Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Dracula by Bram Stoker

13 reviews

loveisabird's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

this is no doubt a very good book and a classic for a reason but it also gave me such a deep and bone-chilling panic attack over the inevitability of death and nothingness that i was unable to finish the last chapter and a half for over five months and have been fixated on my fear of death everyday ever since. so thank you bram stoker for that i guess. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, Blood, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Violence, and Animal death

Minor: Misogyny

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Animal death, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Stalking, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

kibbles15's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I have to admit I have been putting off reading this book because horror is not my favorite genre.  I wasn't at all sure what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised in that I actually enjoyed the book.  It did take a little while to get used to the epistolary format of the story, but once done, the story moved along fairly well.  With the exception of a few "academic" rants, I was engaged in the story all the way to the end. I highly recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Blood

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Violence, Medical trauma, and Torture

Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking

nomatophobia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Going into this, I did not expect it to be so metaphorical. I truly appreciate how blood is representative of all things surrounding love and lust. It represents whatever the scene needs it to, leading into more intricate things like abuse, innocence, and infidelity. It is a heartbreaking study that many people can relate to in diverse ways.

That being said, THIS SHIT TOOK ME SIX MONTHS TO READ! IT'S BORING AS HELL. FUCK VAN HELSING. ALL HE DOES IS CAUSE PROBLEMS. THE BOOK WOULD BE 200 PAGES SHORTER WITHOUT HIM. SCREW THIS BOOK. I LOVED ALL IT REPRESENTS BUT I HATE IT IN ITSELF. Also, Lucy Westerna, will you marry me?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

lqne's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: War, Misogyny, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

jneverland's review against another edition

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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Eating disorder, Gore, Torture, Confinement, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts

thomasdj's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Torture, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Gore, Death, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide

aardwyrm's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

It's. The one with Dracula. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Medical content, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Child death, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness

gnuoymas's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this was a slay, literally! 

dracula follows jonathan harker's diary entries to translyvania to meet the purchaser of a property in london, count dracula, at his secluded estate. cue a dissent into potential madness from Jonathan as he slowly realizes that something is afoot in this dark and mysterious (and lowkey empty like get some furniture miss dracula) castle. 

okay so i LOVED this book for multiple reasons. i loved reading the book that has been considered the beginning of our modern vampire. i can see many of the now stereotypes of a vampire that were so fresh in this book. i loved the writing!! each of the chapters were exerpts from character's diaries, news clippings, and business agreements that painted a fascinating picture of dracula: the man, the myth, the legend. at times, it even felt like a fantastical but realistic murder mystery that used deduction, wit, and intellection to catch dracula red-handed. i liked the characters too!! my favorite was probably van helsing, the eccentric dutch doctor that helps our motley crew to define truth and find answers. i also really liked mina up until she became one-dimensional, god-fearing, and subordinate to the men ://// it's a classic for a reason i guess :////

i think this book is one that can be discussed from multiple angles and perspectives for meaningful insights. as I've been reading Irish authors for my, ahem, IRISH YEAR, i have found an overarching theme of otherness being discussed in different forms. i think an interesting read of this book would be one of dracula as a foreigner rather than a threat. someone who is coming to a new country in hope of a new life, only to be ostracized, exiled, and ultimately murdered for being different. it's giving xenophobia! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Blood and Confinement

Minor: Xenophobia

rory_john14's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Child death, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Animal death, Cannibalism, Classism, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Gun violence, and Torture

Minor: Racism, Alcohol, Dementia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and War