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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
3.25
Some credit Stoker with penning the classic Mummy monster in much the same way he paved the way for popular vampire lore with Dracula. The book (spoiler) doesn't actually contain the walking dead wrapped in cloth, however, and follows an entirely different structure to Dracula. If you come to Jewel of Seven Stars expecting a similar level of epic, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's an extremely slow burn and much more minimalist. Most of the book takes place in a single home, or even a single room. We have a small cast of characters that are mostly concerned with the bizarre and mysterious circumstances in which an Egyptologist is attacked. It is moderately spooky, but mostly intellectual, with a through line of doomed romance (or not, depending on which ending you read).
I enjoyed the story, and I have a lot of respect for Stoker's knowledge on the subject matter and his attention to detail in conveying the themes he wants to convey. I found the challenging of traditional monotheistic ideals with the threat of a far less benevolent polytheism particularly interesting, and the allusions to hypnosis and soul possession make for unnerving omens. I do think that Stoker chose to focus a little too much on some of the more trivial details, however. Summarise the plot for someone and it will sound compelling, but the execution is unnecessarily drawn out. The original ending, which remained unavailable for a shocking 80 years, is definitely preferable. It is also open to interpretation, and a little puzzling. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it, but I'd say that it nibbles at my mind in a way that the best of horror often does.
Some credit Stoker with penning the classic Mummy monster in much the same way he paved the way for popular vampire lore with Dracula. The book (spoiler) doesn't actually contain the walking dead wrapped in cloth, however, and follows an entirely different structure to Dracula. If you come to Jewel of Seven Stars expecting a similar level of epic, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's an extremely slow burn and much more minimalist. Most of the book takes place in a single home, or even a single room. We have a small cast of characters that are mostly concerned with the bizarre and mysterious circumstances in which an Egyptologist is attacked. It is moderately spooky, but mostly intellectual, with a through line of doomed romance (or not, depending on which ending you read).
I enjoyed the story, and I have a lot of respect for Stoker's knowledge on the subject matter and his attention to detail in conveying the themes he wants to convey. I found the challenging of traditional monotheistic ideals with the threat of a far less benevolent polytheism particularly interesting, and the allusions to hypnosis and soul possession make for unnerving omens. I do think that Stoker chose to focus a little too much on some of the more trivial details, however. Summarise the plot for someone and it will sound compelling, but the execution is unnecessarily drawn out. The original ending, which remained unavailable for a shocking 80 years, is definitely preferable. It is also open to interpretation, and a little puzzling. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it, but I'd say that it nibbles at my mind in a way that the best of horror often does.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
dark
mysterious
fast-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
A few months ago I was in the bookstore looking for a rather bulky edition of the complete Bram Stoker novels, that I used to have quite awhile ago but in terms of space, they took up a lot and almost need to be read while sitting at a desk. There was actually a Stephen King novel I read while sitting at my desk. Because I can't glean how they manage to print the Bible's 1600 pages in slim, concise format. It's almost like, magic.
"For in the highest Heaven is Faith; and Doubt hangs over the yawning blackness of Hell."
Like Zoinks! Mummies are so underrated. Though out here, THE Johnsons, as a family, might make a pitstop at THE THING, a museum and gift-shop outside Tucson city limits. They also had a fortune teller. I didn't really find the mummy to be impressive, more gruesome, like hey! A preserved corpse! The kemetics really thought that by wrapping a cadaver in gauze, as persae being frozen in a glacier, could bring the subject to present day or something like the most primitive trial at time travel. I can't imagine living 2,000 years ago, before couches and chairs. If I astral project I can see almost the urgency of the time period, like the necessity to lay down laws and build, and so many stars and their constellations were so visible back then. Stoker referenced the Pole Star between Draco and Ursa Major. I am thinking of an asterism called The Coat Hanger, is an abortion of 6 stars, not exactly 7. Buuuuut ...
Alnilam, Alnitak, Mintaka, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Saiph, and Rigel. An 7 star asterism. Now the mummy queen in the novel has 7 fingers on her hand, so that indicates a Nephilim. I'm told that the Nephilim have 6 or 7 fingers. Not a genetic deformity like cattle and chickens. In the heyday of World of Warcraft, you might raid some troll villages and break out the canopic jars. Souls of trolls were trapped in them.
"...and there is no other life in all the world so happy as my own."
"For in the highest Heaven is Faith; and Doubt hangs over the yawning blackness of Hell."
Like Zoinks! Mummies are so underrated. Though out here, THE Johnsons, as a family, might make a pitstop at THE THING, a museum and gift-shop outside Tucson city limits. They also had a fortune teller. I didn't really find the mummy to be impressive, more gruesome, like hey! A preserved corpse! The kemetics really thought that by wrapping a cadaver in gauze, as persae being frozen in a glacier, could bring the subject to present day or something like the most primitive trial at time travel. I can't imagine living 2,000 years ago, before couches and chairs. If I astral project I can see almost the urgency of the time period, like the necessity to lay down laws and build, and so many stars and their constellations were so visible back then. Stoker referenced the Pole Star between Draco and Ursa Major. I am thinking of an asterism called The Coat Hanger, is an abortion of 6 stars, not exactly 7. Buuuuut ...
Alnilam, Alnitak, Mintaka, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Saiph, and Rigel. An 7 star asterism. Now the mummy queen in the novel has 7 fingers on her hand, so that indicates a Nephilim. I'm told that the Nephilim have 6 or 7 fingers. Not a genetic deformity like cattle and chickens. In the heyday of World of Warcraft, you might raid some troll villages and break out the canopic jars. Souls of trolls were trapped in them.
"...and there is no other life in all the world so happy as my own."
A really good story with a terribly disappointing end.
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The 1912 ending was fantastic! Loved the vibe this book left.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.8
I enjoyed this story a lot. I saw the comment about the two endings and read the mising one. Both endings are enjoyable. You can almost mood-read the ending!
I enjoyed this story a lot. I saw the comment about the two endings and read the mising one. Both endings are enjoyable. You can almost mood-read the ending!