Vlad

By Carlos Fuentes

"Vlad" is Vlad the Impaler, of course, whose mythic cruelty was an inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. In this sly sequel, Vlad really is undead: dispossessed after centuries of mayhem by Eastern European wars and rampant blood shortages. More than a postmodern riff on "the vampire craze," Vlad is also an anatomy of the Mexican bourgeoisie, as well as our culture's ways of dealing with death. For—as in Dracula—Vlad has need of both a lawyer and a real-estate agent in order to establish his new kingdom, and Yves Navarro and his wife Asunción fit the bill nicely. Having recently lost a son, might they not welcome the chance to see their remaining child live forever? More importantly, are the pleasures of middle-class life enough to keep one from joining the legions of the damned?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
• Release date: Jul 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781564787804

Carlos Fuentes

Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012). Connotado intelectual y uno de los principales exponentes de la narrativa mexicana, cuya vasta obra incluye novela, cuento, teatro y ensayo. En ella destacan La región más transparente (1958), Aura (1962), La muerte de Artemio Cruz (1962), Cambio de piel (1967), Terra Nostra (1975), Gringo viejo (1985), Cristóbal Nonato (1987), Diana o la cazadora solitaria (1994), Los años con Laura Díaz (1999), En esto creo (2002), Todas las familias felices (2006), La voluntad y la fortuna (2008), Adán en Edén (2009), Carolina Grau (2010), La gran novela latinoamericana (2011) y Personas (2012). De manera póstuma, se publicaron en Alfaguara Federico en su balcón (2012), Pantallas de plata (2014) y, en coedición con el Fondo de Cultura Económica, Aquiles o El guerrillero y el asesino (2016). Recibió numerosos premios, entre ellos: Premio Biblioteca Breve por Cambio de piel, 1967; Premio Xavier Villaurrutia, 1976, y Premio Rómulo Gallegos, 1977, por Terra Nostra; Premio Internacional Alfonso Reyes, 1979; Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en Lingu?ística y Literatura, 1984; Premio Cervantes, 1987; Premio Príncipe de Asturias, 1994; Premio Internacional Grinzane Cavour, 1994; Legión de Honor del Gobierno Francés, 2003; Premio Roger Caillois, 2003; Premio Real Academia Española en 2004 por En esto creo; Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica, 2008; Premio Internacional Don Quijote de la Mancha, 2008, y Premio Formentor de las Letras, 2011.

Book preview

Chapter 1

"I wouldn’t trouble you, Navarro, if Dávila and Uriarte were available. I’m not going to call them your inferiors—subordinates sounds better—but neither will I forget that you are a senior partner, primus inter pares, and so are higher ranked in this firm. I am entrusting this task to you because, first and foremost, I consider this a matter of utmost urgency . . ."

Weeks later, when the awful adventure had ended, I recalled that, at its beginning, I had chalked up the absence of Dávila and Uriarte to luck. Dávila was off on his honeymoon in Europe, and Uriarte was tied up in a judicial embargo. As for me, I was neither going away on a wedding trip, nor would I have ordinarily accepted the work, appropriate for a lawyer just out of school, that our boss had delegated to our indefatigable Uriarte.

But I respected the decision of my elderly employer and appreciated the meaningful intimacy of his trust. He had always been an uncompromising man whose decisions were final. He was not in the habit of asking anyone for advice. Although he was tactful enough to listen attentively to his co-workers’ points of view, he replied with orders. And yet, in spite of what I just said, how could I ignore the peculiar circumstances by which he’d acquired his fortune? His status as a rich man was recent enough for him still to be considered new money, but even that new money, thanks to the gravitas of its owner, felt every bit as old as his eighty-nine years and tied to the history of an already buried century. His wealth was largely a result of the obsequiousness (or the moral flexibility) with which he had served (and risen in his service of) successive governmental administrations during his long years in Mexico. Suffice it to say he was an influential man.

