Varney, the Vampire unfolds a gripping story full of horror, intrigue and human tragedy. At the center is the Bannerworth family, whose lives are threatened by mysterious nightly attacks. After young Flora falls victim to a sinister attack that leaves two bloody bite marks on her neck, a desperate struggle to find out what happened and save her begins. Sir Francis Varney, an enigmatic stranger with aristocratic dignity and an uncanny attraction, appears – and it soon becomes clear that he is more than just an ordinary man.
Varney is one of the first literary characters to portray the vampire as a complex, almost tragic being. Instead of a purely evil monster, he shows remorse, self-hatred and a deep inner conflict that torments him as much as his victims. His ability to captivate people with a mere glance and the cruel need to feed on their blood make him a figure somewhere between seducer and predator.
Particularly groundbreaking is how ‘Varney, the Vampire’ forms central motifs of the vampire myth: the bite in the neck as a sign of atrocity, the uncanny power over the will of others, the combination of aristocratic elegance with deadly danger. These elements, which would later characterize vampires in literature and film, are interwoven here for the first time in a sophisticated way.
With its multi-layered characterization and dramatic narrative style, ‘Varney, the Vampire’ laid the foundation for the modern image of the vampire. His influences can be felt in almost all later depictions of the genre – from Bram Stoker’s Dracula to contemporary interpretations. Varney’s legacy is an enduring monument to fantasy literature and a fascinating testament to how the vampire came to symbolize desire, despair and eternal damnation.
About the author
James Malcolm Rymer (1814–1884) was a British nineteenth century writer of penny dreadfuls, and is the co-author with Thomas Peckett Prest of both Varney the Vampire (1847) and The String of Pearls (1847), in which the notorious villain Sweeney Todd makes his literary debut. Thomas Peckett Prest (1810–1859) was a British hack writer, journalist and musician. He was a prolific producer of penny dreadfuls. He is now remembered as the co-creator (with James Malcolm Rymer) of the fictional Sweeney Todd, the ‘demon barber’ immortalized in his The String of Pearls, as well as the co-author with Rymer of Varney the Vampire. He wrote under pseudonyms including Bos, a takeoff of Charles Dickens’ own pen name, Boz. Before joining Edward Lloyd’s publishing factory, Prest had made a name for himself as a talented musician and composer.
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