Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Dracula

I didn't actually know the story of Dracula before reading the book, so I went in about as uninformed as one could go into Dracula (I had read The Route of Ice and Salt by Jose Luis Zarate, translated by David Bowles first though.) I also had forgotten it is an epistolary, which was a pretty awesome surprise.

Overall, Dracula is an amazing book, and it's no surprise the book has withstood the test of time. I was warned that maybe it would feel tropey, because it established so many tropes, but it didn't feel tropey to me at all. In fact, I was surprised to see that Dracula is not always the stereotypical vampire we might think he is.

I expected this book to be more of a product of its time, and while in some senses it is, it's very forward thinking, including giving a woman an important--vital, even--role (there aren't a lot of women, but the main cast is fairly small). Though compliments to women are things like "She has a man's brain...", you will find ample use of the term "g*psy" (which is to be expected for the time), and there is some racism--it's up for debate if those are Stoker's feelings or the characters at times. But even at its worst, I didn't find it appalling, just out-of-date. (Granted, their treatment of a patient at the asylum is pretty bad at times.)

From the get go, I was enthralled in this book. While it is slow, there is a lot of excitement and the climax really felt exciting and quick when push came to shove.

My biggest gripe would be that Dr. Van Helsing's dialogue and writing can be tough to read since his English isn't super strong, as well as some other accents, which Stoker insists on writing out as it would be said. The accents and dialects can be tough to read, but they're all interesting characters.

I recommend picking up either a Penguin version or another annotated version to help clear up some things less evident to modern and American readers. Plus there are all sorts of really interesting studies on the book as well as Bram Stoker.

Overall, I definitely recommend it. While it is slow-paced, the story clips along well all the same. In my opinion, a perfect balance for a slow-paced read.

Content Warnings

karenaerts's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-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

2.0

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ggcd1981's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Dracula de Bram Stoker é um dos maiores clássicos do terror, então foi uma das minhas primeiras escolhas para TBR de terror. Tinha assistido o filme fazia pouco tempo, então foi possível uma melhor comparação entre filme e livro. Devo dizer que os dois são bons a sua maneira e podem ser até mesmo complementares. O livro dá o ponto de vista dos "heróis" enquanto o filme dá o ponto de vista de "Dracula". O filme “criou” nesse ponto pois conferiu a Dracula um amor por Mina que não existe na obra original. Mas acredito que isso acrescentou de forma positiva ao personagem e ao filme.

O livro em si me surpreendeu. Gostei mais do que pensava gostar e me surpreende também em ter sido uma leitura mais fácil do que esperava para uma obra de 1897. Existiram algumas poucas dificuldades com o vocabulário antigo, especificamente quando a narradora de Mina fez menção as falas de um personagem que era um velho. Nesse trecho o sotaque feito pela narradora deixou as falas quase incompreensíveis. Mas em geral o vocabulário foi de mais fácil compreensão do que eu esperava.

A maior crítica que tenho sobre o livro é algo que já esperava, o sexismo. Porém tendo em vista que essa obra foi escrita em 1897 a presença de trechos sexistas condiz com o momento na História em que foi escrito. Na verdade, achei a personagem Mina uma personagem feminina inteligente, proativa e forte. Mina me surpreendeu positivamente.

Outro ponto positivo que quero destacar é o formato em que a obra foi escrita. A história é inteiramente contada por meio de entradas em diários, cartas, telegramas e notícias de jornal. Talvez seja ignorância minha e existem várias obras dessa época nesse formato, mas achei um formato bastante inovador e dinâmico para 1897.

Em resumo, este foi um dos melhores clássicos que li e recomendo.

Content Warnings

wordswoods's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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catearedwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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lorie336's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A classic tale with that old English.

It does take a moment to read because of old words as well as the tense it's written in, but it is a good story. There are many POVs due to letters, journal entries, etc. if you find that hard to read or dislike to read. It is in itself adventurous and yet has some horror aspects as we meet Johnathan Harker on the way to Dracula's castle. Those are some interesting chapters and this is how Stoker traps us. Two characters I find endearing are Renfield because of how Stoker wrote this character and Van Helsing who seems in need of a friend, nice gentleman who at times might have a screw loose just a little.

I do like that in this book I have loathed, which I am supposed to, the character of Dracula. He is a mere annoyance and basically a stalker and daresay a rapist if we are to believe metaphor. He is also a murderer and kidnapper of souls. Hollywood has romanticized him, but I love him still because of the different angle Hollywood gives him. The movie that comes closest to the novel is Bram Stoker's Dracula that stars Gary Oldman, Keeneau Reeves, Winona Ryder, Cary Elwes, and Anthony Hopkins. There is of course a romanticizing between Mina and Dracula in the movie, not so in the book.

I found the book a must for all in love with the vampire and its tale, but be warned there are lulls that's why I gave it 4 stars, other than that it's a classic worth reading.

Content warnings: violence, implied death of children and animals, violence to a corpse.

Content Warnings

knightbirds's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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