RE: The Barnabas Collins Book of the Night Club!

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Hey, gang,

Did you ever wonder what Barnabas did to pass the time of night on those occasions when he wasn't "quenching" his "thirst"?

Well, since we all know that Barnabas eschewed all of the "modern conveniences" in the Old House, maybe he spent a considerable amount of time by curling up in a chair in the Old House drawing room, and reading a good book by candlelight (just like he probably did during those cold winter nights in Maine during the late 18th century)?

Now, Barnabas did have a selection of books, albeit a rather small selection, in that bookcase in front of the secret room in the Old House.  So, perhaps he borrowed any number of books from Mrs. Stoddard's voluminous library in the great house of Collinwood?  Then again, perhaps he also sent Willie Loomis into town regularly, so that Willie could request the latest book releases at the Collinsport library or to purchase both books and magazines at Collinsport's local book store?  (Maybe Barnabas even became a regular subscriber to such respected magazines as National Geographic, Time and, possibly, National Lampoon?)

Of course, after being locked up in that coffin for so many years, Barnabas had a heck of a lot of catching up to do.  I'd have to think that Barnabas would want to read a cross section of works, encompassing history, fiction and world travel.

Here are a few titles I think that Mr. B. would enjoy reading at about three in the morning in the Old House:

1. "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy - coming in at 1388 pages long.

2. "Shogun: The Epic Novel of Japan" by James Clavell - coming in at 998 pages long.

3. "The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - with four novels and 56 short stories coming in at over 1000 pages.  (Note: The Strand Magazine began publishing Sir Arthur's stories about the world's most famous consulting detective in the late 19th century, so Barnabas might have read some of these works after he I-Chinged back to Collinwood in 1897, and Judith or Edward just happened to have the Strand Magazine lying about in the drawing room at Collinwood.) 

4. "Truman" by David G. McCullough - coming in at 1117 pages long.  Being an astute student of history, both American and European, perhaps Barnabas would enjoy reading Mr. McCullough's superb biography of "Give "Em Hell" Harry Truman.  (I venture to say that we could also use a truly great leader like Harry Truman today, but I digress.)

5. "Noble House" also by James Clavell  - coming in at 1370 pages.  Mr. Clavell's novel dealing with contemporary Hong Kong would probably keenly interest a former sea captain like Barnabas, who had traveled much of the known world in the 18th century.

Can you think of any other  books, preferably long ones, which might interest Barnabas and help him "make it through the night," so to speak?

Bob

[Uncle Roger]

Had it been written at the time, Barnabas probably would have dismissed Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot as unrealistic.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Had it been written at the time, Barnabas probably would have dismissed Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot as unrealistic.

Ah yes, great point about Barnabas' fellow Maine resident, the prolific Steven King!!!

However, I can see both Prof. Stokes and Willie Loomis being faithful Steven King readers.  (Although, Willie would probably have to hide the books until daylight when Barnabas was taking his customary "siesta.")

[Uncle Roger]

Vicki or Maggie would probably have to keep after David to put the book down and do his schoolwork. And you just know he would be reading them after lights out

[DarkLady]

If Barn could wait until 1974, he might also like The Power Broker, Robert Caro's Pulitzer Prize–winning bio. of Robert Moses, all 1,246 pages of it. And then of course there's Caro's continuing series on LBJ, which probably runs into tens of thousand of pages by now.

Barn could also read about all the wars he slept through, beginning with the War of 1812. And more books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than about anyone else in history except for Jesus.

I'll bet Stokes would read Stephen King for laughs, but I'm sure Willie would take it all very seriously.

I can totally see David reading Mad magazine under the covers!

[dom]

QB
VII

for Barn, just because.

[Gerard]

He would definitely want a set of encyclopedias (World Book, since it has more pictures than Brittanica) just so he could "catch up" with almost 200 years and figure out how things now are and how they work.

Gerard

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Barn could also read about all the wars he slept through, beginning with the War of 1812. And more books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than about anyone else in history except for Jesus.

I'll bet Stokes would read Stephen King for laughs, but I'm sure Willie would take it all very seriously.

DarkLady,

Just think of how many highly informative television programs Barnabas could have watched if he had only installed electric power in the Old House: "Biography," "The 20th Century," "Victory at Sea," "The World at War," "Sister Wendy's History of Art," Rick Steves' Travels Through Europe," "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," etc. etc.

Somehow, I don't think that Barnabas would especially like reading Bram Stoker's "Dracula," or Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire," or any of Steven King's occult-oriented novels.

As to the eminent Prof. T. Elliott Stokes, for a man who knows practically everything about witches, I-Ching and Parallel Time, the good professor always impressed me as being virtually ignorant of the possible existence of vampires.  So, maybe reading "Salem's Lot," just might clue the venerable professor into those allegedly "thirsty" creatures of the night?

[DarkLady]

Ha ha ha! Maybe Barn had Willie rig a wire so he could siphon off just enough power from the Great House to run a TV set in the basement. Who knows, he might even get a VCR in so Willie could tape the soaps and Judge Judy for his evening viewing. He probably wouldn't much care for True Blood or Vampire Diaries, though.

For all that Timothy Elliott Stokes seems to know about almost everything, his total ignorance about vampires is a really big ol' blind spot, isn't it. 

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Ha ha ha! Maybe Barn had Willie rig a wire so he could siphon off just enough power from the Great House to run a TV set in the basement. Who knows, he might even get a VCR in so Willie could tape the soaps and Judge Judy for his evening viewing. He probably wouldn't much care for True Blood or Vampire Diaries, though.

For all that Timothy Elliott Stokes seems to know about almost everything, his total ignorance about vampires is a really big ol' blind spot, isn't it. 

Yes, that's a great idea about Willie "borrowing" some power from the great house of Collinwood in order to hook-up a television set.  I've always thought that Wilie must have missed watching tv tremendously once he started to "work" for Barnabas.

At least, with that tv set, Willie would be able to catch the late, great Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" every night.  I mean, even if Mr. Carson bombed during his opening monologue on the show, he was still extremely funny with his ad-libs tap-dancing, etc. 

And maybe Willie would be able to catch the occasional Boston Red Sox, Celtic, Bruin or the then-Boston Patriots game on the boob tube as well?

As to Barnabas, I wonder if he just happened to be passing by the Collinsport Cinema in town at night, and the title of some film up there on the marque caught his eye (with some flick like "Rosemary's Baby" or "Barbarella" being featured that week), if Mr. B. just might de-materialize behind the movie house and re-appear inside the place in a dark and discreet part of the theater, and check-out the film?    

(Can you imagine if Barnabas happened to see "Bob and Carol, and Ted and Alice" at the Collinsport Cinema?)

Incidentally, Prof. Stokes apparently knew about the existence of werewolves because I recall him saying something to Dr. Hoffman just after Barnabas had I-Chinged his way back to 1897, by offering some profound words about how Barnabas, in addition to saving David and Amy, might also find a solution (or cure?) for poor Chris Jennings' "problem." 

Although, we never heard the good professor broach the subject of Chris Jennings again after Mr. B. returned from 1897 to the present.  So, go figure.

[Uncle Roger]

Professor Stokes is the Ludwig Von Drake of Collinsport.

[Janet the Wicked]

In one of the Karlenzine stories, Barnabas spends a lot of time pacing around upstairs. A very interresting concept seen through Willie's eyes that shows how lonely Barnabas really was.

[Patti Feinberg]

Well, I don't remember how many pages, but I remember Stephen King's "Insomnia" as quite the long novel.

As was SK's "The Stand", which I cannot picture Barn reading....

I believe at some point (we're going with the 1970s timeline, right), that Barnabas would have become quite preoccupied with all aspects of the "War of Northern Aggression" (aka Civil War).

I truly believe any books on Theodore Roosevelt (but absolutely NOT the 'other' Roosevelt) would've held some fascination also.

(For those of us old enough to remember, can you imagine! Barn reading or seeing the flick "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds"?? Boggles the mind. Or, "The People Next Door"!!

far-effin' out man
Patti

PS...good topic Bob

[DarkLady]

In one of the Karlenzine stories, Barnabas spends a lot of time pacing around upstairs. A very interresting concept seen through Willie's eyes that shows how lonely Barnabas really was.

Wow, that does sound interesting.