Booknote: Vampire Haiku

Ryan Mecum, Vampire Haiku. Cincinnati, OH: HOW Books, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-60061-772-0.

Genre: Poetry
Subgenre: vampires, horror, humor, Gothic
Format: paperback
Source: I bought this (on clearance) from Half Price Books

This is a poetry narrative that combines  horror and humor.

William Butten was on the Mayflower on his way to the New World. En route, another passenger, Katherine, turns him into a vampire. From there, we get Butten's story of three centuries or so of his life in America. He decides to keep a journal, documenting his life in haiku verses. From the American Revolution to the 20th century, Butten feeds and witnesses various events, big and small, of U.S. history.

The story combines  horror, a little romance, a bit of a Gothic feel here and there, and a nice dose of humor. The author really manages to keep the classic 5-7-5 syllables haiku structure throughout, which adds to the book's charm. I did have some mixed feelings about the ending, like the author changed his mind in midstream, but in the end, things turn out well.

Overall, it is a charming little book. For history fans, you may finally get some answers to previously "unsolved mysteries" like what really happened to Amelia Earhart. For true vampire fans, this will be entertaining as well. In the end, I really liked it.

4 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2017 Reading Challenges: