Vampires of New England

by Christopher Rondina

These are not fictional tales, but expert investigations of real people who were thought by their neighbors and others to be vampires—often with good reason. Providing background on Vlad the Impaler (the original Dracula) and other European members of this unholy clan, this book is based on extensive on-site research in Romania and environs. Also included is a survey of movie and TV treatments of vampires, as well as discussions of what habits and diseases might cause a person to be thought to be an evil immortal—and some of the rituals humans have undertaken to rid themselves of these creatures.

Genres: Vampires

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Hayden Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

My struggle with nonfiction continues. The subject matter is fascinating, however the accounts of the exhumations feel repetitive and run together, and I’m not sure how I felt about the choice to dramatize most of them. It kept taking me out of the book.

[Aurorakathrin12 · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is very dry and drawn out. Understanding that it is nonfiction so there isn't drama and theatrics to reel you in and keep you going, however, it seems like it was written as a child's book report where they redundantly emphasized their point and topics to get extra words to fulfill their quota for their assignment. Boring and repetitive. Painful to finish.

[Alicia B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of the fictional dialogue. I would have preferred just the facts of who was afflicted after the death of a loved one, who the loved one was that was exhumed, and info about the family and the burial place.

[Hannah C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend thos book to anyone who has an interest in folklore and vampire history.

[Bob Gelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent account of New England folklore.

[Quin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It's small and gives a very basic overview of the origin of the vampire mythos. A little too basic for me though, thus the three star rating.

[bookreader_nix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like this book. It wasn't what I expected, to be honest. All the vampire stories from the 17-/1800's were all the same: The last person to die of consumption WAS the vampire, therefore we dug up their grave, took their heart, and burned it. Ok, that was 1/4 of the book. The last 1/4 was about portrayals of vampires through film (which I have to admit, the DARK SHADOWS part was my favorite, gotta love Barnabas). All the stuff in between was excerpts and articles that were confusing and, somewhat, pointless.

It was a different reading experience all together for me, especially because they weren't talking about the vampires that I'M used to.