I must confess that I never saw my boss behave submissively to anyone. I could only guess at the inevitable concessions that his haughty gaze and already curved spine had been forced to make—over the course of his career—to politicians who could hardly be said to exist at all beyond the six-year span of a president’s term. He knew perfectly well that political power was fleeting; the officials did not. They prided themselves on having been named ministers for six years, after which they would be forgotten for the rest of their lives; whereas the admirable thing about the distinguished Don Eloy Zurinaga, Esq., was that for sixty years he had known how to slither from one presidential administration to the next while always landing on his feet. His strategy was quite simple. Throughout his career, he never fell out with politicians because he never once let them glimpse the inevitability of their political greatness dwindling to a future of insignificance. Few saw past the superficial courtesy and empty praise of Eloy Zurinaga’s ironic smile.

As for his attitude toward me, I quickly accepted that if it did not behoove him to display any new loyalties, this was because he never demonstrated any lasting affection to anyone or to anything. That is, his official conduct was professional: honest and efficient. It can only remain a matter of conjecture whether that honesty was genuine and that efficiency just a type of tyranny, and whether both qualities combined into a mask necessary for survival in the swamp of political and judicial corruption. If Licenciado Zurinaga never quarreled with a government official, that was probably because he’d never much liked any of them. He didn’t need to say this. His life, his career, even his dignity confirmed it.

A year had passed since Mr. Zurinaga, my boss, had become housebound. In all that time, nobody at the firm ever dared imagine that the physical absence of the man in charge allowed for slack behavior, tardiness, or idle jokes. On the contrary, in his absence, Zurinaga felt all the more present. He seemed to have issued a warning: Be careful. At any moment I might show up and surprise you. Watch out.

More than once during the past year, Mr. Zurinaga had telephoned to announce his imminent arrival in the office. Although he never showed up, on each occasion a holy terror put the entire staff on high alert, leaving us all on our best behavior. And then, one morning, an individual who seemed identical to the boss came into, and a half hour later left, the office. The only reason we knew it wasn’t really him was that in the course of that half hour, Mr. Zurinaga telephoned a few times to issue instructions. On the phone that morning, he spoke in a decisive, almost dictatorial way, without entertaining a single question, remark, or response. Then, without allowing for so much as an acknowledgment, he hung up. Word spread that the individual in the office couldn’t be the boss after all, and yet, when he walked out, seen from behind, he was tall and stooped over, just like the absent lawyer. He was dressed in an old polo coat with its lapels lifted to his ears and a totally out-of-fashion black-and-brown felt hat from which two uncontrolled white tufts of hair burst like the wings of a bird.

The walk, the cough, and the clothing were all the boss’s, but this visitor, who entered the sancta sanctorum of the office with such nonchalance that nobody stopped him, was not Eloy Zurinaga. The joke—if it even was a joke—didn’t leave any of us laughing. Quite the opposite. The appearance of this double, specter, or look-alike—whatever he was—only made us feel unease and anxiety.

Because he no longer came into the office, my meetings with the lawyer Eloy Zurinaga, my boss, took place at his home. From the street, a skimpy and miserable garden led to an equally miserable, collapsing set of stairs to the great house. He lived in one of the last remaining Porfirian mansions, as they’re called, in reference to the dictatorship of General Porfirio Díaz, specifically the period from 1884 to 1910, our pretend belle époque. For some unknown reason, no one had torn down the mansion, unlike the rest of the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, which has been razed to make way for office buildings, condominiums, and shops. One needed only enter the large, ramshackle two-storied house, crowned with a mansard roof and atop an inaccessible cellar, to understand that the lawyer’s entrenchment was not a matter of will so much as

[juva_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A revisiting of the Dracula mythos this time in the setting of Mexico City. The protagonist works in finance for a eccentric and reclusive man. One day, he is approached by his employer to arrange a financial matter for a friend who will shortly be immigrating to the area. He wants a house found for him and certain specific and odd construction projects carried out. Since the protagonist's wife is a realtor, this will be an easy project.

Shortly after the new tenant is in residence at the house, strange things begin to happen. The protagonist has bizarre and horrifying visions. His wife and young daughter go missing. Soon he finds them both at the house of the new arrival, Count Vlad. It seems that the protagonist has been the victim of a conspiracy. His life has been purchased by the count and his family will be taken from him.

