"The vampire : Analysis of a myth" Estelle Valls de Gomis France 2005

Dear readers, fond of vampires,

This wonderful book will join sooner or later your bookshelf ( as soon as an editor will translate it in english, I don't think it is the case at present ), because it will for sure become a "classic" in the vampire literature.

Written on the base of a defence of thesis at Toulouse II university, in France, this big book - 470 pages - will amaze you for 2 reasons :

1) OK, it is a really big book, but not at all boring, as you could fear, considering the fact that it is coming from a university work. It is written in a so clear and simple style that you will read it as a very good novel...and will not realise the time flies.

2) The richness of the content is really incredible : From the farest origins of the vampire in religions all around the world, then presenting the most famous vampires in History, we continue the visit with the so called "real vampires", next, a very interesting chapter about the birth of the vampire in literature ( there is here a very interresting and precise explanation of the text of the "Dracula" written by Stocker ). Next, The writter introduce us some famous vampires places, gives some explanations about why the vampires seems so fascinating to us, poor humans, and to finish, presents us the various mediums having used - and still - the vampire's image : Movies, advertising, theatre, music, painting, television,...

Well, as you can observe it, this book is a real encyclopaedia, full of references ( see the very long list of information sources in the end of it, for those who want to know more ).The intro is written by Jean Marigny, one of the most serious specialist about vampire in the world. And, as a bonus, the writter features some of her paints about vampires....

This book costs 24 € here in France, and it is worth buying, believe me.

"Le vampire : Enquête autour d'un mythe" Estelle Valls de Gomis France 2005

Chers lecteurs amateurs de vampires, Cet objet exceptionnel rejoindra tôt ou tard votre bibliothèque, car il deviendra sans aucun doute un classique de la littérature vampirique. Je m'explique : Rédigé sur la base d'une soutenance de Doctorat à l'université de Toulouse II, ce pavé - 470 pages - vous étonnera pour 2 raisons : 1) D'accord, c'est un gros pavé, mais pas du tout assommant, comme on pourrait le craindre. C'est écrit dans un style tellement aéré et clair que vous le lirez comme un bon roman, et vous ne verrez par le temps passer... 2) La richesse du contenu est impressionnante : Depuis les origines lointaines du vampire dans les religions du monde entier, puis présentant les vampires restés dans l'Histoire, nous continuons la visite avec les soit disants cas de "vrais vampires", avant de passer à un chapitre très interressant sur les origines du vampire littéraire ( il y a là une dissection très détaillée et très fine du "Dracula" de Stocker ) . Nous passons ensuite aux lieux géographiques liés aux vampires, puis à la fascination qu'inspire le vampire sur nous, simples humains, et enfin aux divers médias qui ont utilisé - et utilisent encore - le thème du vampire : Cinéma, publicité, théatre, musique, arts graphiques,télévision... Bref, une véritable encyclopédie, bourrée de références ( voir l'imposante liste de sources à la fin de l'ouvrage pour ceux qui veulent creuser le sujet ). La préface est rédigée par Jean Marigny, un des plus grands spécialistes au monde sur la question des vampires. Et en guise de bonus, l'auteur nous présente dans un cahier central en couleur quelques unes de ses propres peintures, représentant très joliement des créatures aux dents pointues... Un dernier conseil, si je puis me permettre : Il vaut mieux débourser 24 € pour cet ouvrage au contenu trés riche et sérieux, plutôt que plusieurs petites sommes dans des ouvrages médiocres et très superficiels. Croyez-moi, vous ne regrettez pas votre investissement...

(in english) DUNE Part 1 and 2 Franck Herbert USA 1965

Kind : Space opera Landscapes : Sand and sandhills, as far as the eyes can see. The story : On the Caladar planet, there is 2 clans : The Atreides, the good ones, leaded by the duke Leto, and the Harkonnens, the bad ones,managed by the baron Vladimir Harkonnen. To move away the duke Leto, who starts to have too much influence ( I have forgotten why ) on that planet, the emperor, the supreme leader of Caladar, make him a poisonned gift in making of him the king of the Dune planet, in the place of the Harkonnens, who ruled - badly - this planet for 80 years. Dune is a planet completely covered with sand, where each drop of water brought by humans is a real richness, such as the Spice, strange and natural substance which give to the one who eat it some ability to know the future. Giant worms are the only animals living on this hostile Earth. Keeping far away from these 2 clans, The Fremen live a life near the Nature, succeeding in taming the giant worms and making of them transportantion means. Most of all, they have a secret goal which is to bring back water on Dune, to no more being dependant from the Guilde, the only transportation company which brings on the planet the precious liquid. You can see here a paint of Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen : The duke Leto's son, Paul, gains some fabulous mental abilities, thanks to his education and to the Spice, and discovers he has become the Kwisatz Haderach, the messie whom talk all the Fremen legends, the one who will lead the Fremen towards the Power on Dune. It is indeed what happens next, the Atreides joins to the Fremen to fight against the Harkonnens - which killed the duc Leto - and win the fight. You can admire here a giant worm, with a wide open mouth, ready to catch the first spaceship which will land on Dune... Main Topics : - Ecology : How to take care of the natural ressources of a planet - The fight for the power - Mental abilities of the human being ( to know the future, reincarnation,...) Comments : Even if the main topics of this book - ecology and power - are feartured in an imaginary world, they are described in a very realistic way, and correspond exactly to the actual concerns of our society. This book is not badly written, but I didn't like it a lot. Why ? - Dune is really to long : More than 900 sheets for the 2 parts, in pocket edition ! I believe that on these 900 sheets, 1/3 settles the landscapes, figures and main ideas. The rest is only intrigues, and so on ( imagine the feuilleton "Dallas", in a space opera version ) The reading of Dune has been for me a long and painful thing to do, who longed about 2 months, but I really wanted to finish it, to write the notes you are reading just now, and also by curiosity, to compare my point of view with the ones of SF encyclopedias, which worship Dune. - The text, or the writing style smells dust and old style, there is no moves in this writing style, it is just as if we were watching the action through a very thick window pane. - 2 strange things in this novel, which discredit seriously the story's credibility : Do you know that on the Caladar planet St Augustin ( Earth inhabitant, philosopher and christian theologian, dead in 400 after JC ) is known ? And that on Dune, people drink coffee ???? ( All that is not very serious, Mr Herbert ! ) For those who loved this universe-book, go and see this link, you will find again the Dune universe in numerous followings to this first parts : http://www.dunenovels.com/