Reviews with content warning for Death - Dracula

I never had much interest in reading Dracula until I read Frankenstein earlier this year. Much like my experience with that book, I was braced for campiness rather than genuine source material. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I ended up enjoying it.

Told from multiple POVs as well as multiple writing mediums, the story conveys the terrors caused by Count Dracula. A large portion of the book focuses on his victim Lucy and the efforts to keep her out of Dracula’s clutches. The rest is dedicated to the study of the count and the pursuit to put an end to him altogether.

The different writing styles threw me off in the beginning. I couldn’t latch on to the story until it came to scenes with Mina and Lucy. For me, that’s when the story began. Before then I struggled to discern who each of the characters were. I could differentiate Lucy and Mina right away but the men took much longer.

I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere the most. I can’t do modern horror, but I’m finding that I have an interest in some of these classics. It’s also interesting to see the original characters who have since become commonplace in media and more often than not spoofed and made comical.

Content Warnings

willow1113's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

tayaingrid's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Content Warnings

intertsellaerose's review against another edition

Go to review page

I found the first half very interesting, particularly Jonathan’s stay with the Count as well as the letters between Lucy and Mina and the business with the wrecked ship was exciting.

However, after Lucy’s death I think it just became really quite boring for me.

I do enjoy the old style of writing (it’s very satisfying to read) but it does reallyyyy go round the houses. I also sorely disliked Van Helsing with his self righteous explanations and just ughhh.
But whatever. I did actually mainly enjoy Dr Seward’s chapters about Renfield, and his relationship with Mina was sweet.
Overall I think it’s a good one to read as a classic and some of the characters make it worth it, but I just couldn’t stick it out anymore lol

Content Warnings

zbrebis's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Very entertaining to read one of the first story about vampires. If you like when rich men are depicted as cruel, evil monsters, you'll love this gothic classic.

Content Warnings

jonwood's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is really good, I was surprised, but 'Dracula' reads surprisingly modern and I really enjoy the prose of the journal entries. I'll say the book does fall flat a bit when characters, especially Van Helsing, deliver dialogue in a rather purple-ly prose sort of way that is hard to take seriously at times, does undercut serious moments. Most of the suspense is undercut by popular knowledge that Dracula is a vampire, but despite back, this enjoyable like any well-crafted story, and as Dracula is more of a tertiary character, that doesn't impact the experience too much (at least for me) as the book is more about these characters reacting to his presence than Dracula himself. Highly recommend, and if you aren't one for horror, I still think this is rather readable and enjoyable, it's not that scary, more a supernatural adventure.

Content Warnings

kurumipanda's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...