Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Dracula by Bram Stoker, Sparknotes

68 reviews

adventurous dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a great way to present the Dracula novel in audio form. I started with a good chunk to catch up on and finished in just about real time. Really well done audio, and some awesome, often corny original songs added into the mix - I say corny with the utmost love.
I do have critiques of the novel itself, like how the doctors consider Lucy's receiving a blood transfusion from more than one man as polyandry/as a slight to her reputation, marking her as a whore. The male main characters also fall into the exact same pitfalls as Victor Frankenstein when he destroys his creation's half made wife and fully disregards the possibility of revenge harming anyone beside himself, leading to the death of his betrothed. In them killing and redeeming Lucy after Dracula had made her a part of his harem in his slow killing of her, how could they not suspect Mina would be in danger of the same fate as her best friend while living next door to the vampire? I did enjoy the "dracula polycule" moments in the book, as is related to the sexualization of Lucy Westenra, especially since John, Quincey, and Arthur remained close and devoted to each other even after Lucy's death. 
Overall, wild book from start to finish, while also somehow managing to be boring often.
I need to read this again, in its book form.

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Not any better on a second read. I don't think Stoker's intention was what I took away from this book...that the carelessness, arrogance, and ignorance of men very much enables violence against women to persist. Mina's "unclean" and then physical mark of her assault by Dracula was so disturbingly close to how some rape victims feel that reading that part was horrifying. Rampant sexism and antisemitism are also hard to take. I give it some points for atmosphere, and I have enjoyed many of the classics I have read. This one just isn't for me.

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The book's main fault is that it's a classic; as such you know the entire time what is going to happen, the majority of Dracula's powers, and are not surprised at any turn. The story also absolutely drags as the author discusses train schedules, characters' availability, and travel more than actual action that drives the plot forward. I could not finish this in text and needed to listen to it on audiobook to move forward. I enjoyed the story while actually reading it, but was not compelled to pick it up again the following day(s) to finish the book.

The acts of killing are also strangely sudden (being a few paragraphs at most) compared to the human deaths that take place over multiple chapters. Between that and the sections of nothing but planning travel - the pacing some of the worst I've ever read as the author focuses on mundane information of the world rather than plot. 

However, that all being said, I still enjoyed the main story beats. I would recommend an abridged version.

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Diverse cast of characters: No

Overall, I enjoyed this much more than I expected I would. The last ~100 pages were such a slog for me to get through. 

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adventurous emotional 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: Complicated

When I read one of "the classics," I pause and remind myself that I'm about to step into a different time with different people who held different and sometimes/often offensive beliefs. A "classic" may not be a good story with good characters, but instead may be a good window into the time and place it was written and set in. And "classics" are also saddled with the moniker of being "over-hyped." With this in mind, I can firmly say that I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula! I didn't feel like I was stepping into a totally unfamiliar world because Stoker is descriptive without making the reader feel bogged down with details or flowery descriptions. I think the characters, while quite overwrought, were fully fleshed out *rim shot* people, and I'm pleased to say that this includes the women! Dracula is very much worth the hype. I can see why it's maintained cultural relevance and why its tropes and themes remain popular after 127 years. I was waiting for the mythical "right" time to read this book, and I'm glad I got to enjoy it during spooky season!

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

This was a lot different than I'd expected it to be, but I still had fun reading it!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

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