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A review by the_raven_writes
Dracula by Bram Stoker
5.0
Over the years, I've seen my share of vampire movies and read a number of books about vampires. Because my daughters were teenagers at the height of the Twilight craze, I know about about Edward Cullen and his family. Then there was Anne Rice's rock star vampire, Lestat. There have been countless others as well; however, it was only this month that I read the original Dracula.
I love Gothic mysteries, and Dracula had plenty of Gothic atmosphere. The book is full of creepy, old castles, dank crypts, and gloomy weather. Like many classic novels, this one used a lot of description, but I appreciated how Stoker painted a picture of the Carpathian Mountains and the old-world charm of those who lived there. As I read, I disappeared into the world he created. I knew the basics of the story, but even so I was swept away. I consider this high praise since I'm generally not attracted to novels written in diary form the way this one was.
I also liked the characters, even if they were a bit over the top. Stoker made Mina, the heroine, out to be a saint and hearing about her perfectly sweet nature got old after a while. I like my heroines a little more earthy. However, considering when this book was written, Mina is a pretty kick-ass woman. She doesn't see a lot of action (the men want to spare her delicate sensibilities), but she's fearless and smart. An equal part of the team. I also liked the relationship she had with her husband, Jonathan. The two of them were clearly in love and wanted only the best for the other. These were characters I could get behind.
Dracula himself, however, was a bit of a disappointment. He was evil enough for me, but his evilness wasn't clever or interesting. I like villains with fascinating backstories who use twisted logic to justify themselves. Dracula was more like an animal acting on instinct than someone with a purpose or will. Obviously, he was clever enough to move from Transylvania to England, but beyond that, he was more of a mystery than anything.
There were a lot of interesting details in the book that subsequent vampire stories have ignored. For example, I was shocked to find that Dracula had a mustache, and that he was an old man until he drank blood from young women. The book was also surprisingly gory, given the fact it was written in the 1800's.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I plan on reading more classic horror. I highly recommend Dracula for those who like mysterious, Gothic horror. This was definitely a five out of five star read.
I love Gothic mysteries, and Dracula had plenty of Gothic atmosphere. The book is full of creepy, old castles, dank crypts, and gloomy weather. Like many classic novels, this one used a lot of description, but I appreciated how Stoker painted a picture of the Carpathian Mountains and the old-world charm of those who lived there. As I read, I disappeared into the world he created. I knew the basics of the story, but even so I was swept away. I consider this high praise since I'm generally not attracted to novels written in diary form the way this one was.
I also liked the characters, even if they were a bit over the top. Stoker made Mina, the heroine, out to be a saint and hearing about her perfectly sweet nature got old after a while. I like my heroines a little more earthy. However, considering when this book was written, Mina is a pretty kick-ass woman. She doesn't see a lot of action (the men want to spare her delicate sensibilities), but she's fearless and smart. An equal part of the team. I also liked the relationship she had with her husband, Jonathan. The two of them were clearly in love and wanted only the best for the other. These were characters I could get behind.
Dracula himself, however, was a bit of a disappointment. He was evil enough for me, but his evilness wasn't clever or interesting. I like villains with fascinating backstories who use twisted logic to justify themselves. Dracula was more like an animal acting on instinct than someone with a purpose or will. Obviously, he was clever enough to move from Transylvania to England, but beyond that, he was more of a mystery than anything.
There were a lot of interesting details in the book that subsequent vampire stories have ignored. For example, I was shocked to find that Dracula had a mustache, and that he was an old man until he drank blood from young women. The book was also surprisingly gory, given the fact it was written in the 1800's.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I plan on reading more classic horror. I highly recommend Dracula for those who like mysterious, Gothic horror. This was definitely a five out of five star read.