Comments on: James Malcolm Rymer’s Varney the Vampire

By: skullsinthestars

skullsinthestars — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:19:56 +0000

nowyat: Thanks for the comment! Sorry about the delay in replying; I’ve been in the midst of crazy travel. To answer your question: the ‘comparative analysis’ is discussed in the Zittaw Press edition of Varney by Curt Herr that I link to above.

I haven’t gotten around to writing about Wagner yet, but it’s still on my reading list!

By: nowyat

nowyat — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:29:23 +0000

P.S. Where did you read about this comparative analysis thing? (Your reference to it has gotten me onto new possibilities of books.) I’d like to hear more about Varney.

By: nowyat

nowyat — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:23:25 +0000

That was a great article by you! I’ve read or listened to the online version of Varney, (I burn text to speech) numerous times. You answered some pestering questions I had about it. Of course there are still some plot holes, and the whole ‘two writers’ thing… The first half of the online version of “Varney” tends to present Varney as a magician/con-artist rogue (faking the vampire thing) with a soft-center, while in the second half of the book, Varney seems to have a nervous breakdown and become a still slightly sympathetic serial-killer/real vampire. I always imagined someone must have burned themselves out on the first half and another person, Thomas Precott Prest, allegedly took over. The second half lacks the plotting and some of the genius of the first part. It made me sad that the old captain seemed to have been abandoned in a resthome of a primitive sort, although he still served to reveal Varney’s real character later on in the novel. What happened to sailor friend/assistant Jack? We know Varney outlived the bannerworths. But anyway, it’s probably my favorite book in the universe. Thanks for appreciating and continuating it! Varney came to a glorious end, and I still mean to google whether anyone ever died in the manner that he did. I just ordered Wagner the Werewolf, though I first read Varney ages ago, but these are hard to access books. I’ll go look now to see if you have reviewed Wagner. I hope it is a tenth as good. Thanks. P.S. One of the greatest memorable moments of the book to me was the gibbot incident.

By: Personal Demon

Personal Demon — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:14:48 +0000

Dr. SkySkull wrote: “If you’re feeling particularly grateful, you could always thank me by FedEx-ing me about 40 gallons of gas…”

Ooh… that could be fun.

By: skullsinthestars

skullsinthestars — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:01:10 +0000

PD: Glad to help! It really is a lovely reprint.

If you’re feeling particularly grateful, you could always thank me by FedEx-ing me about 40 gallons of gas…

By: Personal Demon

Personal Demon — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:50:14 +0000

Thanks for the heads up on this reprint! Critter used a reference to Varney as a clue in a recent RPG that he has been running.