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bookbelle5_17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Review of The Historian
By: Elizabeth Kostova
Our unnamed narrator is following in her father’s, Paul, footsteps by becoming a historian. She discovers a book with a dragon on it and a note from her father’s old mentor, Bartholomew Rossi, who believed he had a come across knowledge that Dracula is still alive. After Rossi disappeared, Paul goes in search of him with help from a daughter Rossi never knew existed, Helen. In the present, Paul is telling our narrator that story and when he leaves to look for her mother, our narrator goes in search of him.
This novel mixes, the Dracula mythology and history of Vlad Dracul creating a nice blend of creepiness, suspense, and deep dives into the histories of Eastern Europe. I loved the exploration into the cultures and the superstitious beliefs of these countries. We have a lot of scenes with the characters go to libraries as they try to find answers, which is fun to read, and I liked the two other professors Paul meets. The scenes where they are doing research and going to these other countries is my favorite part. Helen Rossi is a fun and feisty female character and her emotional journey is engaging to read. She is the daughter of Rossi and she thinks he abandoned her mother. I liked our leads Paul and our narrator, who are likable and relatable. The vampire aspects aren’t as prominent, but you feel Dracula and his minions are the shadow looming in the background. It is a more literary version of a Dan Brown novel. The writing is cozy and comforting to read despite the dark story.
By: Elizabeth Kostova
Our unnamed narrator is following in her father’s, Paul, footsteps by becoming a historian. She discovers a book with a dragon on it and a note from her father’s old mentor, Bartholomew Rossi, who believed he had a come across knowledge that Dracula is still alive. After Rossi disappeared, Paul goes in search of him with help from a daughter Rossi never knew existed, Helen. In the present, Paul is telling our narrator that story and when he leaves to look for her mother, our narrator goes in search of him.
This novel mixes, the Dracula mythology and history of Vlad Dracul creating a nice blend of creepiness, suspense, and deep dives into the histories of Eastern Europe. I loved the exploration into the cultures and the superstitious beliefs of these countries. We have a lot of scenes with the characters go to libraries as they try to find answers, which is fun to read, and I liked the two other professors Paul meets. The scenes where they are doing research and going to these other countries is my favorite part. Helen Rossi is a fun and feisty female character and her emotional journey is engaging to read. She is the daughter of Rossi and she thinks he abandoned her mother. I liked our leads Paul and our narrator, who are likable and relatable. The vampire aspects aren’t as prominent, but you feel Dracula and his minions are the shadow looming in the background. It is a more literary version of a Dan Brown novel. The writing is cozy and comforting to read despite the dark story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder
theworstofit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I just read the best and funniest 1 star review for this book and I agree with everything in it. I still give this book 4 stars just because it satisfied a very very niche interest of mine.
If you want to read a scary vampire story, some kind of Dracula retelling or a fast paced adventure. This book is not for you. If - like me - you love reading, research, solving mysteries by visiting old libraries and reading old books and travel. Well, this is perfect.
The structure of this book is a little complicated. Basically it's a story within a story within a story, told mostly in letters and book excerpts, spanning several decades (between 1930s and 1970s) and countries (UK, Netherlands, France, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria...). It's about the search for the grave of the historical figure Vlad III, Dracula, but also for some historians lost during their research. (Basically Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones for people who hate action. ^^v)
This book is extremely slow paced and looooong and story driven. The main characters are some of the flattest characters I've ever encountered (I had trouble remembering who was telling parts of the story because their voices were basically identical) but I loved most of the people they met on their way and got help from. And when the story is the main focus of the book, I don't mind when there is no character development. Maybe the book also could have been a little shorter by eliminating the daughters story line... completely? That didn't interest me very much tbh. And my main problem with the book was the writing. I didn't enjoy it at all. But after reading some quotes from the English original, I think the issue is with my German translation.
I get btw that the whole resolution why all of this happened in the first place was a little ridiculous. But I thought it was refreshing and I like how it explains the book title. :D (I alsway love when the book title has more than one meaning)
If you want to read a scary vampire story, some kind of Dracula retelling or a fast paced adventure. This book is not for you. If - like me - you love reading, research, solving mysteries by visiting old libraries and reading old books and travel. Well, this is perfect.
The structure of this book is a little complicated. Basically it's a story within a story within a story, told mostly in letters and book excerpts, spanning several decades (between 1930s and 1970s) and countries (UK, Netherlands, France, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria...). It's about the search for the grave of the historical figure Vlad III, Dracula, but also for some historians lost during their research. (Basically Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones for people who hate action. ^^v)
This book is extremely slow paced and looooong and story driven. The main characters are some of the flattest characters I've ever encountered (I had trouble remembering who was telling parts of the story because their voices were basically identical) but I loved most of the people they met on their way and got help from. And when the story is the main focus of the book, I don't mind when there is no character development. Maybe the book also could have been a little shorter by eliminating the daughters story line... completely? That didn't interest me very much tbh. And my main problem with the book was the writing. I didn't enjoy it at all. But after reading some quotes from the English original, I think the issue is with my German translation.
