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Three Vampire Tales: Dracula, Carmilla, and The Vampyre
Three classic works of vampire literature come together for the first time in one volume. Complementing the complete texts are background essays as well as additional selections by the three authors and others. Because the vampire novel has proven so influential in film, an extensive filmography is included.
481 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2002
About the author
John William Polidori
353 books180 followersJohn William Polidori was an Italian English physician and writer, known for his associations with the Romantic movement and credited by some as the creator of the vampire genre of fantasy fiction.
Polidori was the oldest son of Gaetano Polidori, an Italian political émigré scholar, and Anna Maria Pierce, a governess. He had three brothers and four sisters.
He was one of the earliest pupils at recently established Ampleforth College from 1804, and in 1810 went up to the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote a thesis on sleepwalking and received his degree as a doctor of medicine on 1 August 1815 at the age of 19.
In 1816 Dr. Polidori entered Lord Byron's service as his personal physician, and accompanied Byron on a trip through Europe. At the Villa Diodati, a house Byron rented by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the pair met with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, and her husband-to-be, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their companion (Mary's stepsister) Claire Clairmont.
One night in June, after the company had read aloud from the Tales of the Dead, a collection of horror tales, Byron suggested that they each write a ghost story. Mary Shelley worked on a tale that would later evolve into Frankenstein. Byron wrote (and quickly abandoned) a fragment of a story, which Polidori used later as the basis for his own tale, The Vampyre, the first vampire story published in English.
Rather than use the crude, bestial vampire of folklore as a basis for his story, Polidori based his character on Byron. Polidori named the character "Lord Ruthven" as a joke. The name was originally used in Lady Caroline Lamb's novel Glenarvon, in which a thinly-disguised Byron figure was also named Lord Ruthven.
Polidori's Lord Ruthven was not only the first vampire in English fiction, but was also the first fictional vampire in the form we recognize today—an aristocratic fiend who preys among high society.
Dismissed by Byron, Polidori travelled in Italy and then returned to England. His story, "The Vampyre", was published in the April 1819 issue of New Monthly Magazine without his permission. Whilst in London he lived and died in Great Pulteney Street (Soho). Much to both his and Byron's chagrin, "The Vampyre" was released as a new work by Byron. Byron even released his own Fragment of a Novel in an attempt to clear up the mess, but, for better or worse, "The Vampyre" continued to be attributed to him.
His long, Byron-influenced theological poem The Fall of the Angels, was published anonymously in 1821.
He died in August 1821, weighed down by depression and gambling debts. Despite strong evidence that he committed suicide by means of prussic acid, the coroner gave a verdict of death by natural causes.
His sister Frances Polidori married exiled Italian scholar Gabriele Rossetti, and so John is the uncle of Maria Francesca Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti and Christina Rossetti, though they were born after his death.
His sister Charlotte made a transcription of his Diaries, but censored "peccant passages" and destroyed the original. Based only on the transcripton, The Diary of John Polidori was edited by William Michael Rossetti and first published in 1911 by Elkin Mathews (London). A reprint of this book, The diary of Dr. John William Polidori, 1816, relating to Byron, Shelley, etc was published by Folcroft Library Editions (Folcroft, Pa.) in 1975. Another reprint by the same title was printed by Norwood Editions (Norwood, Pa.) in 1978.
A number of films have depicted John Polidori and the genesis of the Frankenstein and "Vampyre" stories in 1816: Gothic directed by Ken Russell (1986), Haunted Summer directed by Ivan Passer (1988) and Remando al viento (English title: Rowing with the Wind) directed by Gonzalo Suárez (1988). He also appears as a minor and unsympathetic character in the Tim Powers horror novel The Stress o
Polidori was the oldest son of Gaetano Polidori, an Italian political émigré scholar, and Anna Maria Pierce, a governess. He had three brothers and four sisters.
He was one of the earliest pupils at recently established Ampleforth College from 1804, and in 1810 went up to the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote a thesis on sleepwalking and received his degree as a doctor of medicine on 1 August 1815 at the age of 19.
