Abraham Lincoln - The Vampire Hunter

I completed yesterday a book Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith, published by Grand Central Publishing New York/Boston, in March 2010.

When I saw the book in the new book category on my last visit to the library over here, I was little perplexed with the title, since I had not heard of President Lincoln having ever been a Vampire Hunter. The title made me pick up the book for reading. I took up this after completing Cleopatra, which was a slow reading one.

This is a book of fiction, and writer's imaginations is really worth praising. Imagine any Indian writer portraying an Indian icon like Gandhi or Jawahar in the role of hunting demons or thuggees. Would have raised the hackles of not only their supporters, but also of the GOI.
In this book, Lincoln is portrayed as a Vampire Hunter, and he continues to hunt vampires almost till the his entry into Presidential House in Washington on March 4th 1861. The author has interspersed the chapters with Abe's life and the travails he went through in his march to being President of the USA, and the measures he took to abolish slavery, and proclamation freeing negroes from subjugation and slavery in southern states. In the story Abe is aided by a vampire in the annihilation of vampires, who masquerade as responsible citizens of various cities.
The family life and his parents and siblings as also his first love, and
also his wife and children are also written about. One of his sons was reportedly killed on account of a vampire after he became a President.

The author obtains the information and all details about Abe the Vampire Hunter, from 10 ten leather bound books, reportedly handed over to him by one Henry, who also happens to be the good vampire, who regularly sent messages to Lincoln, containing the name of the Vampire he has to hunt. The hunting started after the death of Lincoln's mother, who he believed was the result of a vampire. The main weapon for hunting was an Axe finely sharpened which could pierce through an heart if thrown from even 25 feet, and Abe is reported to have perfected the art of piercing the heart of vampire by just one throw.
It is believed that for over 250 years, between 1607 and 1865, vampires thrived in the shadows of America, and they are reported to have come from Europe. The author at the end writes about the vampires having left the shores of America, and emigrated to Europe and some other countries where the vampire hunting was not common.

An interesting book to read if you can lay your hands on a copy in India.
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