Erica Manfred

When I read that this book was going to be a cross between Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire and Mel Brooks, I thought it would be very funny and interesting at the same time.

Since this was suppose to be an interview with a vampire, I feel disappointed that I didn't learn a lot about our main vampire, Sheldon. I learned even less about his vampire brother. Other than mentioning the brother, he don't actually 'meet' him at all in the story.

The main female lead, Rhoda, had a 'Woe is me' thing going on and whined about everything that happened in the whole book.

I did not find this book overly amusing. As a matter of fact, I didn't find it amusing at all. There were a lot of Jewish terminology used in the book. Mostly it was used in a derogatory name-calling way. Maybe I just wasn't open minded enough to let it slide.… (más)

Rhoda is 41 years old, overweight, Jewish and looking for a Jewish man to settle down with after her marriage broke up and she’s had a series of poor relationships since then. Just her luck that the first man who seems interested isn’t a man at all – he’s a vampire. But at least he’s Jewish. And he’s into her – zaftig and all.

Dating a vampire isn’t easy, especially not a vampire in an orthodox community when you’re anything but. Rhoda has to work through her own personal insecurities as well, as someone who has been through the wringer a few times already, it’s hard to be so invested in someone who is so very different; Rhoda flails between worry about their relationship to desperately trying to make it work even while Sheldon has to deal with his own family and friends.

And then there’s Rhoda’s mother with the heart condition. She has to go through yet another horrendous surgery or she won’t live much longer – and at 81, that surgery doesn’t look too safe. Unable to stand the thought of life alone, Rhoda makes the leap into seeing her mother – and her friends “the goils” become a vampire and join the Golden Grandmas – a network of elderly vampire women.

But while undeath brings her mother a new lease of life and energy, allowing her to throw herself into activities she hasn’t enjoyed in decades, it also brings with it a disturbing blood lust, a hunger that drives her to the darker side of life and death. And one that leaves bodies in its wake – and the possible attention of the vampire authorities

There is a wonderful sense of Jewish culture – Rhoda and her family and contacts are all very real people who live their culture and carry it with them at all times. It’s in their language, their food, their family bonds, their history and their understanding. It’s funny without being mocked, heavy without being stereotyped. It’s used for in community jokes but never outside mockery. It’s funny, it’s witty and the characters are extremely real and natural. The characters make this book.

We also have some fascinating conflicts – Sheldon being torn between his fellow Hasids and fellow vampires, whether Rhoda, a non-kosher, non-practicing Jew would fit in with such a traditional, orthodox family and, of course Goldie, Sheldon’s golem who is determined to see him settle down with a nice, orthodox, Jewish vampire. I’m also really disappointed with how Goldie was handled, especially since she’s clearly a stand in for Sheldon’s mother. I would rather have had reconciliation rather than the future wife having to kill her future mother-in-law for the wedding to even happen.

Read More… (más)

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

This story moves fast and it's cute and funny. There are moments when storyline is inconsistent, but in general you forgive just to sit back and enjoy the silly. Come on, a Jewish vampire???

Sheldon was turned by the infamous Vlad, himself. He talks about how Vlad was anti-Semitic and thought it a great joke to turn a Rabi into a vampire. Joke was on him when Vlad was staked, and Sheldon lived peacefully among the villagers. Now, after having lost his amassed fortune in a ponzi-scheme, he works nights as a diamond cutter and lives with a group of jewish vampires.

My favorite part, Rhoda is a plus size woman just like me. And truthfully plus, not bad-joke plus. And having someone desire you, is such a confidence boost, even if the guy is a vampire. She also sees a way to save her ailing mother, when she just can't bear the thought of losing her only family.… (más)

I was talking to my sister on the phone and told her I was reading Interview with a Jewish Vampire.

"Oh? Is it scary?" she asked.

"Well, if you were an elderly person turned vampire and you had dentures, it might be?" I went on to explain some of the other situations that the vampires and the humans who loved them faced The sound of her laughter on the phone was the sound she makes when tears are coming to her eyes, she was laughing so hard.

I seldom actually laugh out loud when reading, but I definitely did on this one. It wasn't just funny, but also a heartfelt story about love, relationships, the fear of growing old, death and loss. The characters are well developed from somewhat shy, out-of-date, definitely hot in spirit if not in body temperature Sheldon, to neurotic and desperate Rhoda. There is also a cast of unexpected characters helping and hindering along the way -- the old ladies, witches, transvestites, drug dealers and bloodsuckers anonymous.

Of course the vampires in this book are a resourceful bunch and find solutions to all sorts of problems that are often overlooked when considering the undead --like how do Jewish vampires keep kosher? That's an important question especially when Sheldon (name changed to protect the not so innocent) is a nice Jewish boy who is also the Rabbi to a group of Hasidic Jews and has a Golem who thinks she's his Jewish mother. Rhoda, a 41 year old divorced and overweight journalist, who meets Sheldon on J Dates starts out interviewing him and they fall in love. But then there's her mother, her last relative, who is dying. Can Sheldon be of help?

I enjoyed Manfred's style. Her descriptions are visual and just enough to get the reader into the scene. She handles her characters with much warmth and of course, humor. There are sexual situations -- a lot of sexual situations, but they are not graphic, and often funny. I found Rhoda worrying about her house keeping habits while having sex on the floor because she's getting dust bunnies on her tush hilarious.

I highly recommend this book!… (más)