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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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Genocide
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Could've been shorter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
hopeful
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Amazing voice acting and sound design that really enhanced the story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Antisemitism, Medical content, Murder
has content warnings in the beginning of each podcast episode
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would've liked and it's the lowest gothic classic I've read.
Reading it alongside the audiobook definitely helped getting through it and added to my enjoyment. But I do think this was too long. There are about 100 pages that could've been cut, mostly after the situation with Lucy (which was my favorite). I also will never forgive Bram Stoker for having only two female characters and both of them spend 90% of the sections talking about how brave the men were and how fragile women were and how much women needed men. Mina Harker has an entire journal entry where all she talks about is how brave the men are and how frail she is. Like girl, huh??? I also want to erase "man-brain" out of my head or how the Doctor said that Mina was so smart that she had the same brain as a man - implying heavily that it is an uncommon thing for women to have thoughts and opinions.
Obviously, I am aware of the time that this book was written. This type of narrative - and the Christian fiction that was present on the last 70 pages - is a given. What makes his book iconic is the re-introduction of vampires in pop culture and how it became a catalyst for the vampire stories we have today. Bram Stoker brought vampires back to the mainstream basically. And he delivered in creating a villain. Dracula is appalling and without morals. The heroes felt flat for me for the most part but I still enjoyed their arc.
Overall, it delivered on what it promised but took time to do so.
Reading it alongside the audiobook definitely helped getting through it and added to my enjoyment. But I do think this was too long. There are about 100 pages that could've been cut, mostly after the situation with Lucy (which was my favorite). I also will never forgive Bram Stoker for having only two female characters and both of them spend 90% of the sections talking about how brave the men were and how fragile women were and how much women needed men. Mina Harker has an entire journal entry where all she talks about is how brave the men are and how frail she is. Like girl, huh??? I also want to erase "man-brain" out of my head or how the Doctor said that Mina was so smart that she had the same brain as a man - implying heavily that it is an uncommon thing for women to have thoughts and opinions.
Obviously, I am aware of the time that this book was written. This type of narrative - and the Christian fiction that was present on the last 70 pages - is a given. What makes his book iconic is the re-introduction of vampires in pop culture and how it became a catalyst for the vampire stories we have today. Bram Stoker brought vampires back to the mainstream basically. And he delivered in creating a villain. Dracula is appalling and without morals. The heroes felt flat for me for the most part but I still enjoyed their arc.
Overall, it delivered on what it promised but took time to do so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Suicidal thoughts
Note: Since this is a gothic horror novel, I tried to add content warnings but may have missed some.
I finally read this and went into it, not really knowing what the “original” vampire folklore is because our society has been so saturated with undead fantasy. It was great to read this (and I knew that Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla was one of Stoker’s inspirations for this) going in fairly blindly. The story was suspenseful and I loved that it was told strictly from journal entries, so quite a few different POVs. Poor old Van Helsing droned on and on. I think that’s probably the only complaint I have other than the way women were still thought to not be as smart as men (but that was a product of the time). Because, let’s be honest—Mina was the real MVP. I wasn’t sure if the good guys would win in the end, so it was suspenseful for me until the last page.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What month could be better to read this book in than October? Bram Stoker’s „Dracula“, published in 1897, is a classic piece of literature that has had a lasting impact on how vampires are portrayed, but it has both strengths and weaknesses.
The novel’s greatest strength is its ability to mix modern life with old superstitions. Dracula, a creature from ancient folklore, invades the logical and scientific world of Victorian England. Stoker cleverly builds suspense using different narrative forms — diaries, letters, and newspaper articles — making the reader slowly uncover the threat Dracula poses. This structure creates a sense of growing dread that keeps the reader engaged.
However, the book struggles with pacing. The first part, set in Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, is full of tension and mystery, but once the story moves to England, it slows down. The middle sections, where the main characters try to defeat Dracula, can feel repetitive and drawn out, losing some of the initial suspense.
The characters also feel uneven. Dracula himself is a fascinating villain — mysterious and terrifying — but his human opponents are less memorable. Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray, for example, are presented as good, moral people, but they lack depth. Mina, in particular, represents the ideal Victorian woman — pure and nurturing — while Lucy Westenra’s tragic fate as the victim of Dracula reflects the era’s fears around female sexuality.
Additionally, the novel reflects 19th-century fears of foreign invasion. Dracula’s move to England can be seen as a metaphor for anxieties about foreign influences corrupting Western society. This idea, along with the novel’s conservative views on gender roles, has led to debate over whether „Dracula“ supports or critiques Victorian values.
In the end, „Dracula“ is a groundbreaking work that created an iconic figure of horror, though it’s not without its flaws. Its slow pacing, underdeveloped characters, and outdated moral views hold it back, but the novel’s dark atmosphere and exploration of deep societal fears still make it an important piece of literature. I have not read to many classic books yet, but „Dracula“ is definitely one of the better ones so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Alcohol
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
Dieses Werk hatte ich als Jugendliche (vllt. Mit 15) gelesen und fand es damals unendlich langweilig.
10 Jahre später habe ich es nochmal probiert und bin insgesamt positiv überrascht.
Der erste Teil, Jonathan Harkers Reise nach Transsylvanien war und ist lesenswert, mit interessanten Charakteren und dem Bewusstwerden, dass er sich in einer ziemlich ausweglosen Situation befindet.
Der Teil mit Lucy,Mina und den Herren konnte ich jetzt besser lesen. Die beiden Frauen haben eine schöne Freundschaft und die Charaktere haben alle ihren eigenen Charme.
Sehr gut gefällt mir die Umsetzung des Konzepts, dass es auf mehreren Perspektiven geschrieben wurde. Das Buch ist eine Ansammlung, überwiegend aus Tagebucheinträgen.
Der Spannungsbogen des Romans ist nicht so perfekt gelungen und die Sprache wirkt etwas altbacken, was aber einfach dem geschuldet ist, dass das Werk aus dem späten 19. Jh. Ist.
10 Jahre später habe ich es nochmal probiert und bin insgesamt positiv überrascht.
Der erste Teil, Jonathan Harkers Reise nach Transsylvanien war und ist lesenswert, mit interessanten Charakteren und dem Bewusstwerden, dass er sich in einer ziemlich ausweglosen Situation befindet.
Der Teil mit Lucy,Mina und den Herren konnte ich jetzt besser lesen. Die beiden Frauen haben eine schöne Freundschaft und die Charaktere haben alle ihren eigenen Charme.
Sehr gut gefällt mir die Umsetzung des Konzepts, dass es auf mehreren Perspektiven geschrieben wurde. Das Buch ist eine Ansammlung, überwiegend aus Tagebucheinträgen.
Der Spannungsbogen des Romans ist nicht so perfekt gelungen und die Sprache wirkt etwas altbacken, was aber einfach dem geschuldet ist, dass das Werk aus dem späten 19. Jh. Ist.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Minor: Child abuse, Racism