of Buffy with scriptwriters Jane Espenson and Steven DeKnight. Individual chapters have been updated and the useful episode guide is expanded to cover all seven seasons of Buffy and the four seasons of Angel, as is Roz Kaveney's general introduction to the scenes and structures of each season.
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First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 18, 2011
One star for feeling misled by the interesting titles while previewing the table of contents online(thinking it would be critical essays like in Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in BtVS, which was actually in-depth, made me consider things I didn't notice) and because this book reads like enthusiastic but unsatisfying dvd special features and costs like $20 new.
I was on page 40 before I realized that the first 82 pages just summarized the whole plot of all Buffy and Angel seasons. The last 45 pages are Buffy and Angel episode guides. And the rest of the essays provide more summaries with weak commentaries. They even got the character descriptions wrong in some parts, like when Maggie Walsh is listed as "in love" with Riley Finn: wtf? The highlight of this book is the interview with the writers Jane Espenson and Steven S. DeKnight.
Anyway, this paragraph was especially funny to me:
"What is space? How can we 'read' space and place? What does it mean to read space and place in the context of watching TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel? The best way to begin is perhaps to think of a moment in Buffy, a moment when Xander is running—something he frequently does—running from place to place, space to space, searching for meaning." (p.132)
Arched eyebrows of distaste and stuff.
I was on page 40 before I realized that the first 82 pages just summarized the whole plot of all Buffy and Angel seasons. The last 45 pages are Buffy and Angel episode guides. And the rest of the essays provide more summaries with weak commentaries. They even got the character descriptions wrong in some parts, like when Maggie Walsh is listed as "in love" with Riley Finn: wtf? The highlight of this book is the interview with the writers Jane Espenson and Steven S. DeKnight.
Anyway, this paragraph was especially funny to me:
"What is space? How can we 'read' space and place? What does it mean to read space and place in the context of watching TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel? The best way to begin is perhaps to think of a moment in Buffy, a moment when Xander is running—something he frequently does—running from place to place, space to space, searching for meaning." (p.132)
Arched eyebrows of distaste and stuff.
May 12, 2013
Please note: Read and reviewed in August 2006; I'm adding some formatting to make this a bit easier to read.
Although I generally like everything to do with Buffy, this group of essays had to be taken as a group and given a mean average of stars - some very good, some were OK, some mediocre and some WAY too pretentious. Let's examine them:
She Saved the World. A Lot: Supposedly examines the themes and structures of Buffy and Angel. Actually shows the author of the essay to be overly obsessed with unlikely sexual overtones between characters that simply don't make sense (Forrest and Riley?? I don't think so). Sometimes, Ms. Kaveney, a cigar is just a cigar. 2 stars
Entropy as Demon: This is sort of a rambling bit comparing the ennui of S. Cal people about earthquakes to the fact that many of the people in the Buffyverse don't notice the supernatural around them, or if they do, they become somewhat inured to it. WAY too pretentious. 3 stars
Vampire Dialectics: The first of many that compare the group dynamics in Buffy to communism and the uprising of the proletariat. To prove this, they point out the scene in "Anne" where Buffy uses that nifty scythe thing and the hammer to fight the demon, saying it represents the sickle and hammer. PRETENTIOUS!! 3 stars
Laugh, Spawn of Hell, Laugh!: Ah, a breath of fresh air. An essay about the humor of the show, written in an accessible style without resorting to a condescending or low-brow style, that is unpretentious and interesting. Kudos to Steve Wilson. And hey, one of the few essayists that actually gets all the quotes right! 5 stars
It Wasn't Our World Anymore, They Made it Theirs: Examines the "places" in Buffy - not only the locations, but the sets and usages of sets, spaces, sounds and acting. This one swung back and forth between readable and pretentious. 4 stars
What You Are, What's to Come: Examines the growth of the characters from a slightly feminist perspective. The only problem is that this essayist, like another to come, used religious metaphors and anyone who knows anything about the show and Joss knows that he holds nothing but contempt for organized religion and is a confirmed atheist. Therefore, she loses a star because she doesn't truly understand the subtext of the show he is trying to create. 4 stars
