Okay, now as most of your probably remember I am the proud owner of a Bachelor of the Arts in History. I like history. A lot. Like, okay, you don't understand, in first grade I decided I wanted to major in history in college. That is how fething much I love history. Despite my love of history, a book like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is normally not my cup of tea. I just have too many issues with historical fiction, especially with little inaccuracies, so I generally avoid reading historical fiction at all. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is in no way the typical historical fiction novel and I absolutely loved it.From the very start, this book starts at ridiculously awesome and just gets better from there. To be honest, if there's a slow part to this book it was the beginning with Lincoln's childhood and the non-vampire hunting parts. Fortunately the book begins to pick up steam and does not lose momentum until the book is over. I loved reading about the secret history of vampires in America and Lincoln's fight in eliminating the vampire menace from America. (Take that, Katie!) I thought the story was masterfully written by Mr. Grahame-Smith and incorporated a lot of elements I really appreciated.
Now you might be thinking, "Mr. B.A. Klapper, what elements did you appreciate specifically?" Well you see dear readers, I knew the two of you would be asking that question and I prepared to answer it. Ha-ha! Now, as you probably know, Lincoln is a huge mythological figure in American history. There are countless stories told about Lincoln to secure his status as a deity in the American Pantheon. Legends about good old Honest Abe, how he'd split rails all day long, learned to read using a piece of coal and a shovel, walking miles and miles in a snowstorm to return a borrowed book. Most to all of them have no basis in historical fact, of course, but they let the little children deify Lincoln in their mind, the man who saved the Union and freed the slaves. I found Grahame-Smith's book to be very much in the same spirit as those tall tales about Abraham Lincoln I had read when I was younger and appreciated it greatly. Also there are certain historical tidbits I enjoyed, like Lincoln's career as a flatboat crewman, which I appreciated as part of the unique history of the Midwest when it was still the American frontier.
Ultimately, I found Grahame-Smith's book to be well-researched, well-written, and to an extent even believable. And I think it's that attention to detail which really made this book great for me. The inclusion of historical images "proving" the existence of vampires in Lincoln's life was a definite bonus. Definitely a book well-worth reading, just don't expect the vampires to be the sex fiends Katie seems to like so much. These vampires are nasty, and Lincoln's come to take out the trash. Totally and utterly worth Five Sheep.
BAK
Adventurer's Rule #13: Vampires are bloody difficult to kill so make sure you do it right the first time.
