Review: “The Lair of the White Worm” – Bram Stoker

PODCAST:

S3E5B – Lair of the White Worm (book)*

SHOW NOTES:

Well, this show was fantastic. The book was weird but we managed to dig it up pretty well.

-Rick

WRITTEN BOOK REVIEWS:

Ryan: 2 1/2 Stars “…A meandering gothic tale of wormish fiends, overshadowed by a giant kite and frequent supper respites…”

Wilk: 0 Stars “…This is a very bad book and was not meant to be published. It has a worm. The worm is white….Read Dracula instead….”

Rick: 3 Stars “…This book lies in the historical cesspool of courtship to inherited entitlement and propagates paranoid racist incitement that has continued to flush over humankind through the centuries…”

 

(Click the links to read full written reviews on Goodreads.com)

FUN FACTOIDS:

Much of Bram Stoker’s life was dedicated to the support of famed Shakespearean, Henry Irving. Stoker was absolutely devoted to the actor and his exciting and vibrant career kept him extremely busy and even allowed him to travel the world, mix it up with present day celebrities and even meet political dignitaries. After Irving’s death, the author even wrote a two-volume biography on him.

The “Lair of the White Worm” was originally released in 1911 (one year before the author’s death and probably written while suffering an illness). In 1925 an abridged version came out that eliminated nearly a 100 pages. The unabridged version is available for free on Google Books as scanned in by the University of Chicago with original color illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith. You can find this version here: https://books.google.com/books?id=oX1KAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR8&lpg=PR8&dq=lair+of+white+worm+28+chapters+vs+40&source=bl&ots=5TAJSN1tCD&sig=Lr-e1gBCbwEP_vTI0H7wQUMYkIM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWvLj2jLXMAhUEsIMKHZB0A0wQ6AEIJDAD#v=onepage&q=lair%20of%20white%20worm%2028%20chapters%20vs%2040&f=false.
On the show, Ryan, mentioned that the continuous creepy flying of the enormous kite in the book by one of the antagonist. He may have been reminded of a certain Simpson’s episode:

At some point messages are sent up to this kite via kite runners. Here’s a link to an article with an illustration about “kite messengers” by Dan Beard: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/spring/kites/messengers.htm.

Lastly, we mentioned Led Zepplin’s song “Hot Dog” off the album “In through the Out Door.”

 

* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.