aimeeslittlelibrary 's review for:

Dracula by Bram Stoker

5.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Ah, man.  A re-read for me. It’s so good, possibly even better from a re-read. Like with most of these culturally significant books, you have a sense of the novel before you read it. Before this re-read, I was remembering the story - what was as I had expected, what wasn’t. The characters I had visions of, and how they sit in wider literary contexts. But this re-read reminded me just how good of a novel it is. The pacing is spectacular. The way Stoker lays out information, by who, when, and how, is spot on without fail. The characterisation is insanely good- each with a unique voice and personality. I had forgotten how funny they could be, at times, Dracula included. The writing itself is solid, with some memorable quotes - but it is the telling of story that really makes this epistolary form special. Stoker wasn’t the first, nor the last to do this. But did he smash it so far out the park that everyone else is still trying to catch up? Yes. Yes, he did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts