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152 reviews for:
Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula
Bram Stoker, John Edgar Browning, Dacre Stoker, Valdimar Ásmundsson
3.63 AVERAGE
152 reviews for:
Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula
Bram Stoker, John Edgar Browning, Dacre Stoker, Valdimar Ásmundsson
3.63 AVERAGE
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.
Too similar to the original, which also bored me senseless
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
fast-paced
Far shorter than the original, with quite a bit of literary history prefacing the story. The editors argue that Stoker likely endorsed and perhaps even collaborated with this version, as some of the plot differences track with ideas found in his earlier notes.
The first half of the story nearly matches that of the original, showing us Harker’s journey and imprisonment in Dracula’s castle. It’s more interesting and perhaps faster paced. There are more characters, and the Count’s motives and ideas are more clear; his aims come across as more political and it’s clear he’s in league with aristocrats and other prominent figures.
The second half of the story feels unfinished, more like it’s an outline that was never fleshed out. The plot points seemed more interesting to me than the original Dracula’s highly Victorian commentary on gender and virtue.
The first half of the story nearly matches that of the original, showing us Harker’s journey and imprisonment in Dracula’s castle. It’s more interesting and perhaps faster paced. There are more characters, and the Count’s motives and ideas are more clear; his aims come across as more political and it’s clear he’s in league with aristocrats and other prominent figures.
The second half of the story feels unfinished, more like it’s an outline that was never fleshed out. The plot points seemed more interesting to me than the original Dracula’s highly Victorian commentary on gender and virtue.
An Icelandic version of Dracula written by an academic scholar studying Bram Stoker. This is a more modern retelling of everyone's favorite vampire story. There's the spooky castle that the locals don't go near, a Count who keeps strange hours and sleeps in even more strange places.
It's been a long while since I read the original Dracula but I enjoyed this read. It's relatively short and the plot moves along at a good clip. There is a good economy of characters with just enough to do the job. It has all the suspense and creepiness of any modern horror novel. Lots of fun without the slog of a huge novel.
It's been a long while since I read the original Dracula but I enjoyed this read. It's relatively short and the plot moves along at a good clip. There is a good economy of characters with just enough to do the job. It has all the suspense and creepiness of any modern horror novel. Lots of fun without the slog of a huge novel.
In tutta onestà, ho preferito questa versione all'originale. Ovviamente, Dracula di Stoker resta un capolavoro - e d'altronde, questa versione non esisterebbe altrimenti. Le differenze presenti nel libro sono tangibili, in primis nel rendere il conte una figura più carismatica, terribile, oscura. Se siete fan del gotico e dei vampiri, il Dracula rimaneggiato potrebbe fare per voi.
This adaptation read a lot like a fan fiction with Asmundsson expanding on his favourite parts of Dracula’s world and sweeping his least favourite bits of Stoker’s original story (the majority of what happens in the UK) under the metaphorical carpet.
I honestly found the story behind Asmundsson’s adaptation much more fascinating than the story itself however I can imagine Dracula fans would love his unique take on Stoker’s creation.
I honestly found the story behind Asmundsson’s adaptation much more fascinating than the story itself however I can imagine Dracula fans would love his unique take on Stoker’s creation.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail