A review by laurenleigh
Dracula by Bram Stoker

adventurous dark tense 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

A perfect spooky read for the end of October! It’s so much more fun to read classics by choice, not by assignment. I was really fascinated by the exploration of gender roles and expectations. The only two of the gang that actually get bit by Dracula are the only two women in the cast of characters. And of course much has been written about the sexual undertones of the vampire and its bite. Perhaps Stoker is playing into some cultural fear, as Victorian standards glorified a sweet, docile, dependent woman. It’s interesting that the three lady vamps Harker encounters at the castle are portrayed as bawdy, voluptuous temptresses. Harker is, of course, completely horrified at this, arguably even more so than at the realization that his captor is also a vampire. And then after Lucy is turned, she too becomes quite sexualized. So she must be killed. I loved how Mina’s smarts and skills became the cornerstone of their operation to take Dracula down. Of course the men tried to keep her out of it, but they were forced to realize they needed her involved. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is a feminist text, but it’s definitely a unique look at gender dynamics in the late 19th century!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings