A review by violetturtledove
The Vampyre by John William Polidori

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

It's hard to read something like this impartially, knowing that it's the first of what would become a huge glut of vampire stories. It's also a story with a famous backstory, and while reading it I did consider that this was possibly a first draft that was never really revised or developed further.

So basically it's worth a read for the history (and won't take you too long) but it's hard to read without being aware of everything surrounding it 

I probably sound like I'm moaning about the story: it's a good story, and fits a lot into a short length. The introduction, explaining the folklore, and the tone of the ending actually remind me of the style of a creepypasta! Again, not a bad thing.

It's oddly bookended with two 'extracts of letters' which seem to focus on singing Bryon's praises. I wasn't sure if this was a 'letter within the story' or just something else written by the author, but it does give some hints about the circumstances under which the story was written.