This reflection upon death, life and afterlife is start and disturbing. It plays out like a dream, or a nightmare in which the protagonist is born from event to event without autonomy or recourse. This story is haunting and inexplicable.

[MH · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Vlad is a story of horror and mystery that gradually unfolds and keeps you captivated, nervous, and alert the entire time. The treatment that Fuentes gives to the vampire in this novel is admirable, excellent when compared to what contemporary literature has done to these mythological beings. The author takes the most important and notable elements of these characters in classic literature and adapts them to a new lifestyle and modus operandi. For those who have read Dracula by Bram Stoker, you will feel the same atmosphere of mystery, that almost poetic terror that conveys varied emotions as you progress through its pages. (Translated from Spanish)

[Mane MH · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A twist on the story of Dracula, but this one takes place in Mexico (or Mexican Dracula as I say haha). I find the idea very original, and the truth is that Carlos Fuentes' prose is captivating and at times distressing (and even repulsive too). He is a genius at conveying sensations. I only have one criticism of the ending, which I find very abrupt; I believe the work had much more potential. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lectorasinrumbo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is a vampire in Mexico City. He needs your blood. He wants your life. He desires the people you love. And he will not take just that from you.

Isn't Mexico City, with a population of 10 million inhabitants and a police force that doesn't care about a couple of missing persons, the ideal home for a modern vampire?

In the last novel written before his death, Carlos Fuentes proposes a reexamination of that character whose mythical cruelty inspired Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.

An old European aristocrat, Count Vlad Radu, settles in a mansion resembling a monastery in Mexico City with his daughter. After enduring centuries of wars and a shortage of human blood in Europe, he has decided to move across the Atlantic Ocean and reestablish his empire. Although to do so, he must hire the services of Yves Navarro, a lawyer, and his wife Asunción, a real estate agent who bears a mysterious resemblance to a woman portrayed in an old photograph... (Translated from Spanish)

[olyopiza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining, gripping.... I hope a Vlad like that doesn't arrive in any city during this time, because I would be terrified to go through what Navarro, the protagonist, experienced.

A version of vampires in Mexico City. (Mexican vampire ??). Mr. Fuentes, with his pen, undoubtedly captures, although the story could be said to be predictable, the narration immerses and grips in a very particular way.

The illustrations at the end of each chapter seemed great to me.

There were a couple of metaphors I didn't understand, for example, the one about the squirrels?... mmmmm.

Recommended!! (Translated from Spanish)

[burritapal · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nice count Dracula story that takes place in D.F. I'm amused with the way that Fuentes treats love. Navarro and his wife supposedly had such passion (so he thought), yet she let him know differently. The only thing is, I'm not sure about the ending. Was there a vampire bat waiting for him in his BMW?

[fabio.escudero · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A twist on the story of Dracula, but this one takes place in Mexico. I find the idea very original, and the truth is that Carlos Fuentes' prose is captivating and at times distressing (and even repulsive as well). He is a genius at conveying sensations.

To some extent, it reminded me of his other great work, Aura, because of the aura of mystery and that feeling of claustrophobia.

I only have one criticism of the ending, which I find very abrupt; I think the work could have gone much further. (Translated from Spanish)

[Aricita · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a literary gem we have before us, and one could expect no less from Carlos Fuentes, who surprised us with "Vlad."

When I encountered this book, I thought: is Mr. Fuentes trying to create his own Dracula? But nothing of the sort; with the versatility and good writing of the author, one can expect anything. The truth is it was clever. Had you imagined a vampire in the city of Mexico?

Although "Vlad" references "Dracula," the two books have nothing in common; for starters, the former is a short novel and carries significant social and political critique.

Carlos Fuentes undoubtedly surprised more than one reader; but as he himself said in an interview, “I always start with a theme and I don’t know where I am going. I pass from surprise to surprise, fortunately, otherwise it would be very boring.” And thus, Count Vladimir Radu, a vampire, appears, moving from the Balkans to the populous city of Mexico "where there is much blood to suck," according to Fuentes himself.

This was the last novel written before his death, and Carlos Fuentes offers us a revision of that character whose mythical cruelty inspired Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.

To top it off, our beloved writer reveals, through this short yet solid tale, his knowledge about vampirism, myths, and legends. Vladimir, the Impaler, and Prince of Wallachia is the source from which he constructs his dark character.

Vlad is a fantastic novel, of psychological horror in which the writer does not shy away from using ruthless language to generate atrocious and repulsive images that shake any reader; but it also possesses, in its plot, a philosophical vein, where free will and the choice of a destiny are present in its outcome.

The Mexican writer does not rely on a Van Helsing to save the world but leaves all the responsibility to his protagonist, Yves Navarro.

Critics have said:

"If you like vampire stories and your blood boils seeing what these terrifying beings have become, this short novel will restore your faith in the genre." -Soho Magazine-

"Vlad is a short novel that you start reading at nine at night, finish at ten, and leaves you wide-eyed until eight in the morning." -Xavier Velasco-

"Breaking the cliché of the good, pretty, handsome, and also romantic vampire, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes brought to life 'Vlad,' a bestial, cruel, and ancient vampire who will intrude with truly dark intentions into Mexico City." -El Economista- (Translated from Spanish)

[SeanRV · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very well-written novel. An update of the old Dracula legend where we learn about human fears and the needs of the beast, about how it got there. 400 pages are not necessary to write a great novel, and this is a clear example. So short, intense, and well-structured that you can devour it in a couple of long hours. (Translated from Spanish)

[CARI TEJE · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's true that it starts with some similarities to Dracula, but as you continue reading, it becomes VLAD by Carlos Fuentes.
God... that ending!! What an ending.
Happy with my reading. (Translated from Spanish)

[Jotunheimer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this narrative, Carlos Fuentes does something similar to what Mariana Enríquez attempts with her works: extracting terror from Gothic themes and European rhythms and Americanizing it. But while the author takes it to the outskirts or the city of Buenos Aires, Fuentes brings it to his native Mexico.
The story is simple and well-known, that of Count Dracula, but with much less involvement from the secondary characters and a different resolution. Do not expect a copy or just a local flavor. It is a different story and should be treated as such. Perhaps the only downside is its length. It is so brief that it does not qualify as a short novel but, perhaps, as a very long short story. (Translated from Spanish)

[March Delgado · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was going to be my last review of 2020, but... I am left with so much unease inside that I can't close this strange year like that, I need something to ease that discomfort, I want something that allows me to say goodbye on a good note.
Written in the first person and in the past tense, the book has exquisite prose, so that it is frightening without the need for anything extraordinary, just with the plot in which a few characters dance, who don’t need to reveal themselves more than they already do. To that, we add illustrations that made my brain want more and more, but my heart rejected them.
I am a fan of vampires, I watch, read, everything I can about them, and just when I think I know it all, this comes along and shatters everything.
Impressive and highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

[Maribel Calle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My second encounter with Carlos Fuentes and he remains at the top of my favorites. He has once again provoked the same satisfaction in me that I felt with Aura, and the feeling upon finishing it was one of admiration and gratitude for the time well spent with his reading.

On this occasion, Fuentes da us a story in which he presents a vampire who moves away from the old continent to land in a different time and context: Mexico in the present.

Various themes are also addressed, such as love, passion, the eternal discomfort of losing a loved one, but it also tackles the big questions of life, such as death, immortality, time, etc.

It also constitutes an excellent critique against the government, with frequent allusions to its intention to control, submit, and take advantage of all citizens.

The hallmark of his narrative style remains vivid in the tale, such as its structured and measured rhythm, the combination of the comic, ironic, and tragic; his narrative is elegant, intelligent, nuanced by a suspenseful story that surprises until the end and invites reflection on its meaning.

I liked how he links the story being told with the story of Vlad, how he comes to become who he is and what he is.

Definitely, it is a very good work narrated by an excellent storyteller. (Translated from Spanish)

[Rominaia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Vlad is a reimagining of Dracula set in Mexico City.

The story is told in the first person by Yves Navarro, a young lawyer tasked by his boss to find a house for a friend returning from Europe: Count Vladimir Raid, Vlad to his friends.
Situations will begin to twist, putting our character between a rock and a hard place, at the mercy of Vlad.

Carlos Fuentes once again dazzles us with his prose. As we delve deeper into his pages, the narrative becomes more horrifying.

It's a dark and oppressive novel with a surprising ending, about which I obviously won't say anything, just that everyone will have their own theory. We read it in a group and there were many different theories.
A short, intelligent, and interesting book.
I recommend it.

⚠️⚠️⚠️ If you liked my review or that of any other user on ALIBRATE, the like goes in the big heart next to where it says "Did you like this review?" ? in case of doubt in both hearts. Thank you ???? (Translated from Spanish)

[gonzurdon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A short story, very powerful yet delicate at the same time. The most beautiful thing about this reading is the very particular way it is written; the hand of the brilliant writer is absolutely noticeable everywhere, and the feeling is that no one could have done it this way, with this little internal music between the paragraphs. I felt a bit lost in the first lines, but I quickly got in tune, and if I could have, I would have read it in one go. I recommend it to you, my friends! (Translated from Spanish)

[JorgeMXQRO · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Vlad" is a short novel, wonderful and disturbing, filled with suspense, psychological terror, eroticism, and political reflection.

It is the story of a vampire whose stay in Mexico City generates a series of intriguing events, triggering a fascinating novel.

Carlos Fuentes showcases excellent narrative skills, writing just enough to create horrific and repulsive images that shake any reader. In the background, he subtly manages a satire against the prevailing political system of the time.

The ending is fantastic with a philosophical nuance where free will and the choice of a destiny are present. (Translated from Spanish)

[ArmandoVelsquez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a good story; short, but substantial.
Our friend Vlad changes his grazing place and arrives in Mexico, where during his possession of the place he confronts our protagonist with a moral dilemma.
The reading is quite comfortable and unfolds quickly. The ending is one of those that may or may not be; for my part, and at the risk of not being completely sure, I lean towards the resolution of our attentive and kind companion @maren. (Translated from Spanish)

[angelillo1510 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The theme and the writer seemed very attractive, even the book cover, but as I progressed, I stopped believing it. I get the impression that it is a book written in a hurry, as if Don Carlos was already tired or something like that (of course, this does not change my immense admiration for him; I consider him one of the best Mexican writers). By the way, the synopsis they provide here is not entirely accurate. (Translated from Spanish)

[Bocabeille · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This story is truly scary, but it's the kind of fear rooted in everyday life that gives you insomnia, terror, and anxiety about losing what you love most or discovering that your perfect reality is a facade that crumbles and that you were deceived. That power is fragile and a simple girl, a partner, a friend, or a client can change everything and show you that in the end, despite all your influence, you are at their feet. The uncertainty of no longer having control.

I don't know if I want to find three legs on the cat, if I can't read between the lines, or if it's just Carlos Fuentes narrating a true vampire in an era when melancholic types were abundant. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know what to think of the book. I enjoyed a lot of things, but I was left feeling very "meh" about the ending. Ahh, I'm a bit indifferent about this. (Translated from Spanish)

[jonfaith · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A woman's hand in black gloves offered me the platter of organ meat. I felt revulsion, but my manners required that I take a bit of liver from here and a bit of tripe from there. . .

Yves Navarro finds himself a slave to class and upbringing throughout his encounter with the supernatural, this occurs to his detriment. Likewise the reader owes a debt to Fuentes and gives him a few passes. I know this reader did. There is a core of a good novel here. Details about the health and attentions of Fuentes at the time of Vlad aren't readily availible. Fuentes did more than most to inform my sense of history 20 years ago. I can forgive an afterthought of a novel devoted to one's homeland becoming a failed state. I know that disappointment if not the pain. There are few surprises here. There are also splashes of genuine color and history.

[bibliophile_pgh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Definitely a quick read. A great book about a vampire living in Mexico City from one of my favorite authors.

[laura400 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fast-paced and humorous novella that is also a genuinely scary vampire story for adults. For Fuentes, this is a trifle, but he enjoyed trifles. The book captures his humor, his sense of fun, and his love for pop culture. Like the best of pop culture, it is thought-provoking, as Fuentes considers the compulsion to escape the ultimate convention -- mortality.