The Vampire

Władysław Reymont was a celebrated Polish author, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1924. His exploration of human nature and societal struggles is widely cited as the source of inspiration for George Orwell's Animal Farm.

The Vampire marks Reymont's foray into the horror genre. Set in early 20th-century London, the novel follows Zenon, a Polish émigré whose once-idyllic life takes a dark turn as he becomes entangled in the world of spiritualism. At the urging of a friend, Zenon attends a séance, where he meets the enigmatic Daisy, a woman recently arrived from India, accompanied by the Hindu Mahatma Guru and a black panther named Bagh. Drawn irresistibly to Daisy, Zenon ignores the warnings of his friends, who caution him about the destructive influence she will have on his life. As his obsession with her deepens, Zenon’s world becomes increasingly consumed by the occult’s seductive power, and the consequences of his involvement with Daisy spiral into the terrifying unknown.