Vampire Books – Do You Read Them? What’s The Fascination With Them?

By on February 13, 2011 in Fiction, Week In Review

Yesterday, my wife and I went to the library so she could pick up books 5-10 of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.  She’s been reading these books after my sister was talking to her about how these books serve as the inspiration for the HBO mini-series True Blood.  That got me to thinking about the recent popularity of vampire books and popular television shows today based on them.

Now, I freely admit, I don’t know very much about the HBO mini-series True Blood.  I do know the sole reason my sister has HBO is to watch it though.  She seems to really like it, and I think that’s starting to rub off on my wife.  After reading the first 4 books of the Sookie Stackhouse series, my wife indicated to me that we need to add the first season of True Blood to our Netflix queue.  You can imagine my chagrin at such a prospect.  It might be something that she watches without me, I haven’t quite decided yet.

I have pretty much avoided the vampire genre of books for various reasons.  Sure, I’ve read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which I read last year.  You can read some of my thoughts in my review of Dracula and additional thoughts here.  Before reading Dracula, I previously read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.  While I enjoyed these books, it really hasn’t prompted me to read more vampire stories.

Now fast forward to 2006 and the last 5 years, and we’ve seen this Twilight Saga craze which I definitely don’t get.  My wife has read all four books a couple of times, and, of course, we’ve seen all the movies to date and own them, much to my chagrin at times.  Now, I’ve never read Stephenie Meyer’s series but there’s some fascination with it that I can’t quite grasp.  And I certainly hope that fascination can’t be realized until I read the books, which I would much rather not do.  Based on what I’ve seen in the movies, I can somewhat understand the appeal, with the teenage crowd, but I haven’t found the storyline to be all that fantastic.  Maybe it’s a combination of me being an adult that the storyline doesn’t appeal to me, or the fact that I’m not into vampire stories, I’m not sure.

With that being said, if the Twilight craze gets more teenagers and younger kids to read more books, I think that in itself makes these books worthwhile.  Because I truly feel, with all the other distractions out there these days, such as Youtube, video games, the plethora of TV programs, we have something of a reading crisis in this country.  Especially if these books opens kids up to different genres of books.

Have you read any of the books I’ve listed this morning?  Do you also see a fascination with the vampire genre and the various television shows/movies?  Please let me know what you think and especially if I’m off base with this genre.  Happy Sunday everyone!

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  • http://kentuckiana-rrr.blogspot.com/ Robyn

    I have a theory that where and how you enter into your vampire fascination matters quite a bit. I am a fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv show, and so that shapes my particular taste in vampire stories. You might say it’s the standard agaisnt which everything else gets measured. I enjoy Sookie Stackhouse books, but not the HBO series as much. I have The Radleys in my to-read list. I think we’re seeing a general resurgence in all kind of magic/supernatural stories…zombies, werewolves, vampires…you name it. I don’t know exactly why, but it does seem to be the hot subject for stories of all kinds right now.

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      I’ve heard that the Buffy is the benchmark for vampire tv shows. I watched a couple of episodes when it was on, but those were separated by several seasons. I haven’t heard about The Radleys though. I’ll have to take a look and see if it’s something my wife might like.

  • jode90

    Im fascinated with the Twilight Saga too! Read all the books and kept upto date with the films like your wife too. The books are soo much better than the films, but I think thats the same with everything. The thing with Twilight which I like is how it seems to have captured all ages. I’ve caught people much older than myself reading them on the train.

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      I’ve also heard that the books are better than the movies. I’ve also seen many people of different generations reading them as well, kind of similar to the Harry Potter books.

  • http://metroreader.blogspot.com Kim V

    I’m not much of a vampire reader either, but occassionally I find one of that genre that I like (such as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer — nice mash up of history & vampire stuff & The Radleys).

    PS If you have HBO I highly reccomend Boardwalk Empire!

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      I’ve heard about Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter and almost read it because of my interest in history. Is it any good?

