Varney the Vampire

Name: Varney the Vampire
Author: Thomas Preskett Prest
ISBN: 9781787361812

Author: Thomas Preskett Prest
Series: Sacred World
Language: English
Length: 1152 pages
ISBN: 9781787361812
Published: 5 April 2025
Imprint: Adelphi Press

Vampyre
Vampire
Fantasy
Magic
witch
witchcraft
occultism
mystic
mystisism
vampires

All titles

Description

"Varney the Vampire" by Thomas Preskett Prest is a seminal work of Gothic horror that introduces one of literature’s earliest vampire antiheroes. The story follows Sir Francis Varney, a mysterious and charismatic figure cursed with immortality, as he preys upon the Bannerworth family. Filled with suspense, romance, and moral ambiguity, the tale explores themes of guilt, redemption, and humanity’s darker impulses. Serialized in the 19th century, it blends atmospheric dread with social commentary, influencing countless vampire narratives. A precursor to modern horror, this epic work captivates readers with its intricate plot, rich characterizations, and eerie exploration of life, death, and the supernatural.

Author

Thomas Peckett Prest (c. 1810–1859), sometimes styled Preskett Prest, was an English penny-dreadful writer linked to Varney the Vampire and The String of Pearls — the Sweeney Todd tale of the demon barber of Fleet Street. Cheap print, high shock: Prest helped invent the urban gothic serial that Victorian readers bought by the week and modern horror still remembers.

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