I get btw that the whole resolution why all of this happened in the first place was a little ridiculous. But I thought it was refreshing and I like how it explains the book title. :D (I alsway love when the book title has more than one meaning)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
angelicathebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Sometimes I pick my next read depending on what genre I’m drawn towards, and it’s not difficult to guess what my genre of choice was when The Historian caught my eye. Kostova’s debut novel is no doubt the book to read if you’re craving a research-heavy historical fiction—particularly if you’re passionate about 15th Century European history and Dracula lore.
The Historian is a lengthy, slow-burning type of novel. While that may not be to every reader’s taste, it’s also not a book that should be easily dismissed. The meticulous attention displayed in the historical and geographical details, coupled with the depiction of a Dracula unlike most others, makes for a fascinating read. Kostova’s thorough descriptions of the cities, in particular, are so immersive that they would ignite anyone’s wanderlust, and will make you forget about the characters’ peril.
While I found Kostova’s writing to be a joy to read, the lack of depth found in many of the characters made meant they had faded into the narrative. There were times where I couldn’t figure out who was speaking because the voices seemed so similar, especially noticeable when reading the different letters, which took me out of the story many times. The only character that was well developed, and partly why she was my favourite, is Helen, the mysterious woman Paul meets during his journey. While many of the other characters are less memorable, Helen is a witty, stubborn and self-reliant individual, even when facing death which made the novel much more compelling.
The biggest issue I had with this novel was the final resolution. Kostova’s detail throughout was my favourite part of the book, but the denouement happened so quickly that I had to re-read the short passage several times until it really sank in. After reading everything up to that point and appreciating the building of suspense and vivid detail, I felt slightly cheated. Even with the final revelation in the last few pages, for me it did not make up for the disappointment I felt when I read the novel’s pinnacle moment.
I believe that there are many different types of reader that would enjoy this novel. In terms of its classification as a thriller, readers who enjoy lower levels of suspense distributed throughout a narrative, rather than something more gruesome, would enjoy Kostova’s novel. If you prefer fast-paced, high action, extremely thrilling scenarios then this isn’t the novel to read. The ideal readers, though, are those that have such an appreciation for the study of history and everything that encompasses, and not just the period of time that Kostova explores. While I did enjoy many things about The Historian, it’s the lack of passion I have on the subject of History that makes me hesitate to read this lengthy novel again.
For more reviews like this one, go to https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
The Historian is a lengthy, slow-burning type of novel. While that may not be to every reader’s taste, it’s also not a book that should be easily dismissed. The meticulous attention displayed in the historical and geographical details, coupled with the depiction of a Dracula unlike most others, makes for a fascinating read. Kostova’s thorough descriptions of the cities, in particular, are so immersive that they would ignite anyone’s wanderlust, and will make you forget about the characters’ peril.
While I found Kostova’s writing to be a joy to read, the lack of depth found in many of the characters made meant they had faded into the narrative. There were times where I couldn’t figure out who was speaking because the voices seemed so similar, especially noticeable when reading the different letters, which took me out of the story many times. The only character that was well developed, and partly why she was my favourite, is Helen, the mysterious woman Paul meets during his journey. While many of the other characters are less memorable, Helen is a witty, stubborn and self-reliant individual, even when facing death which made the novel much more compelling.
The biggest issue I had with this novel was the final resolution. Kostova’s detail throughout was my favourite part of the book, but the denouement happened so quickly that I had to re-read the short passage several times until it really sank in. After reading everything up to that point and appreciating the building of suspense and vivid detail, I felt slightly cheated. Even with the final revelation in the last few pages, for me it did not make up for the disappointment I felt when I read the novel’s pinnacle moment.
I believe that there are many different types of reader that would enjoy this novel. In terms of its classification as a thriller, readers who enjoy lower levels of suspense distributed throughout a narrative, rather than something more gruesome, would enjoy Kostova’s novel. If you prefer fast-paced, high action, extremely thrilling scenarios then this isn’t the novel to read. The ideal readers, though, are those that have such an appreciation for the study of history and everything that encompasses, and not just the period of time that Kostova explores. While I did enjoy many things about The Historian, it’s the lack of passion I have on the subject of History that makes me hesitate to read this lengthy novel again.
For more reviews like this one, go to https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Gore
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