In 1816 Dr. Polidori entered Lord Byron's service as his personal physician, and accompanied Byron on a trip through Europe. At the Villa Diodati, a house Byron rented by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the pair met with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, and her husband-to-be, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their companion (Mary's stepsister) Claire Clairmont.
One night in June, after the company had read aloud from the Tales of the Dead, a collection of horror tales, Byron suggested that they each write a ghost story. Mary Shelley worked on a tale that would later evolve into Frankenstein. Byron wrote (and quickly abandoned) a fragment of a story, which Polidori used later as the basis for his own tale, The Vampyre, the first vampire story published in English.
Rather than use the crude, bestial vampire of folklore as a basis for his story, Polidori based his character on Byron. Polidori named the character "Lord Ruthven" as a joke. The name was originally used in Lady Caroline Lamb's novel Glenarvon, in which a thinly-disguised Byron figure was also named Lord Ruthven.
Polidori's Lord Ruthven was not only the first vampire in English fiction, but was also the first fictional vampire in the form we recognize today—an aristocratic fiend who preys among high society.
Dismissed by Byron, Polidori travelled in Italy and then returned to England. His story, "The Vampyre", was published in the April 1819 issue of New Monthly Magazine without his permission. Whilst in London he lived and died in Great Pulteney Street (Soho). Much to both his and Byron's chagrin, "The Vampyre" was released as a new work by Byron. Byron even released his own Fragment of a Novel in an attempt to clear up the mess, but, for better or worse, "The Vampyre" continued to be attributed to him.
His long, Byron-influenced theological poem The Fall of the Angels, was published anonymously in 1821.
He died in August 1821, weighed down by depression and gambling debts. Despite strong evidence that he committed suicide by means of prussic acid, the coroner gave a verdict of death by natural causes.
His sister Frances Polidori married exiled Italian scholar Gabriele Rossetti, and so John is the uncle of Maria Francesca Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti and Christina Rossetti, though they were born after his death.
His sister Charlotte made a transcription of his Diaries, but censored "peccant passages" and destroyed the original. Based only on the transcripton, The Diary of John Polidori was edited by William Michael Rossetti and first published in 1911 by Elkin Mathews (London). A reprint of this book, The diary of Dr. John William Polidori, 1816, relating to Byron, Shelley, etc was published by Folcroft Library Editions (Folcroft, Pa.) in 1975. Another reprint by the same title was printed by Norwood Editions (Norwood, Pa.) in 1978.
A number of films have depicted John Polidori and the genesis of the Frankenstein and "Vampyre" stories in 1816: Gothic directed by Ken Russell (1986), Haunted Summer directed by Ivan Passer (1988) and Remando al viento (English title: Rowing with the Wind) directed by Gonzalo Suárez (1988). He also appears as a minor and unsympathetic character in the Tim Powers horror novel The Stress o
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 29, 2023
November 2016 review (4 stars): I found this book of collected works from my favorite thrift shop in Cambridge, and as I had yet to own a copy of Dracula or read Carmilla, I decided it would be desirable to purchase the lot! And I'm pleased to own it - the additional short stories, poems, and information provided were good background material for reading the three main titles. The Vampyre was pretty awfully written, even if I was rather taken with the Lord Ruthven (aristocratic vampire and promiscuous scoundrel? where do I sign up?). Carmilla was better! It could have been more lesbian, but it was pretty gay as it was, so I was satisfied with that. And Dracula, although not all that great of a novel in its own right, is still a classic of horror/vampire literature, and worth owning.
November 29, 2023 review (3.5 stars): Reread as part of Dracula Daily (which I got miserably off-track with in August - alas, such is life). Dracula was the least-best part of this book - the story drags in the middle, the characters are all very boring and saintly, and I just don't have the patience to read extended scenes in dialect. The rest of the collection is quite fun - I still found The Vampyre to be particularly poorly written, but the excerpts from Christabel and the unfinished novel fragment by Lord Byron were quite fun. And, of course, Carmilla. Carmilla is SUCH a gem. More lesbian vampire fiction from the 19th century, please! (Or adaptations or other lesbian vampire novels set in the 19th century, at least? Please?)
