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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
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:
No
As my first epistolary novel, I found it very easy to read and with a full extent of the events throughout the novel. It is an easy, comprehensible novel who most readers will enjoy.
Un looooong récit de voyage hyper descriptif et parfois assommant. J’ai mis deux semaines à le finir. Étonnamment, le sujet du vampire est vraiment pas exploité a fond, on effleure le sujet et c’est vraiment dommage je m’attendais à plus. En revanche, plein de ref de la culture populaire qu’on comprends en lisant l’œuvre et ça c’est hyper cool (Van Helsing, Demeter, etc)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
I started this book because, and a self-proclaimed lover of classic novels, I realized I’d never read it. Scary stories are not usually my thing, especially vampires. But since this is one of the original vampire stories, I decided to give it a try. And honestly, a surprise to everyone including myself, I loved it! It’s a bit long, but the writing and storytelling is something I haven’t read in such a long time. I didn’t know the full-scope of Dracula, so reading firsthand where the lore came from was really fun. I’m not sure it’s convinced me to watch and Dracula movies or anything, but I can officially say I like the overall story!
Def slow at times and I had to reread / skip sections, but amazing for what it is. So much better than I was expecting
Told through the various diaries of our heroes, a Transylvanian Count decides to move to England, and leaves a trail of ailing and dead in his wake.
I read this in my latest vlog, where I read the favorite 2024 books of the booktubers with the most taste in common with me. Watch the video here: Reading Booktubers Best Books of 2024
I will be honest, while reading this, I didn't feel like I was interacting with this as a classic, but just as genre fiction. I didn't have any deep thoughts about its literary merit like I would normally with a classic, I was just along for the ride. And I was never opposed to the ride, but I wasn't necessarily caught up in it. I felt a distance from the actions of our characters in the epistolary format. Nothing really felt as urgent as it should have, especially given people are getting picked off. It was a bit surprising how little Dracula shows up on the page, but that didn't really go either way for me. I did really like seeing the group's trial and error of proving this is vampirism and testing the boundaries of how they can use this to their advantage. I thought for the 1890's this did respect its female characters pretty well, although they do take "damsel" roles. I listened to the Alan Cumming/Tim Curry audiobook, and I did like the performances (Cumming being the standout), even if some minor character accents were hard to decipher. But my overwhelming feeling reading this book was... not a lot of feelings at all. I didn't feel particularly connected or horrified or suspended or caught up in the story. It just didn't do a lot for me. I think I may have come to the conclusion that I am simply not a vampire person! Didn't think that'd be the case, but I haven't had much luck in the genre.
Overall, I'm glad to have finally read the story that has inspired so much pop culture (and one of my favorite books), but it didn't leave that much of a lasting impression on me.
I read this in my latest vlog, where I read the favorite 2024 books of the booktubers with the most taste in common with me. Watch the video here: Reading Booktubers Best Books of 2024
I will be honest, while reading this, I didn't feel like I was interacting with this as a classic, but just as genre fiction. I didn't have any deep thoughts about its literary merit like I would normally with a classic, I was just along for the ride. And I was never opposed to the ride, but I wasn't necessarily caught up in it. I felt a distance from the actions of our characters in the epistolary format. Nothing really felt as urgent as it should have, especially given people are getting picked off. It was a bit surprising how little Dracula shows up on the page, but that didn't really go either way for me. I did really like seeing the group's trial and error of proving this is vampirism and testing the boundaries of how they can use this to their advantage. I thought for the 1890's this did respect its female characters pretty well, although they do take "damsel" roles. I listened to the Alan Cumming/Tim Curry audiobook, and I did like the performances (Cumming being the standout), even if some minor character accents were hard to decipher. But my overwhelming feeling reading this book was... not a lot of feelings at all. I didn't feel particularly connected or horrified or suspended or caught up in the story. It just didn't do a lot for me. I think I may have come to the conclusion that I am simply not a vampire person! Didn't think that'd be the case, but I haven't had much luck in the genre.
Overall, I'm glad to have finally read the story that has inspired so much pop culture (and one of my favorite books), but it didn't leave that much of a lasting impression on me.
I wish this was a short story…
The plot itself was very fun and interesting, I liked how it was written as journal entries and how each character got to have their own special spotlight. But their relationships were so unbelievable, they all greatly loved each other but… why? I couldn’t really understand their dynamic, it felt forced.
Bram Stoker sure loves his long monologues and the excessive use of compliments. Every time professor Van Helsing opened his mouth he would go on and on and on about how the men were so good, brave and smart and the women so perfect, so angelic and fragile (despite Mina having a “man’s brain”… but I won’t even get into that).
These monologues were simply explaining exactly what we already understood of the plot and adding how every character was oh so lovable, which made them feel flatter than ever.
Despite all that, I still really enjoyed the eerie vibes and the main plot. I was surprised that Dracula as a character wasn’t all that relevant until the final chapters, his end was also a bit underwhelming but the ending of the book as a whole was satisfying enough.
I kept switching between the book and audiobook to get through it. I recommend Mike Bennett’s narration, his voice and acting is incredible!
The plot itself was very fun and interesting, I liked how it was written as journal entries and how each character got to have their own special spotlight. But their relationships were so unbelievable, they all greatly loved each other but… why? I couldn’t really understand their dynamic, it felt forced.
Bram Stoker sure loves his long monologues and the excessive use of compliments. Every time professor Van Helsing opened his mouth he would go on and on and on about how the men were so good, brave and smart and the women so perfect, so angelic and fragile (despite Mina having a “man’s brain”… but I won’t even get into that).
These monologues were simply explaining exactly what we already understood of the plot and adding how every character was oh so lovable, which made them feel flatter than ever.
Despite all that, I still really enjoyed the eerie vibes and the main plot. I was surprised that Dracula as a character wasn’t all that relevant until the final chapters, his end was also a bit underwhelming but the ending of the book as a whole was satisfying enough.
I kept switching between the book and audiobook to get through it. I recommend Mike Bennett’s narration, his voice and acting is incredible!