The Blood Countess Read-Along - Discussion One

I don't know about you, but if half of what is described about Elizabeth as a child is true, the atrocities she committed are really no surprise. Of course, she had some rather weird adults around her as well. It was a different time, when torture was common place. Ugh. 

The story so far has me intrigued...Elizabeth's story. Just wondering where it's going with Drake's story. There is quite a bit of sexual content in this book, which I wasn't really surprised by. Some of the reviews I read mentioned this. I sometimes wonder if it's really necessary. I'm no prude, but still. Ha.

What's interesting is there are not really any definitive biographies of Elizabeth. Tons of fiction. The most prominent one, which has had mixed reviews, is 

Infamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory: Second Editon by Kimberly Craft (originally published 2009, 2nd edition 2014)

In Craft's bio, "Craft has spent over a decade researching the life and trial of Countess Báthory and over a year translating original source material into English." I plan on getting this one, but it's pricey. The Kindle edition is $10. I just don't spend that much on Kindle ebooks. The paperback is high as well, so on the wishlist it goes, along with Craft's other non-fiction Bathory book, 

The Private Letters of Countess Erzsébet Báthory. This one seems more well-received in the review department. I did check my library for Infamous Lady, and I can get it through MeLCat, but it's not the second edition. I want the most up-to-date information. 

What do you think about the reading so far?

Share your thoughts on this week's section in the comments, or leave a link to a post. We'll be back next week for the next section. If you need the reading schedule, find it here.

NEWS!

Our first watch-along is going to be Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) It's available on Hulu (if you're subscribed) or Pluto TV, which is a free streaming service. I'm thinking September 24 or 25 (Friday or Saturday) around 9:00 pm eastern time. Let me know which date would work. I created a Discord for Seasons of Reading, so we will chat on there during the watch-along (typing, not video chat). Here's the invite link for our Discord: https://discord.gg/e6uAmXtGqA

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Gothic Stories Master Post 2021 #SomethingWickedFall

This is the master post for Gothic books or short stories read during Something Wicked Fall. I will be updating this post with my thoughts on stories I've read during the event. Look for the link in the menu above (Gothic Stories 2021).

I have lined up a selection of works and collections by classic authors considered writers of Gothic horror/fiction. I will be picking and choosing from works by M.R. James, Algernon Blackwood, and from this Project Gutenberg collection of works by various authors, Black Spirits and White: A Book of Ghost Stories. I'm also considering The Witch of Ravensworth by George Brewer, The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson, and The Haunted House by Walter Hubbell. This will be time permitting, of course. Oh, and I am currently reading the short story, Jerusalem's Lot by Stephen King (from his collection, Night Shift), which is the basis for the EPIX streaming series, the very Gothic, Chapelwaite. It is excellent!

Please share what you've read/your thoughts on what you've read in the comments, or share a link to your blog post.

If you continue reading Gothic stories into October, please feel free to share in the comments. I'll keep the tab in the blog menu.

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