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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hmm… how shall I say this? Dracula is one of those classics that actually made me realize: you don’t have to read every classic.
The beginning is strong — that eerie castle, Jonathan Harker’s dread, and of course, Count Dracula himself. It’s the root of every vampire story we’ve ever gotten since, and Dracula is such a powerful presence. Which is why it’s such a shame he’s barely in it. Most of the book isn’t about him at all, but about the group determined to destroy him. I wanted more of the Count and less of the chase.
And then there’s Mina. She’s written as this almost too perfect woman — kind, clever, endlessly selfless. Watching her unfold was like watching a butterfly trapped in a glass case. I kept wishing she had been written by a woman instead.
The pacing… honestly, it was a slog. A true snail’s pace. The timeline and structure dragged for me, and at some points I had to force myself to keep going. It ended up taking me a whole month to finish — the longest I’ve ever spent on a single book (granted, life was happening too, but still).
Do I respect Dracula as a cultural cornerstone? Definitely. Am I glad to say I’ve finally read it? Yes. Will I ever reread it? Probably not.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lengthy but fulfilling. There are some really memorable moments in the story that really kept me on my toes. Everybody is a huge sweetheart and I think I might have a fat crush on quincy morris
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A very good classic, and a really fun read, it was at times intense and thrilling but very slow, they spent a lot of time planning, the book could have been a lot shorter and have had the same chilling effect! All in all would recommend reading! It was a sensual dark romance and very relaxing to read to wind down as the dusk draws in
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3,75
Miał być ulubieniec, wyszło rozczarowanie.
Dalej mogę to polecić.
Długo zastanawiałam się, co myślę o tej książce i nadal się zastanawiam. Początek podobał mi się niezwykle i nie mogłam się doczekać, by skończyć książkę i zobaczyć, jak akcja się rozwinie. Niestety, po przeczytaniu odnoszę wrażenie, że początek obiecał coś, czego końcówka powieści nie dała rady spełnić. Oczekiwałam epickiego starcia, napięcia i akcji, a dostałam umoralnianie (przy czym samo ono mi nie przeszkadzało, ale ile można?!), rozwleczenie „napięcia” i rozwinięcie akcji na dwóch stronach powieści. Gdzie to obiecane niebezpieczeństwo?
Wiele razy podczas czytania chciałam wręcz cofnąć się o wiek lub chociaż pół i nie wiedzieć, jakim stworzeniem jest Dracula, by książka mogła być jeszcze bardziej zaskakująca, obrzydliwa i kontrowersyjna. Co ciekawe, życzenie to tylko spowodowało, że jeszcze mocniej doceniłam powieść. Gdyby ten poziom utrzymał się przez całą książkę, dostałaby ona 4,5 gwiazdki. Niestety, ostatnie 80 stron jest moim zdaniem całkowicie niepotrzebne, a van Helsing mógłby się raz na jakiś czas zamknąć. To, co powiedział przez 10 stron, mogłoby się zmieścić w jednym akapicie. Rozczarowałam się, niestety, bo po pierwszych rozdziałach myślałam, że będzie to ulubieniec.
Miał być ulubieniec, wyszło rozczarowanie.
Dalej mogę to polecić.
Długo zastanawiałam się, co myślę o tej książce i nadal się zastanawiam. Początek podobał mi się niezwykle i nie mogłam się doczekać, by skończyć książkę i zobaczyć, jak akcja się rozwinie. Niestety, po przeczytaniu odnoszę wrażenie, że początek obiecał coś, czego końcówka powieści nie dała rady spełnić. Oczekiwałam epickiego starcia, napięcia i akcji, a dostałam umoralnianie (przy czym samo ono mi nie przeszkadzało, ale ile można?!), rozwleczenie „napięcia” i rozwinięcie akcji na dwóch stronach powieści. Gdzie to obiecane niebezpieczeństwo?
Wiele razy podczas czytania chciałam wręcz cofnąć się o wiek lub chociaż pół i nie wiedzieć, jakim stworzeniem jest Dracula, by książka mogła być jeszcze bardziej zaskakująca, obrzydliwa i kontrowersyjna. Co ciekawe, życzenie to tylko spowodowało, że jeszcze mocniej doceniłam powieść. Gdyby ten poziom utrzymał się przez całą książkę, dostałaby ona 4,5 gwiazdki. Niestety, ostatnie 80 stron jest moim zdaniem całkowicie niepotrzebne, a van Helsing mógłby się raz na jakiś czas zamknąć. To, co powiedział przez 10 stron, mogłoby się zmieścić w jednym akapicie. Rozczarowałam się, niestety, bo po pierwszych rozdziałach myślałam, że będzie to ulubieniec.
Really surprised how well this holds up! Still really exciting and spooky. But if this came out more recently, I think it'd be half as long... and probably for the best!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
I finally read Dracula — and now I fully understand why it’s considered a classic. Honestly, beyond its reputation, it’s just an incredible book to experience. The prose is surprisingly fluid, detailed, and immersive for a novel written in the 19th century. It pulls you in immediately and never really lets you go.
What struck me most is that Dracula isn’t a romance (so many later adaptations make it one). Instead, it’s a pure Gothic fantasy horror, steeped in atmosphere, dread, and suspense. This is storytelling at its most elemental: dark castles, mysterious strangers, creeping shadows, and the terror of the unknown.
The format is one of the book’s strongest elements. Rather than being told from a traditional third-person POV, the narrative unfolds through compiled documents: diaries, letters, telegrams, newspaper clippings. Through Jonathan Harker, Mina Harker, Lucy Westenra, Dr. Seward, Van Helsing, and even glimpses of Quincy Morris, the story feels almost real — as if you’re piecing together an actual archive of events. The voices blend seamlessly, and yet you always feel the distinct personality of each character.
Bram Stoker truly deserves the title “father of vampire literature.” Dracula has set the tone for every vampire story written since, but even after more than a century, it remains powerful, eerie, and original.
If you love Gothic fiction, vampires, or just classics that hold up beautifully, Dracula is a must-read. For me, it’s one of the best vampire novels ever written — and one of my favorite Gothic fantasies, period.
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
I finally read Dracula — and now I fully understand why it’s considered a classic. Honestly, beyond its reputation, it’s just an incredible book to experience. The prose is surprisingly fluid, detailed, and immersive for a novel written in the 19th century. It pulls you in immediately and never really lets you go.
What struck me most is that Dracula isn’t a romance (so many later adaptations make it one). Instead, it’s a pure Gothic fantasy horror, steeped in atmosphere, dread, and suspense. This is storytelling at its most elemental: dark castles, mysterious strangers, creeping shadows, and the terror of the unknown.
The format is one of the book’s strongest elements. Rather than being told from a traditional third-person POV, the narrative unfolds through compiled documents: diaries, letters, telegrams, newspaper clippings. Through Jonathan Harker, Mina Harker, Lucy Westenra, Dr. Seward, Van Helsing, and even glimpses of Quincy Morris, the story feels almost real — as if you’re piecing together an actual archive of events. The voices blend seamlessly, and yet you always feel the distinct personality of each character.
Bram Stoker truly deserves the title “father of vampire literature.” Dracula has set the tone for every vampire story written since, but even after more than a century, it remains powerful, eerie, and original.
If you love Gothic fiction, vampires, or just classics that hold up beautifully, Dracula is a must-read. For me, it’s one of the best vampire novels ever written — and one of my favorite Gothic fantasies, period.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was kinda strung out, but I liked it. I thought that Van Helsing's ramblings were funny, but only after I'd swam through them in a drugged manor. Overall, though, it was pretty okay.