Just a Girl: Looks at the show from an Uber-Feminist perspective - criticizes aspects of the show that the writer obviously didn't take the time to understand. I'm probably just biased; I liked Season 4 and just because the writer didn't like Adam doesn't mean that he was a poor Big Bad. Also, to nit-pick, the writer makes much about Buffy never wearing the same clothing twice, but several times I have picked up on her wearing the same pants, for example. So, I have to conclude that the writer really isn't a full-time viewer and just watched a few episodes and wrote the essay, trying to be a cool feminist by watching. 3 stars
Concentrate on the Kicking Movie: Using the concept of the Samuri, Ronin and various martial arts movies to understand more about the character of the Slayer and destiny. I didn't understand a lot of this, as I don't tend to be a fan of martial-arts movies. However, when the writer criticized Gellar for not doing her own stunts, that got my back up - TV actors are often prohibited from doing their own stunts by their agents and contracts. The writer, on the other hand, was very admiring because Kristie Swanson, who played Buffy in the movie, did her own stunts - but movies have different rules for their actors, since they are not a weekly thing and therefore if an actor is injured, they don't have to worry about being on the set again the next week. However, I suspect this was probably a fairly decent essay. 4 stars
Staking a Claim: This was about the series' "slash" fan fiction, which is apparently fan-fic that is written about loving or erotic relationships between characters, particularly two males, but more commonly now two females. While I personally am not particularly interested in reading about, say, Spike and Xander's exploits in Xander's basement, apparently this is getting to be quite a popular pass-time on the Internet. Fairly well-written essay explaining the needs of the fans to deepen or continue the stories and create further in the Buffyverse. 5 stars
They Always Mistake me for the Character I Play: Explores the development of the characters in the Buffyverse. This essay is uneven - parts of it are quite good, while others are horrible. For one thing, every single quote this guy puts in is wrong to some degree - for crying out loud, there are script books out there! Here is another essayist who is critical of Season 4, saying that we never get to see the Big Bads actually DO anything, we only hear about or see what they have done after the fact. He also talks about themes of Judeo-Christian redemption, which is so off the mark (see remarks earlier). However, he has brilliant descriptions and analysis of the development progression of the main characters, and even some of the minor ones. 3.5 stars
The book is finished off by a micro-episode guide, including a side-by-side guide to Angel seasons 1 & 2 by Buffy seasons 4 & 5, which is really neat, as you can see where and how they interact. However, episode descriptions are VERY bare-bone - just a sentence or two.
Although I generally like everything to do with Buffy, this group of essays had to be taken as a group and given a mean average of stars - some very good, some were OK, some mediocre and some WAY too pretentious. Let's examine them:
She Saved the World. A Lot: Supposedly examines the themes and structures of Buffy and Angel. Actually shows the author of the essay to be overly obsessed with unlikely sexual overtones between characters that simply don't make sense (Forrest and Riley?? I don't think so). Sometimes, Ms. Kaveney, a cigar is just a cigar. 2 stars
Entropy as Demon: This is sort of a rambling bit comparing the ennui of S. Cal people about earthquakes to the fact that many of the people in the Buffyverse don't notice the supernatural around them, or if they do, they become somewhat inured to it. WAY too pretentious. 3 stars
Vampire Dialectics: The first of many that compare the group dynamics in Buffy to communism and the uprising of the proletariat. To prove this, they point out the scene in "Anne" where Buffy uses that nifty scythe thing and the hammer to fight the demon, saying it represents the sickle and hammer. PRETENTIOUS!! 3 stars
Laugh, Spawn of Hell, Laugh!: Ah, a breath of fresh air. An essay about the humor of the show, written in an accessible style without resorting to a condescending or low-brow style, that is unpretentious and interesting. Kudos to Steve Wilson. And hey, one of the few essayists that actually gets all the quotes right! 5 stars
It Wasn't Our World Anymore, They Made it Theirs: Examines the "places" in Buffy - not only the locations, but the sets and usages of sets, spaces, sounds and acting. This one swung back and forth between readable and pretentious. 4 stars
What You Are, What's to Come: Examines the growth of the characters from a slightly feminist perspective. The only problem is that this essayist, like another to come, used religious metaphors and anyone who knows anything about the show and Joss knows that he holds nothing but contempt for organized religion and is a confirmed atheist. Therefore, she loses a star because she doesn't truly understand the subtext of the show he is trying to create. 4 stars
Just a Girl: Looks at the show from an Uber-Feminist perspective - criticizes aspects of the show that the writer obviously didn't take the time to understand. I'm probably just biased; I liked Season 4 and just because the writer didn't like Adam doesn't mean that he was a poor Big Bad. Also, to nit-pick, the writer makes much about Buffy never wearing the same clothing twice, but several times I have picked up on her wearing the same pants, for example. So, I have to conclude that the writer really isn't a full-time viewer and just watched a few episodes and wrote the essay, trying to be a cool feminist by watching. 3 stars
Concentrate on the Kicking Movie: Using the concept of the Samuri, Ronin and various martial arts movies to understand more about the character of the Slayer and destiny. I didn't understand a lot of this, as I don't tend to be a fan of martial-arts movies. However, when the writer criticized Gellar for not doing her own stunts, that got my back up - TV actors are often prohibited from doing their own stunts by their agents and contracts. The writer, on the other hand, was very admiring because Kristie Swanson, who played Buffy in the movie, did her own stunts - but movies have different rules for their actors, since they are not a weekly thing and therefore if an actor is injured, they don't have to worry about being on the set again the next week. However, I suspect this was probably a fairly decent essay. 4 stars
Staking a Claim: This was about the series' "slash" fan fiction, which is apparently fan-fic that is written about loving or erotic relationships between characters, particularly two males, but more commonly now two females. While I personally am not particularly interested in reading about, say, Spike and Xander's exploits in Xander's basement, apparently this is getting to be quite a popular pass-time on the Internet. Fairly well-written essay explaining the needs of the fans to deepen or continue the stories and create further in the Buffyverse. 5 stars
They Always Mistake me for the Character I Play: Explores the development of the characters in the Buffyverse. This essay is uneven - parts of it are quite good, while others are horrible. For one thing, every single quote this guy puts in is wrong to some degree - for crying out loud, there are script books out there! Here is another essayist who is critical of Season 4, saying that we never get to see the Big Bads actually DO anything, we only hear about or see what they have done after the fact. He also talks about themes of Judeo-Christian redemption, which is so off the mark (see remarks earlier). However, he has brilliant descriptions and analysis of the development progression of the main characters, and even some of the minor ones. 3.5 stars
The book is finished off by a micro-episode guide, including a side-by-side guide to Angel seasons 1 & 2 by Buffy seasons 4 & 5, which is really neat, as you can see where and how they interact. However, episode descriptions are VERY bare-bone - just a sentence or two.
August 31, 2013
"She saved the world. A lot" (Roz Kaveney). A good rundown of all seven seasons of Buffy and all but the last of Angel, bringing out prominent themes.
"Entropy as demon: Buffy in Southern California" (Boyd Tonkin). Buffy meets Mike Davis; the series read against the So Cal mix of weather, earthquakes, corruption, and Day of the Locust.
"Writing the Vampire Slayer" (Roz Kaveney). Interviews with two of the writers, Jane Espenson and Steven DeKnight. Not all that interesting, but the one thing that stands out is how much the set-up for the creating and writing of these shows resembles the dynamics of the Scoobies themselves. Joss Whedon is Buffy, ultimately in charge, but very open to a collaborative give and take with the various members of the gang.
"This was our world and they made it theirs: Reading space and place in BtVS and Angel" (Karen Sayer). Couldn't really make anything out of this.
"What you are, what's to come" (Zoe-Jane Playdon). Intermittently interesting read of the two series in the the light of the contrast between lunar mythology (dominant in Buffy) and solar mythology (dominant in Angel).
"The only thing better than killing a Slayer" (Justine Larbalestier). The construction of heterosexuality in Buffy. Good account of the different ways sex is represented in the series. Mixed analysis.
"Blood and Choice: The Theory and practice of family in Angel" (Jennifer Stoy). A look at the way in which alternative families function in BtVS and Angel. I'm not quite sure what the bottom line was, but some interesting observations along the way. Definitely a key theme in both shows.
"They always mistake me for the character I play" (Ian Shuttleworth). A look at all the major and some of the less major characters in both series, mostly in terms of their struggles with identity, with the aim of showing the acting skills of the various players. It was sometimes interesting; some keen observations about the characters, and some judgment on the acting from a theater reviewer. It would have been more interesting with more technical detail about the acting (perhaps from an acting coach).
"Entropy as demon: Buffy in Southern California" (Boyd Tonkin). Buffy meets Mike Davis; the series read against the So Cal mix of weather, earthquakes, corruption, and Day of the Locust.
"Writing the Vampire Slayer" (Roz Kaveney). Interviews with two of the writers, Jane Espenson and Steven DeKnight. Not all that interesting, but the one thing that stands out is how much the set-up for the creating and writing of these shows resembles the dynamics of the Scoobies themselves. Joss Whedon is Buffy, ultimately in charge, but very open to a collaborative give and take with the various members of the gang.
"This was our world and they made it theirs: Reading space and place in BtVS and Angel" (Karen Sayer). Couldn't really make anything out of this.
"What you are, what's to come" (Zoe-Jane Playdon). Intermittently interesting read of the two series in the the light of the contrast between lunar mythology (dominant in Buffy) and solar mythology (dominant in Angel).
"The only thing better than killing a Slayer" (Justine Larbalestier). The construction of heterosexuality in Buffy. Good account of the different ways sex is represented in the series. Mixed analysis.
"Blood and Choice: The Theory and practice of family in Angel" (Jennifer Stoy). A look at the way in which alternative families function in BtVS and Angel. I'm not quite sure what the bottom line was, but some interesting observations along the way. Definitely a key theme in both shows.
"They always mistake me for the character I play" (Ian Shuttleworth). A look at all the major and some of the less major characters in both series, mostly in terms of their struggles with identity, with the aim of showing the acting skills of the various players. It was sometimes interesting; some keen observations about the characters, and some judgment on the acting from a theater reviewer. It would have been more interesting with more technical detail about the acting (perhaps from an acting coach).
October 8, 2014
I'm disappointed. Just disappointed!
June 22, 2010
I learned that Buffy and Angel ARE THE BITCHINEST SHOWS EVER.
abandoned
March 6, 2021picked this up somewhat randomly and have been reading in dribs & drabs ever since but it’s been six months and tbh the likelihood of me caring enough about btvs in 2021 to finish a book of essays about it is probably pretty low. from what i did read it seems like some of these essays have a few fairly good insights and others are solid examples of why people make fun of academic writing, so a mixed bag overall
July 11, 2020
I bought this book because I am obsessed with Buffy and Angel. I found it interesting, and there were some insights that I had not thought of before. However, a couple of the essays were a little dry. I would still recommend this to any diehard fan.
May 9, 2019
It’s a good book, but only goes up to Buffy season 5 and Angel season 2. The essays were good. Like to see how she interpreted the rest of the series.
January 2, 2023
research tings init
May 12, 2023
I'm pretty sure I got this as a gift years ago and read it, but I don't remember much, so I guess that means it was just okay.
January 7, 2024
I learned that Buffy and Angel ARE THE BITCHINEST SHOWS EVER.
September 19, 2014
While it claims to be a “critical companion to Buffy and Angel” on the cover, there isn’t much in the way of criticism. The various underlying themes in both shows are explored, sometimes to dizzying and baffling complexity. But the writers are too inclined to gush about the wonders and joys of the shows (themes of burgeoning maturity, monsters as metaphors, the in-depth abilities of many of the actors) and not enough about what was wrong with them.
Many fans spoke of episodes that were rather weak in terms of writing ability. You don’t get any of that here in this book. It was apparently written before the final two seasons of BtVS or the final season of Angel and therefore doesn’t delve into the psychosexual co-dependency of Buffy’s torrid, clandestine affair with Spike or Angel’s difficulties with the impossible existence of his son or his so-called romance with Cordelia. So none of that is touched upon (always the danger of dealing with shows that haven’t finished their run) and therefore the book is somewhat lacking to those who’ve actually finished watching both shows.
With a little more actual criticism and less praise of these admittedly enthralling shows, this book might have been more evenly rounded and a more enjoyable read.
Many fans spoke of episodes that were rather weak in terms of writing ability. You don’t get any of that here in this book. It was apparently written before the final two seasons of BtVS or the final season of Angel and therefore doesn’t delve into the psychosexual co-dependency of Buffy’s torrid, clandestine affair with Spike or Angel’s difficulties with the impossible existence of his son or his so-called romance with Cordelia. So none of that is touched upon (always the danger of dealing with shows that haven’t finished their run) and therefore the book is somewhat lacking to those who’ve actually finished watching both shows.
With a little more actual criticism and less praise of these admittedly enthralling shows, this book might have been more evenly rounded and a more enjoyable read.
Read
July 6, 2007from booklist: when tv shows are as smart as buffy the vampire slayer and its spin-off, angel, they are bound to attract people who want to analyze them. editor kaveney has gathered some very thoughtful essays on the shows. a number of these pieces lean toward academic tedium, but most are accessible and intriguing. kaveney's own essay leads the set, and it is a great primer on both shows, summarizing all but their current seasons and discussing some major themes and characters in each. other standouts include an essay on the use of california as a setting, a pair of essays pondering buffy and feminism, and one dealing with the strength of characterizations and the talent of the casts of both shows. the handy episode guide at the end will help newer fans get caught up. because many viewers are drawn to buffy and angel by the shows' intelligence and multilayered stories, expect them to be enticed by this engaging collection. kristine huntley copyright
July 19, 2015
The essays are not what I expected and some of them seemed to be reaching very far. In fact of the essays I didn't read, as they didn't interest me, see fan fiction and role playing. While some essays offered different insight into both shows, others just didn't resonant with me. They did, however, spur me to watch a couple of Buffy episodes again and start watching Angel again. Overall the book did make me think about the shows in different light, which is the goal, however I wouldn't read the essays again.
March 19, 2007
If you'd like to know why BTVS was one of the greatest televisions shows ever made, read this book. Our generation, specifically our little literary circle jerk, is quick to denounce all television. Sometimes lazy entertainment is not so lazy. This book explains the hype, history, and impact of a show written for writers.
June 6, 2011
Reading the Vampire Slayer provides a fascinating insight into the themes behind the television shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel".
Recommended for "Buffy" fans, gender studies students, and those interested in film psychoanalysis.
Recommended for "Buffy" fans, gender studies students, and those interested in film psychoanalysis.
June 27, 2007
This is a surprisingly good analysis of the popluar culture phenomena which Buffy and Angel are. Loads of very interesting articles.
October 18, 2007
I liked reading about others' takes on the themes within Buffy and Angel; although some of the authors were better than others.
July 15, 2012
Oh...so far I'm loving this. It's great to see Buffy looked at critically. (Aside from what jacket she's wearing...but that's great too,don't get me wrong...)
April 17, 2008
Broad compliation. Each chapter has a different author. While a couple are less articulate, they all have interesting ideas of "Buffy" and "Angel."
May 14, 2009
Interesting collection of essays discussing "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel".
May 24, 2015
On rereading, found this to be one of my favorite essay collections. Especially enjoyed the essays by Zoe-Jane Playdon, Justine Larbalestier and Ian Shuttleworth.
January 10, 2013
This is one of the first critical analyses of BtVS to come out. It has in the collection the brillant essay by J. Larbalestier, "Why I'm a Buffy pathetic". All other essays are good, too.
November 4, 2015
I thought everything the book had to say was interesting but the writing itself managed to make some of it seem boring and I was not a fan of the way all of the arguments were structured.
April 25, 2016
An interesting selection of essays by different authors on various aspects of Buffy and Angel.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews