Paul Bibeau
Sundays with Vlad: From Pennsylvania to Transylvania, One Man's Quest to Live in the World of the Undead (2007)
Author: Paul Bibeau
Genre: Travel/History
Book Summary:
Journalist Paul Bibeau documents his mission to trace the rise and fall of Dracula in popular culture. In the course of this book, Bibeau recounts his honeymoon in Transylvania, reviews both the best and the worst of the vampire films, explores the world of vampire subculture (from clubs to role playing games, and even to criminals), and retraces Jonathan Harker's journey as it is explained in Stoker's classic novel. Bibeau struggles to discover how the historical Vlad Tepes became a cultural icon for Gothic horror, a marketing device, and one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. Theme parks, costume shops, internet communities, and historical landmarks all fall under Bibeau's eye as he explores vampires not only in America, but in the Count's home country of Romania and Hungary as well.
Geographical Setting: Various towns and cities throughout America, Romania, and Hungary
Time Period: Present Day (2006/2007)
Appeal Characteristics:
The book is told in small, bite-sized essays, making it easy to pick up, read a single chapter, and put down again for a later time. Despite this, the prose is highly readable and conversational, often humorous or even sarcastic, though never harsh or mocking. Bibeau approaches his subjects with respect, but also recognizes just how strange the whole topic may seem to outsiders, and takes this into account as he writes. As much of the story involves Bibeau traveling to various locales, his characterization of his interview subjects is generally a quick sketch, but not too in depth (largely because Bibeau is the only "character" given more than a few pages in the entire book). Nevertheless, small vignettes provide both character and setting sketches. While relating his driving across Romania in the final chapter, for example, Bibeau tells small anecdotes about everything from gamblers to hitchhikers to the driving conditions--not tons of detail, but enough for a general feeling of the area and the people Bibeau encounters. The main draw is the light, conversational tone, often interspersed with humorous hypothetical conversations between Bibeau and someone he may wish to meet. The plot, such as it is, is brisk, without being driving; the story meanders somewhat in the middle of the book, making the pace somewhat uneven from chapter to chapter.
Read-alikes: Readers who enjoyed exploring the literary and historical origins of Dracula may also enjoy Frankenstein: A Cultural History, by Susan Tyler Hitchcock. Similar to Bibeau, Hitchcock traces the history of Frankenstein from book to film to cultural icon, often inserting humorous anecdotes for the reader's entertainment. For a work closer in tone and subject matter to Bibeau's, try The Dead Travel Fast by Eric Nuzum. This work also focuses on the literary and popular history of the vampire, and is littered with humor throughout. Another humorous book which focuses on a group's obsession with vampires is Allyson Beatrice's Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby?, an insider's humorous and heartfelt account of the fan subculture of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For those who enjoyed the exotic locales and local color of Sundays with Vlad, Elizabeth Kostova's novel, The Historian, may be an appealing follow-up. This work of fiction blends history and myth as it follows a woman's obsession with finding the real Dracula. Finally, for a witty history of Dracula on stage and screen, check out Hollywood Gothic, by David J. Skal. Using many images and illustrations, Skal explores the various incarnations of Dracula in popular culture throughout the twentieth century.
Red Flags: Some discussion of sexual fetishes and serial killers, though not very in-depth. At least two chapters discuss the act of drinking blood in detail. Of course, vampires in mythology and in society feature heavily throughout the book.
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