Gaston Leroux – The Phantom Of The Opera

Gaston Leroux – The Phantom Of The Opera [#34]  (Sphere, 1975)

“This story, translated from the French, of Gaston Leroux is the most famous of all tales of the occult written by French authors, and holds a high place in fiction of that type by authors of all nationalities. …. The story is packed with strange, apparently inexplicable happenings, mad desire, torture, murder and a suspense that cannot fail to grip the reader.”

– From Dennis Wheatley’s introduction.

The Phantom Of The Opera is Volume 34 in the Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult

Michel Parry – Countess Dracula

Michel Parry – Countess Dracula (Sphere, 1970)

Michel Parry Countess Dracula

Blurb (from Beagle edition)

The Countess was old. But she had discovered the secret of eternal youth – a secret which spread death and despair among the peasants on her estates. After her husband’s death the Countess quickly chose a young lieutenant of the Hussars to take his place in her bed.

See the Countess Dracula thread on the Vault of Evil forum.

William Hughes – Lust For A Vampire

William Hughes – Lust For A Vampire (Sphere, 1971)

Given that the film is so marvelously off the wall, this is a plodding, strangely subdued retelling which doesn’t come close to recalling the glories of the movie. I think t’s possible the fault was with me, reading it when I wasn’t in the right frame of mind, although the way the demise of a central character is skipped over in a couple of “… and then this happened” sentences suggests the author was functioning on auto-pilot.

Mind you, Mr. Hughes didn’t have tops theme song Strange Love to fall back on when the going got ‘emotional’, so he was on a hiding to nothing.

Angus Hall – The Scars Of Dracula

Angus Hall – The Scars Of Dracula (Sphere, 1971)

E. Spencer Shew – Hands Of The Ripper

E. Spencer Shew – Hands Of The Ripper (Sphere, 1971)