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147 reviews for:
Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula
Bram Stoker, John Edgar Browning, Dacre Stoker, Valdimar Ásmundsson
3.62 AVERAGE
147 reviews for:
Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula
Bram Stoker, John Edgar Browning, Dacre Stoker, Valdimar Ásmundsson
3.62 AVERAGE
Fun, but ultimately does not hold up
Many of the changes in the text, including extra characters, are fun. But, for me, the changes in format halfway through the book- the switch from the fun presentation in faux journal entries, recording dictations (Dr.S's phonograph), and newspaper quotes- to a general 3rd person just don't do justice to the original. Also, the flow of switching perspectives, balanced in the original rather nicely, makes the journal to typical 3rd person authorial just feel ungainly.
Still, just the situation of no one realizing for decades that this "rogue translation" existed is ridiculously amusing, and I am glad I got to read it.
Many of the changes in the text, including extra characters, are fun. But, for me, the changes in format halfway through the book- the switch from the fun presentation in faux journal entries, recording dictations (Dr.S's phonograph), and newspaper quotes- to a general 3rd person just don't do justice to the original. Also, the flow of switching perspectives, balanced in the original rather nicely, makes the journal to typical 3rd person authorial just feel ungainly.
Still, just the situation of no one realizing for decades that this "rogue translation" existed is ridiculously amusing, and I am glad I got to read it.
Part one is fun, though not really *that* much of a departure from the original to justify a standalone edition in my view, but part two is basically just an outline. I guess the Icelandic translator ran out of steam, or…didn’t know there was a second half?
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
The first 70% of the book are a great read, pacy & exciting. Then around the 75% mark this suddenly turns into a really bad google translate jon that is painful to read. No idea why. It’s like they never thought anybody would read to the end.
Icelandic Dracula is... so Icelandic (managed to fit in troll and elf references), more political, but less queer. The first half has a lot of floor plans; the second half is abridged. Overall, an enjoyably strange read.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is really a must-read for Dracula lovers.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading Dracula and then reading this is quite fascinating. It's like the author tried to compensate for the weaknesses of Stoker's work but overdid it. And it seems he realized he was running out of time after expanding chapter 1 so roughly abridged the rest of the book.
Chapter 1 is quite good, the replacement of the three sisters with the cousin (with an actual backstory!), the hints of rituals, and the extended exploration of the castle all feels better than the original. I wish he had kept some elements of the original, the inexplicably abandoned corpose was a poor replacement for the baby and distraught mother scene.
There is no point reading beyond chapter 1, it's a large disappointment. A lot of the edition I read is annotations and notes from the (Icelandic to English) translator which, while I'm sure would be interesting to some, wasn't why I was reading.
Chapter 1 is quite good, the replacement of the three sisters with the cousin (with an actual backstory!), the hints of rituals, and the extended exploration of the castle all feels better than the original. I wish he had kept some elements of the original, the inexplicably abandoned corpose was a poor replacement for the baby and distraught mother scene.
There is no point reading beyond chapter 1, it's a large disappointment. A lot of the edition I read is annotations and notes from the (Icelandic to English) translator which, while I'm sure would be interesting to some, wasn't why I was reading.
This is a fun read for the scholarship. The introductions are well worth the time, even if I feel there was too much emphasis on reconstructing Castle Dracula (if you're into that, the work will shine for you). The second half reads like a draft, or like someone retelling a story they heard while leaving out all the details. Footnotes are mostly about the translation (good for language nerds), divergences from Dracula and Castle layout notes.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No