A review by elizafay
Dracula by Bram Stoker

adventurous 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

2.0

Hmm… how shall I say this? Dracula is one of those classics that actually made me realize: you don’t have to read every classic.

The beginning is strong — that eerie castle, Jonathan Harker’s dread, and of course, Count Dracula himself. It’s the root of every vampire story we’ve ever gotten since, and Dracula is such a powerful presence. Which is why it’s such a shame he’s barely in it. Most of the book isn’t about him at all, but about the group determined to destroy him. I wanted more of the Count and less of the chase.

And then there’s Mina. She’s written as this almost too perfect woman — kind, clever, endlessly selfless. Watching her unfold was like watching a butterfly trapped in a glass case. I kept wishing she had been written by a woman instead.

The pacing… honestly, it was a slog. A true snail’s pace. The timeline and structure dragged for me, and at some points I had to force myself to keep going. It ended up taking me a whole month to finish — the longest I’ve ever spent on a single book (granted, life was happening too, but still).

Do I respect Dracula as a cultural cornerstone? Definitely. Am I glad to say I’ve finally read it? Yes. Will I ever reread it? Probably not.