Review: A Taste of True Blood

A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger's Guide by Leah Wilson

Pages: 262, paperback

ISBN: 9781935251965

Publisher: SmartPop

Release Date: June 29th, 2010

Genre: non-fiction / essays/ anthology / paranormal / vampires

Source: library

Premise:

True Blood, Alan Ball’s critically acclaimed television adaptation of Charlaine Harris’ bestselling Southern Vampire mysteries, is HBO’s most-watched show since The Sopranos, averaging over 12 million viewers an episode in its second season. Thanks to its large, dedicated fanbase, it won the People’s Choice “Favorite TV Obsession” award in early 2010.

A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide gives those fans something to savor between episodes—and whets their appetite for more. Covering the show’s first two seasons and released just in time for the third...

...A Taste of True Blood also includes a quick reference guide to the show’s first two seasons.

(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: Book Depository / Amazon

I wish I could write an essay-length review on each of the essays in this book, but that would just be going overboard, and would probably bore you all to death. Instead, I'll just keep this review short and sweet (which would seem to be a first for me...) and post a small summary on some of the essays that I found to be worth mentioning.

Now, before I start, I just have to add that I'm a massive fan of the show, True Blood. And I'm a fan of the book series (I've only read the first two, though. Whoops...). I love everything about it, how it's a good trashy show that I can watch when I'm in a bad mood; and how you can watch it with an analytical eye and see the social commentary in terms of treatment of minorities (in particular, gays) in today's society.

Some essays I loved most:

- Vampire Porn [Daniel M. Kimmel] discusses the grotesque opening title that we've all grown to know and love (or loathe), analysing different themes depicted in the 90 seconds, like racism, bigotry, sex, and the setting of the south. It's given me a whole new insight to the opening title, and I no longer shy away from the graphic parts, instead, looking at them with awe and a critical eye.

- SOOKEH! Bee-iil! [Maria Lima] is the second essay, and addresses how Bill Compton went from hot to not. Totally hilarious, will keep you wanting more. I mean, even that title is hilarious.

And while I can't remember the name of the essay, the last one is written by Ginjer Buchanan, the editor of the Southern Vampire Mysteries series, and talks about the differences between the show and the books, where each season spans for 12 hours, yet manages to perfectly reveal everything that happens in the books, all the while slowly taking on a new direction (for example, the inclusion of Tara as a main character in the show, whereas she was just a very minor character in book 2).

If you're a fan of the series, or just really like seeing social commentaries and analyses of TV shows, then this book is for you. Topics range from Freudian theories to Marxist theories to the Southern setting. And while I don't always agree with the essays, I find that it does give me a new perspective on the show.

Rating: 4/5 stars