These past two weeks I've been reading this:
Synopsis: Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."
"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.
Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.
When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.
While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.
Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this novel. It really put a whole new spin on the life story of Abraham Lincoln. The main historical facts are all correct to my knowledge - his birthplace, slavery, the Civil War, election to the government and to the office of the President. I'm a fan of vampire stories (Vampire Diaries anyone) so I didn't think it was too crazy or far fetched. I loved the ending as I wasn't really expecting it at all. It's not an easy or particularly fun read (definitely not a happy, uplifting book), but it is a good read and I was entertained from beginning to end. The movie varies from the book quite a bit, so don't think just because you've seen the movie you shouldn't read the book!
I laugh every time I walk past this book at the store just because it blows my mind that someone came up with the idea to combine Abe Lincoln and vampires. Was the book better or the movie?
ReplyDeleteThe movie moved alot faster and didn't stick strictly to the story laid out by the book. Not that the book was bad, but I might lean toward liking the movie a little better because of those things.
DeleteIt sounds really interesting, and I would definitely read the book and see the movie. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThis is one I have really been wanting to read!!!
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