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The Vampyre and Other Writings John William Polidori

The Vampyre and Other Writings By John William Polidori

The Vampyre and Other Writings by John William Polidori


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Summary

The compelling works of John William Polidori (1795-1821) such as The Vampyre and Ernestus Berchtold, exerted a powerful hold over literature and popular culture. This is a collection of Polidori's works, along with his lesser-known works such as his medical thesis on nightmares, his pamphlet on the death penalty, his poetry and diary.

The Vampyre and Other Writings Summary

The Vampyre and Other Writings by John William Polidori

'June 18. Began my ghost story after tea. Twelve o' clock, really began to talk ghostly. [Lord Byron] repeated some verses of Coleridge's Christabel, of the witch's breast; when silence ensued, and Shelley, suddenly shrieking and putting his hands to his head, ran out of the room with a candle.' (from the Diary of Dr John William Polidori, 1816). So John William Polidori (1795-1821) records one of the most famous storytelling evenings in English literature, the stormy night at the Villa Diodati that was the source of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and his own tale The Vampyre, as well as his Gothic novel Ernestus Berchtold. Polidori's still compelling works, included here in full, created figures of seductive evil that continue to exert a powerful hold over literature and popular culture. In addition, this collection makes available some of Polidori's fascinating lesser-known works such as his medical thesis on nightmares, his pamphlet on the death penalty, his poetry and diary. Many of these have not been republished since the nineteenth century. Now Polidori emerges from the shadows, an impetuous, sensitive writer with a sometimes fierce talent.His encounters with Byron, Shelley and their circle contributed to his fame and notoriety, and to his neglect, since they outshone him. Here he can be read by his own mysterious taper. Franklin Bishop's introduction describes the context in which The Vampyre was written and deepens our understanding of Romanticism and the Gothic.

About John William Polidori

Franklin Bishop is the author of Polidori! A Life of Dr. John Polidori (1991), Selected Works of John Polidori (1991), and numerous articles on Gothic and Romantic literary figures. A freelance journalist and writer, he is also a tutor for the University of Nottingham, Continuing Education Department.

Table of Contents

Introduction Further Reading The Vampyre:A Tale from A Medical Inaugural Dissertation which deals with the disease called Oneirodynia,for the degree of Medical Doctor, Edinburgh 1815 from On the Punishment of Death from An Essay Upon the Source of Positive Pleasure Ernestus Berchtold; or,The Modern Oedipus: A Tale from Ximenes,The Wreath and Other Poems from The Fall of the Angels:A Sacred Poem from The Diary of Dr John William Polidori from Letters of John Polidori Appendix:Four Letters about Polidori

Additional information

GOR003927704
9781857547870
185754787X
The Vampyre and Other Writings by John William Polidori
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Carcanet Press Ltd
20230820
224
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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