Thomas Prest Preskett - James Malcolm Rymer
"Varney the Vampire - The elusive", Vol.2
Gargoyle Books, July 2010 Translated by Chiara
Vatteroni. Introduction by Fabio Giovannini
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-88-89541-46-3
Pages: 518
It landed in bookstores the second volume of the daring adventures of Varney the Vampire, the protagonist of the novel that has influenced any subsequent effort of 'imagination tended to treat the theme of the undead in to enrich it with its literary inspiration from 1845 to present. And with the "elusive", even more than with the first volume, we discover how to further these efforts are perhaps attributed a lot more trouble, a stroke of genius and originality of what was lawful to grant them in the estimation of the works which we now know, are were designed only much later. It is the passionate introduction of acute and Fabio Giovannini, a leading expert in vampire culture, to guide us along the intricate evolution of the figure of the undead, and to share his nature as a receptacle of many metaphors and archetypes, revealing the vampire as one of the most effective expedients that literature has developed to expose and exorcise inconvenience, phobias, or force tribulations of welfare states, a figure involved in a metamorphosis that can not reflect the truth in the fantastic art and a portrait of an individual fate, but those a generation like the following, embodying reality and fears that are ready for the sunset and predicting the future. It is, therefore, after a stimulating, erudite and insightful preface we come back to get involved with the fate of the family Bannerworth, now forced to watch over his home, abandoned after the continuous attacks of disturbing and Varney the Vampire. The second volume begins with humanity in the unexpected nature of the enemy Sir Francis Varney, unexpectedly kind to the unfortunate fate of Charles Holland, who was imprisoned in the dungeon ruins. It is here that Charles, freed Marchdale shut up, and it is here that the villain will perish in the collapse of the walls of the cell. The Banneworth Hall will receive the visits of mysterious characters, angry crowds, military units, the dark rooms of the mansion and gardens will be the scene of fights, secrets, Revelations: Dr. Chillingworth to unveil Admiral Henry Bell and Varney have recognized the corpse of a criminal that he raised in London years ago, with dynamics reminiscent of Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein, and also hear of a mysterious and new characters appeared in the villa, which is the Executioner who helped to kidnap the dead after an execution by hanging. Chased from Charles, the vampire will then be forced into a conversation that will see him confess to having participated in his shady past, a criminal activity with the father of the virtuous Flora, who committed suicide, Marmaduke Bannerworth. Flora and Charles then conquer the peace necessary to unite their destinies in marriage, those destinations so threatened by Varney, with which the whole family Bannerworth will establish a relationship of mutual respect, when you had to give yet another onslaught of angry mob, the vampire will be hosted in their cottage. Will not be long, Varney and disappear again, forcing Dr. Chillingworth groped in to track him down, being now known to all people involved in the events that the vampire has fled in possession of a treasure hidden and lost, the reason that he had forced to make repeated assaults of the villa Bannerworth. Admiral Bell instead begins to shed light on the identity and intentions of the enigmatic nobleman, the Baron rich Stolmuyer Stalisburgo of joint Anderbury in nearby, seaside town, ready to marry the beautiful Helen. Just Admiral Bell, who will bring Charles, Herny and Flora, will be a curious invitation to the wedding of the Baron, by the mother of the bride, the greedy widow
Williams ... The second volume of Varney the Vampire is perhaps the very heart of this novel, the river, where everything is more articulate and vibrant personalities of the characters emerge with force, intimately involved in a frantic and almost continuous succession of gloomy adventure but studded with amusing anecdotes. It is a novel made up of pages that you grow fond of in that while you browse, and which often lead to smile for the sheer pleasure reading.
Authors: Thomas was initially Preskett Prest - London-based writer whose novel was responsible for the Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (which inspired John Schlesinger and Tim Burton for their film about the cannibal barber, respectively The shop of horrors Sweeney Todd, 1997 and Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2008) to be considered the author of Varney the Vampire, later, however, made the name of James Malcolm Rymer, a civil engineer to supplement his income devoted to writing on Committee on the publisher Lloyd, by many considered more reliable in terms of authorship. Rymer probably scores, coordination, working with several other writers remained unknown, so that the wording of the text seems more to come from a "school", or an assembly line, in which the author's name remains anonymous and does not appear, however, of prime importance ...
(Review by) Bruno Maiorano
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