Edited and cross posted from my personal blog, Pretty Pessimist.

Rather than doing homework last night, I decided to curl up with a book and while the night away. Very irresponsible! I could have been writing my Gatsby paper, which is due tonight, or reading Euripides' Helen for Thursday's class, but I couldn't bring myself to do either, preferring instead to escape the chores ahead of me with A. Mordeaux's Bathory: Memoir of a Countess. I read the entire thing, all 232 pages, in about four hours.

At this point, I'd like to preface my review by saying that ever since I discovered and ordered the book on Amazon, I've been very eagerly awaiting its arrival. When I got half of my shipment from Amazon early and this book wasn't in it, I was really disappointed, and when it finally did come, I could hardly contain my excitement. I was able to put off reading it in favor of finishing Kushiel's Avatar, Sappho, and Gatsby, but only barely. I've been looking for a good book about the Blood Countess and this one seemed like it might be just what I'd sought after, so I was eager to devour it.

I've never been so disappointed by a book in my entire life.

From Amazon:

"The legend of Elizabeth Bathory has captivated generations, but her true persona eludes many. She has been called the most renowned serial killer of her time, accused of torturing and murdering more than 600 people. Conflicted, wanton, and sadistic in nature, was Elizabeth the result of generations of inbreeding? Was she a twisted byproduct of an archaic environment? Or was she merely a victim of a political conspiracy? Travel back in time and explore her story, told in her own voice, and discover the many facets of Countess Elizabeth Bathory."

This is the product description, not a review, but it helps to put things into perspective. Elisabeth Bathory was a murderess of the highest caliber, believed to have bathed regularly in the blood of both servant and aristocratic virgins to sustain her youth. She wasn't just a killer, she was a sadistic torturer, as well. This is not a sympathetic character, though she is a fascinating one. So, if anything good could be said about this book, it's only that the story is interesting, but is a story not of the authors devising. History gives us this character and her tale.

**Includes spoilers beyond this point**