November 29, 2023 review (3.5 stars): Reread as part of Dracula Daily (which I got miserably off-track with in August - alas, such is life). Dracula was the least-best part of this book - the story drags in the middle, the characters are all very boring and saintly, and I just don't have the patience to read extended scenes in dialect. The rest of the collection is quite fun - I still found The Vampyre to be particularly poorly written, but the excerpts from Christabel and the unfinished novel fragment by Lord Byron were quite fun. And, of course, Carmilla. Carmilla is SUCH a gem. More lesbian vampire fiction from the 19th century, please! (Or adaptations or other lesbian vampire novels set in the 19th century, at least? Please?)
July 24, 2010
"Carmilla", Sheridan Le Fanu:
A Delightfully chilling short story, for lovers of Gothic fiction - its terror, fear and melodrama. It's a shame I read this on a breezy, summer afternoon rather than a black, winter evening.
I love to see what different authors bring to the vampire mythos (S. Meyer excluded) and what I really liked here, were Fanu's descriptions of an "amphibious" vampire, sleeping in coffins filled with seven inches of blood. Not to be confused for actual 'aquatic' vampires, but I thought it was a nice touch!
A Delightfully chilling short story, for lovers of Gothic fiction - its terror, fear and melodrama. It's a shame I read this on a breezy, summer afternoon rather than a black, winter evening.
I love to see what different authors bring to the vampire mythos (S. Meyer excluded) and what I really liked here, were Fanu's descriptions of an "amphibious" vampire, sleeping in coffins filled with seven inches of blood. Not to be confused for actual 'aquatic' vampires, but I thought it was a nice touch!
August 20, 2024
Carmilla - 4 stars (3rd read)
Dracula - 5 stars (2nd read)
Dracula - 5 stars (2nd read)
August 12, 2011
The first two stories, Vampyre and Carmilla were excellent stories, each with a driving narrative that kept me reading. Dracula was so much of a choppy mishmash that I could not possibly stay interested. The idea of Dracula is great but the execution is terrible. I have so much that I want to read that I will never again let one book fester and nag at the back of my reading list for as long as this did. If a book puts me to sleep, as Dracula did, it cannot be so very horrific...
This collection got 2 stars on the merits of Vampyre and Carmilla alone, two very good stories, with Dracula dragging the entire thing down.
This collection got 2 stars on the merits of Vampyre and Carmilla alone, two very good stories, with Dracula dragging the entire thing down.
June 4, 2011
Excellent compilation of 3 great vampire stories, with Dracula being my favorite. The book also includes interesting tidbits on the history of vampires in fiction.
November 24, 2011
This is a great collection of vampire texts that help to contextualize Dracula. Plus both Polidori's "The Vampyre" and Le Fanu's "Carmilla" are both well worth reading in and of themselves.
May 21, 2025
"The Vampyre," by John Polidori, Carmilla, by Sheridan le Fanu, and Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Three classics of the genre. Carmilla is probably the most unsettling of the three--maybe because the monster is female and is way too cozy with the heroine--especially for the 19th century.
Much of Dracula now seems tame and cliché, and it drags terribly in places. Mina is clearly the smartest of them, but her "delicate female nature" puts her at a disadvantage. As women become more vampiric, they become sexy, which is also interesting.
Much of Dracula now seems tame and cliché, and it drags terribly in places. Mina is clearly the smartest of them, but her "delicate female nature" puts her at a disadvantage. As women become more vampiric, they become sexy, which is also interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2023
Dracula (a reread): 4 stars
Carmilla: 3 stars
the Vampyre: 3 stars
Carmilla: 3 stars
the Vampyre: 3 stars
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December 18, 2019sheridan le fanu: trips on his speculum, accidentally turns lesbian romantics dial up to 1000
carmilla: im so excited to spend the rest of our unending lives together. we're gonna go on so many trips. i love you, dearest, though you know not why.
bram stoker: angrily mumbling about the New Woman while jacking off to the idea of a gentleman's hand being strong and unflinching in its duty to turn a doorknob, cranks heteropatriarchy dial to 1000
mina harker: "How can women help loving men when they are so earnest, and so true, and brave! And, too, it made me think of the wonderful power of money!..."
