2 out of 4 stars
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It's Hard to Be a Vampire by Viktoria Faust, are a collection of nine stories that are full of horror and not for the weak-minded. If you want a series of short stories that are quick to read this is the book for you. Most of these stories can be read on their own even though some are of continuance.
The first story is of an overweight girl by the name of Sandra. She is already struggling with obesity as it is when she has multiple encounters with a stranger who catches her attention. This stranger is tall, dark, handsome, and rude. This stranger is a vampire that called her "fatso." He will not make her a vampire until she loses weight. Sandra goes through many struggles to reach her goal ending in a big twist.
The next story is that of an artistic nature. A young man is putting his paintings on display. These paintings are viewed as vulgar, grotesque, and savage. This story is just that. Jan's paintings are life-like as he uses the soul of his models. This story connects with "The Painting Strikes Back" where a particular painting painted in the blood of Emily Turner, and multiple models, try to undo the curse of these paintings.
I can get past the gruesome details, blood, and violence. What I couldn't accept was how the first story berated a girl for her weight. The vampire would not turn her based on the way she looked. Most of the stories seemed to have a really dark background.
Some stories go as far as turning against God. "The body of Christ was massacred on the table; blood dripped down from the white tablecloths, and the face of the martyr facing the table showed his dead eyes, without glare." Also in the "That Bloody Useless Bloodless Body!" The character wrote a book called, Jesus Christ - Satanists. It talks about how he talks to the devil in his subconscious. "In one of his stories he says that the Virgin Mary was just some Roman soldier's slut who bore him a bastard."
To even the score, I did enjoy some of the stories. There was a way of mysteriousness and wanting to know what comes next. There were several times I was hanging on the edge and surprised at the end. Sometimes I would have to take a moment and reminisce about what I just read.
There were some grammatical errors that didn't get in the way of reading. What made it hard was when the character talked in a heavy accent. The author tried to write it as the person speaks, but it just didn't flow right. The amount of vulgarity and blood was a bit much for me. In the end, I rated this book a 2 out of 4 stars. I don't suggest this book to anyone in their teens or under, anyone that would be easily offended against religious defamation, or for the weak-minded.
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It's Hard to Be a Vampire
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