Un mistero della Campagna Romana. Ediz. integrale

by Anne Crawford von Rabe

“Un mistero della Campagna Romana”, apparso per la prima volta in “The Witching Time: Tales for the Year’s End”, una raccolta di undici racconti curata da Henry Norman e pubblicata nel 1887, narra di un particolare caso di vampirismo avvenuto nella Campagna Romana.

Scritto quasi due decenni prima del più noto “Perché il sangue è la vita” di Francis Marion Crawford, questo racconto mostra diversi aspetti in comune con quello pubblicato successivamente dal fratello, come l’ambientazione italiana e la presenza di una vampira dotata del potere di annientare completamente la volontà delle proprie vittime maschili.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Short Stories, Novella, Gothic

90 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1891

Reviews

[Brucifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's probably cheating a little bit to write a review of this rare, stand-alone edition of Crawford's novelette (at 50 mass-market sized and fairly large print pages, it barely qualifies as a novella), as it's more easily and more appropriately found in short fiction anthologies, such as the excellent Victorian vampire collection Dracula's Guest, edited by Michael Sims. But I enjoyed "A Mystery of the Campagna" so much, I wanted to give it a review on its own merits. Sadly, Anne Crawford (her given name before she married the Baron von Rabe) only ever published this and a short romance, "A Shadow on a Wave," in her lifetime. The consensus seems to be that she would've written more, but as a Baronness, she was probably forbidden--or at least strongly dissuaded--from the "shameful" pursuit of writing at all, much less writing genre fiction. Meanwhile, her brother, F. Marion Crawford (himself an excellent writer of horror short fiction) and her sister, Mary Crawford (a.k.a. Mrs. Hugh Fraser), both went on to prolific and successful writing careers. But to the work itself: This is one of the best vampire stories from an era in which so many good ones were written. It was originally published in 1886, in between such classics as Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla" and Bram Stoker's Dracula, which it predates by over a decade. Moving along as swiftly as a chapter in the brilliantly fast-paced Dracula, "A Mystery of the Campagna" recounts in the voices of two different narrators (also similarly to Dracula's multi-narrative structure) how opera composer Marcello Souvestre falls victim to a centuries-old vampiress at his newly-acquired villa, Vigna Marziani, somewhere on the outskirts of Rome, and how a group of close friends attempt his rescue (yet another similarity to Dracula--the motley group of "heroes" attempting to rescue Lucy Westenra; clearly Stoker had read this piece). In addition to its swift pace and sympathetic characterizations, Crawford's writing is crystal clear and her descriptions of the villa beautifully atmospheric. Horror fans (and those simply interested in good Victorian fiction), should do themselves a favor and--if not shell out for this rare paperback--definitely pick up the Dracula's Guest collection, where Crawford's piece can be found alongside a number of other 19th century vampire classics, such as Alexsei Tolstoy's "The Family of the Vourdalak," John Polidori's "The Vampyre," F.G. Loring's "The Tomb of Sarah," and the Bram Stoker short story that gives the collection its title, among many others.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1887 this story takes place in the countryside near Rome. It is broken into two parts with the first part of the story related by a painter, Martino who is telling the story of his friend Marcello, a composer. Martino becomes concerned about Marcello who has to decided to stay alone in a secluded country house in order to finish his opera. Martino falls ill and the story is taken up by another friend, this time a Brit named Sutton. The story revolves around how Martino and his illness are somehow linked to something strange happening to Marcello, so there is much that happens off stage. Crawford is a good writer who only published one book and then became a baroness. Her brother F. Marion Crawford, and sister Mary Crawford/Mrs. Hugh Fraser, were also both writers. This is an interesting, early take on the vampire tale (pre-Dracula). 3.5 stars. This story can be found in the Audible edition of 'The Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published', and narrated by Mark Bramhall and Robin Sachs.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending is very reminiscent to a scene from Dracula, a special treat for those that enjoy seeing a wicked vampire executed in classic fashion.

[ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

lowkey gay if you ask me

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=...

An 1886 publication.

French opera composer, Marcello Souvestre, acquires a new villa; the perfect place to write, he tells his friend Martin the artist. He is never practical when he has an opera in his head. But Martin Detaille worries about Marcello and has nightmares. Detaille falls ill and starts raving and in order to comfort him, his own friends go to the villa to see Marcello so they can assure the ill man he is okay.

At this point the Englishman Robert Sutton, takes up the tale. He is the usual practical man, does not believe these portents of doom, and grumbles much over being required to make the trip to the outskirts of Rome. He sneaks in to the villa and sees Marcello embracing a beautiful woman on the balcony, and decides that is the 'mystery'. He looks much changed and moves mechanically, but he's fine, right? The woman has her face buried in his neck.

Magnin (another friend) reports that Detaille had a fit at the exact moment Sutton saw his friend and the woman. The Nun helping them nurse him is sure that if he has another fit like that one, he will die. He keeps humming what he says is a funeral dirge and crying for his friend.

The next night, he has a violent fit and throws people off him. Sutton sees Marcello standing in the room but when he tries to touch him, his hand goes through a material like a spider's web.

Genuinely worried, Magnin and Sutton hire a carriage and go back to the villa.

[At this point, I am going to assume that Bram Stoker read this book. 1897 for Dracula; it's almost ten years later. The google edition is the 3rd one, printed in 1891]

The villa is empty, but underneath there is a crypt where they find Marcello's body with some tools and an inscription on a large stone sarcophagus to Vespertilia from her lover Flavius. Inside there is a beautiful woman lying among rotting rags.

Our practical hero cuts a piece of wood off the pickaxe handle, climbs up into the sarcophagus, and stakes her.

I looked for one moment at that white breast, but only to choose the loveliest spot, where the network of azure veins shimmered like veiled turquoises, and then with one blow I drove the pointed stake deep down through the breathing snow and stamped it in with my heel.

An awful shriek, so ringing and horrible that I thought my ears must have burst; but even then I felt neither fear nor horror. There are times when these cannot touch us. I stooped and gazed once again at the face, now undergoing a fearful change — fearful and final!

"Foul vampire," I said quietly in my concentrated rage. "You will do no more harm now!"

dayum. Stamped in with his heel... then they take Marcello back to be buried. They also note that the opera he was working on has the funeral march Detaille kept singing. He could not have seen it; it was considered poor form to look on any artist's work before it is complete.

ooh *shivers*.

WHY did this woman only write one story??! I know, she became a baroness and presumably was not allowed to write.

4 stars

[Ruth Wynne-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came for the spooky vampire vibes, stayed for the audacious descriptions of French and Italian people. French people are apparently flimsy, light-headed and prone to tears. Whilst Italians have a fear of 'darkness and lonely places' and a 'childish' fear of the police. Amazing.

[Chevalier_de_fortune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary sublime supernatural short story.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rate: 3.75 stars 🌟

This was a nice novella. I liked the general setting of story, and the tone too.

[Alessandro Corrao · Rating 3 out of 5]

non male ma non è neppure riuscito ad entusiasmarmi in modo particolare, lo dimenticherò molto presto. L’unico piacere è stato quello di immaginare Marcello Mastroianni nei panni di Marcello…

[Richie Kercenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

All atmosphere and very little mystery. A true Gothic old gem though

[Dmytro Demchenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable transfer of the theme to unusually warm soil with ancient undertones, and this combination is harmonious.

[Pablo Sabalza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Breve pero efectivo. Es algo difícil definir si este es un cuento largo o una novela corta, pues la autora profundiza en los sentimientos y el ambiente de una manera que pocos textos de su tipo hacen, pero la historia presentada en sus páginas puede resultar más algo más anecdótico por momentos.

Las descripciones y diálogos son una base importante de su narrativa ya que nos permiten adentrarnos en una trama que poco a poco nos revela un misterio que, a menos que sepas de qué va, puede sorprender a más de uno.

[Sara Booklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Racconto che narra di un particolare caso di vampirismo avvenuto nella campagna romana. Scritto quasi due decenni prima del precedente, introduce una figura sovrannaturale molto interessante: Vespertilia, una vampira dotata del potere di annientare completamente la volontà delle proprie vittime maschili, con un temperamento molto affine alla più nota Carmilla.
Di questo racconto ho amato soprattutto la seconda metà, quando la storia entra nel vivo e la narrazione si fa incalzante e serrata, con un finale agghiacciante e ricco di tensione. 3,5★

[rottenrosette · Rating 4 out of 5]

kinda fruity!

[Gretel Hernández · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es el primer relato que relaciona el vampirismo con la antigüedad romana; una historia muy interesante; te la recomiendo si eres fan de los vampiros terroríficos y malvados.