Sundays with Vlad

October 15, 2007
Bibeau appreciates Dracula as cultural icon and exemplar of a lifestyle option, whether the vampiric noblemans embodiment of role-model choice is the historical Vlad Dracul, the literary Count Dracula, or the schtick-befraught theatrical realization of him by Bela Lugosi and his successors. Bibeaus pursuit of the world of the undead took him to destinations as disparate as Vlads Romanian stomping grounds and Minnesota to talk with a gubernatorial candidate who campaigned on an impalement platform. In the course of his research, he encountered folks who occasionally quaff human blood, and sundry other vampire enthusiasts, whom he considers via examinations of contemporary Goth culture and of various films featuring the undead and their victims. Mixing reverence and humor, just as the publicity promises, Bibeau produces a lighthearted, informative read that should delight vampire wannabes (a tiny cadre, perhaps), horror-movie fans (a much larger band), and those possessed of a gleefully ironic sense of humor. Be sure to lay in plenty of garlic, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)