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A review by kaitie_reads
Dracula by Bram Stoker
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
So I've mentioned before that I don't traditionally review or star-rate classics ~ but I still want to yap about them.
I read this via audio, the Duke Classics edition narrated by Tavia Gilbert.
I'm glad I finally read this classic horror that has influenced so many of our stories today. Bram Stoker's Dracula was definitely more unsettling than I had anticipated. I think I was most intrigued by the first part of the story where Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania and becomes a guest of Dracula at his castle. I loved learning about the vampire in his twisted ways and had such an appreciation for the fear Jonathan would've felt in that position, which is made clear by his journal entries.
I wasn't familiar with the development of the story going in. I love how Van Helsing comes in as this eccentric yet intelligent old man and takes control of the situation. He is compassionate and yet devoted to his cause of destroying Dracula for the greater good.
The story does have a lot of good vs. evil plotlines and is very much rooted in Christian ethics, i.e., God vs. Devil, Angels vs. Demons, Sin vs. virtue. I did find that difficult sometimes, and so did I find the character of Mina, who is the perfect Victorian Era lady: noble and educated, yet devoted, meek, yet surprisingly strong-willed. I think the story was quite feminist at the time in the way Mina is central to the plot of destroying the monster, Dracula, and the men are quickly absolved of their desire to leave her out of the conflict once it starts to arise. Although, as a modern reader, I also couldn't help but wish for more for her.
For a story written in the Victorian era, there's a surprising amount of sexual tension and desire. A polyamorous non-monogamous vampire (with an unclear sexual orientation) and his wives trying to seduce men and women, drinking their blood... whew, boy. Scandalous.
"𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖆 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖐𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊, 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖒𝖕𝖍 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖘𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕵𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝖔𝖋."
I read this via audio, the Duke Classics edition narrated by Tavia Gilbert.
I'm glad I finally read this classic horror that has influenced so many of our stories today. Bram Stoker's Dracula was definitely more unsettling than I had anticipated. I think I was most intrigued by the first part of the story where Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania and becomes a guest of Dracula at his castle. I loved learning about the vampire in his twisted ways and had such an appreciation for the fear Jonathan would've felt in that position, which is made clear by his journal entries.
I wasn't familiar with the development of the story going in. I love how Van Helsing comes in as this eccentric yet intelligent old man and takes control of the situation. He is compassionate and yet devoted to his cause of destroying Dracula for the greater good.
The story does have a lot of good vs. evil plotlines and is very much rooted in Christian ethics, i.e., God vs. Devil, Angels vs. Demons, Sin vs. virtue. I did find that difficult sometimes, and so did I find the character of Mina, who is the perfect Victorian Era lady: noble and educated, yet devoted, meek, yet surprisingly strong-willed. I think the story was quite feminist at the time in the way Mina is central to the plot of destroying the monster, Dracula, and the men are quickly absolved of their desire to leave her out of the conflict once it starts to arise. Although, as a modern reader, I also couldn't help but wish for more for her.
For a story written in the Victorian era, there's a surprising amount of sexual tension and desire. A polyamorous non-monogamous vampire (with an unclear sexual orientation) and his wives trying to seduce men and women, drinking their blood... whew, boy. Scandalous.
"𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖆 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖐𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊, 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖒𝖕𝖍 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖘𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕵𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝖔𝖋."