A Fragment is the beginning of a story by Lord Byron.
The Vampyre is a short story by John William Polidori.
Finished on: 17.1.2019
My edition of Frankenstein included the other two stories written in the course of the famous literary competition in Geneva – a story that remained a fragment by Lord Byron and another story by John William Polidori that was first thought to be by Byron, too.
Byron’s fragment tells the story of two men going on a trip, when one starts to grow continuously weaker.
It is absolutely fantastic, moody, atmospheric and it is infuriating that he never finished it. I have no idea how he would have concluded the story and I need to know.
Polidori’s story also tells of two men. Lord Ruthven is an impressive and charming nobleman who meets Aubrey, a wealthy orphan. The two go traveling together, but there is something different about Ruthven as Aubrey soon learns.
Polidori’s writing is far from being as polished as Byron’s but the ending is rather effectful (and at least there is an ending, Byron, you sucker).