  • http://unfinishedperson.com unfinishedperson

    I don’t get it.

    I did watch a vampire movie, the Swedish movie, Let The Right One In, which was made into an American version, Let Me In, and I have to say I was extremely impressed with the Swedish version. It was as creepy as all get-out and I’ve seen parts of the Twilight movies, which in comparison seemed laughable.

    But otherwise, I have no interest in vampire books, movies, TV series. I mostly read mystery/suspense/thrillers and same with the movies and TV shows I watch for the most part.

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      I’m not familiar with Let The Right One In. I might have to see if that one’s available on Netflix. I’m with you on the interest in shows, movies, books, and such for vampire stuff.

  • http://www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com debnance at readerbuzz

    Please don’t stone me, folks out there, but I think the whole vampire thing is creepy. For one thing, a vampire is OLD. Too old to be hanging around with teenage girls. And he drinks BLOOD. Eek.

    Here’s my post: http://www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      You make a very good point Deb! It is pretty creepy. I think in Twilight the Edward character is more than 100 years old. That is ewwww.

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  • http://Website(optional) Jason

    Myself, I have always been interested in vampires. What I don’t like is that people like to keep changing the rules of the vampires’. I will use the twilight series as an example, I know that it’s a love story and all, but the one thing I cannot stand is that the vampires sparkle in the sunlight. This idea is just crazy, the only main rule that I feel that should not change is that sunlights kills vampires this rule should never change. And speaking more about twighlight, I tried to read the first book, and I could not get through the first chapter. From what I read, the begining of the story is just about a complaining teenage girl. Perhaps because I am not in high school, I did not want to spend my time reading about a complaining one. And, to be fair, i did see the first movie, and I personally thought it was horrible, and I do not see the fascination with the series.
    I will say, that the Abraham Lincoln verison about vampires is a good read.

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      I hear ya on changing the rules on vampires. I definitely remember you talking to me about trying to read Twilight. I know I’m not going to try to read the series. And yes, I have seen all three movies and we, of course, own all three of them.

      I think I’m definitely going to add Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter to my list of books to read. It might be a fun read.

  • http://jillianisreading.wordpress.com Jillian

    I don’t get the current craze. I truly and sincerely don’t. I’ve read the first two and a half Twilight books. (I lost consciousness halfway through the third.) It’s nothing more than angst with vampires — seriously. And if you want my honest opinion? It’s the angst that sells.

    Every generation has this stuff. My grandmother read romance novels. :-) I think the problem happens, when that’s ALL people read. Best wishes to Stephanie Meyer; she wrote to entertain, pure and simple. Why shouldn’t she? But, imho, when this is all people are reading, brain cells are misplaced on the subway.

    Certainly, it gets kids to read. But what is the quality of what they’re reading?

    I could go on and on about this…

    Oh, and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter? Nothing can make me respect that book. I find it offensive.

    • http://beltwayliterature.wordpress.com Jeremy

      My wife is really big into Twilight. I can’t remember which movie it was we saw, I think it was New Moon, where she tried to explain everything to me, all the families and such, and I pretty much zoned out. Fortunately, there wasn’t a quiz later on! :-)

      I know my sister is kinda sort of into the whole vampire thing too. I know she’s hooked on the True Blood television series.

      I couldn’t agree with you more on the quality of these particular books. I’m also finding that a lot of modern day fiction has dropped off in the quality department.

      I’m still a bit on the fence with Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. My brother was telling me he picked it up at Target the other day. I remember seeing it when it first came out and didn’t really pay it any attention. I think I’ll have to take another good look at it to see.

      But you’re definitely right about the fads with literature. These things just come and go. Funny you should mention that your grandmother read romance novels! I remember growing up my mother reading Danielle Steele and Barbara Taylor Bradford novels. My mother-in-law also reads them, but she and my wife affectionately call them smut books! :-D

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