this sometimes glop-ful anthology became enjoyable mostly because of the (uncredited[!!!]) introduction. if you're going to read any seminal (haha insert another patriarchy joke) books i would really recommend looking for thoughtfully edited and contextualized anthologies like these. so happy to be done tho. fuck Dracula is long and full of sentences like the above.
carmilla: im so excited to spend the rest of our unending lives together. we're gonna go on so many trips. i love you, dearest, though you know not why.
bram stoker: angrily mumbling about the New Woman while jacking off to the idea of a gentleman's hand being strong and unflinching in its duty to turn a doorknob, cranks heteropatriarchy dial to 1000
mina harker: "How can women help loving men when they are so earnest, and so true, and brave! And, too, it made me think of the wonderful power of money!..."
this sometimes glop-ful anthology became enjoyable mostly because of the (uncredited[!!!]) introduction. if you're going to read any seminal (haha insert another patriarchy joke) books i would really recommend looking for thoughtfully edited and contextualized anthologies like these. so happy to be done tho. fuck Dracula is long and full of sentences like the above.
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June 9, 2010this book contains three stories, and one short story. i read Carmilla by Sheridan La Fanu. The story portray the theme of an unsuspecting person walking toward what he sees as innocent but is actually wicked. Carmilla takes place during the 18th century France. the story revolves around an unsuspecting family that took in a vampire. the family's neighbor had sent the family a letter to explain what had happened to him and his daughter. the letter ran "The fiend who betrayed our infatuated hospitality has done it all. I thought I was receiving into my house
innocence, gaiety, a charming companion for my lost Bertha. Heavens!
what a fool have I been!". this quote demonstrate that people who are to open and are to naive are going to get killed
innocence, gaiety, a charming companion for my lost Bertha. Heavens!
what a fool have I been!". this quote demonstrate that people who are to open and are to naive are going to get killed
April 25, 2008
I recently guided my Victorian Lit class through a reading of *Carmilla." I read it years ago and on this re-reading found it richer than I'd understood on my first reading. Imagine the Victorians' horror not so much at the ways of the vampire, but at the female power and solidarity displayed in these pages. The story starts slowly, moving as languidly as Carmilla herself, but builds to a more lively pace with a classically inconclusive ending. I highly recommend it. Also, if you're interested in *Dracula*, read *Carmilla* as its precursor. Stoker wrests the power away from the women and puts it firmly back in the hands of the men--a thoroughly Victorian move.
March 15, 2026
from it flowed phenomenal examinations of sociology, nationalism, movement, and fear, made legendary through literary illusions. these stories' resonance, cemented in folklore, are a testament to their enduring allure. who really was the vampire? the mystic blood sucker, foreign in every way, a sexually charged predator, a specter of metamorphosis bedeviling the 'civilized.' these themes are some of the most fantastic and generally unknown topics I have encountered, I love to talk about them.
June 17, 2009
Oh, how I love thee, dark creature of the night.
Vampires, really, are too good. Deliciously enticing and frightening at the same time. I'm surprised how much I liked reading Dracula, despite being WILDLY melodramatic. But it really is a page turner.
The other vamp stories & essays are quite good also. Good creepy but not keep the light on while you sleep creepy.
Vampires, really, are too good. Deliciously enticing and frightening at the same time. I'm surprised how much I liked reading Dracula, despite being WILDLY melodramatic. But it really is a page turner.
The other vamp stories & essays are quite good also. Good creepy but not keep the light on while you sleep creepy.
February 12, 2007
I read this for Carmilla and The Vampyre. The Vampyre was good, but not great in my opinion. I liked Carmilla a lot more.
February 8, 2011
Reading Carmilla for Victorian Lit.
September 21, 2011
Interesting reading- I had to read this for a course I am taking but I thought the essays included were wonderful.
December 6, 2015
Eh.
I think I enjoyed Carmilla the most.
Dracula was nearly unbearable every time Van Helsing opened his mouth.
I think I enjoyed Carmilla the most.
Dracula was nearly unbearable every time Van Helsing opened his mouth.
April 2, 2019
I loved the footnotes in this edition!
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March 22, 2009read dracula before, obv., but never the other two.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews