Figleaf's Real Adult Sex

On a whim, while looking for some uncharacteristic-for-me very light reading for the plane, I picked up a copy of Charlaine Harris’s Dead Until Dark, the first book in a non-gothic, non-Twilight vampire novel that’s the basis for the TV show True Blood. (I haven’t seen the show but two people in the airport bookstore said it’s not as good as the books.)

I haven’t read the Twilight series but I’ve read more than enough reviews to have a good idea what it’s about. And to suspect I wouldn’t care much for it. Harris’s book, on the other hand, while following almost the same template reads almost the opposite of what Twilight sounds like.

I don’t know if the author intends any of this but…

• The vampire doesn’t help the protagonist remain celibate. Quite the opposite.
• Rather than be physically harmed by sex with her vampire partner (it invigorates her and helps her heal faster) she’s socially harmed (and sometimes put at physical risk) for her association with him.
• Even though there are male and female vampires their power, social conventions, and ruthlessness towards humans — who till the recent development of synthetic blood were straight-up prey — things are even more patriarchal rather than less
• The exaggerated patriarchalism and paternalism of vampire society makes it easier for the reader to notice the “ordinary” patriarchy of contemporary human society.

• The protagonist uses many of the same skills to cope with vampire culture that she developed as an intelligent but lower-working class woman to negotiate conventional society

All that said she remains a part of her culture instead of particularly questioning it, being “too good” for it, or otherwise being angsty or alienated.

All that plus southern (north Louisiana) culture, murder mystery, family drama, and of course romance, danger and lust made it pretty delightful light summer or long-flight reading.

I’ve already read the second book (I stayed home with my son who’s come down what I rather pointedly hope is just a cold) and while I wasn’t as enamored of it I’ll read the next to see if I want to read the rest. But the first one was pretty good.