What I Know About Vampires

• In any case, a splendid historical stroll through the last third of the eighteenth century guided by a draughtsman turned rogue, freemason, or accidental revolutionary. Highly recommended.

• Casavella tells us what he knows about vampires as Monsieur Deville traverses the decrepitude of the old continent and, in the embrace of a distant poet, would make his own that notion that 'if you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start'... Those were the days of Mirabeau, Robespierre, and Napoleon—a stage for glory addicts.

• I liked the premise, the plotline, and the complex portrayal it conveys of Europe at that time and of some of its places and figures: Rome, Paris, Denmark, Galicia, Madame de Pompadour, Frederick of Prussia, the Jesuits, Voltaire, Marie Antoinette... Having finished the book... I must admit it left a great taste in my mouth.

• Beyond that, overall, this is an extremely creative and entertaining work. If you overcome the initial hurdle and get used to the narrative style, this is the kind of book that rewards you for paying attention and making the effort to keep up. High-quality characters, appealing settings, humorous moments... In this book you will move at record speed through feelings of disgust, shame, laughter, and tenderness.

• This perspective of historical play has its charm, but it matters little to me: it is the blessed language, with a sentence structure that snaps the tension to applause, with the beauty of its fitting adjectives and an irony as subtle as the scene demands. And it is time: the ellipses, the leaps, and that feeling of letting oneself cascade after events.

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