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A review by unfetteredfiction
Dracula by Bram Stoker
3.0
“Once again...welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring.”
- Bram Stoker, Dracula
Listening to the wonderful voice of Christopher Lee reading Dracula has truly brought me well and truly into the spooky season.
Honestly, this was my first experience with an audiobook (not counting Winnie-the-Pooh on cassette when I was about 5). When trying audiobooks previously I often found myself getting distracted, and my mind wandering. However, something about Christopher Lee’s charming and powerful voice kept me firmly rooted in this theatrical tale.
If you’re not one for gothic, it goes without saying that this might not be your cup of tea. But if gothic is your thing, then this is an excellent story which, for me, has everything you could want from the genre.
The story is a theatrical one, told in epistolary form, similar in tone to another of my favourites, Frankenstein. The creation of Dracula as a character is out of this world, he is the vampiric predator. He is magical and evil and charming combined. He is what I think a vampire should be, sitting firming at the root of this category of monster and setting a high standard for gothic novels overall.
It could be said that the text feels repetitive, but I disagree, or simply can’t get enough. Perhaps the experience may have been different if I read the book alone, without the aid of Christopher Lee. Anyway, as far as the plot goes, it is a classic pursuit of evil, a chase to overcome it, with some romance and adventure thrown in. As with a lot of gothic, emotions and scenes are amplified to the max, so prepare for what might feel like something being over the top, when if fact, it is utterly a joy. This audiobook is free on Spotify by the way, enjoy.
- Bram Stoker, Dracula
Listening to the wonderful voice of Christopher Lee reading Dracula has truly brought me well and truly into the spooky season.
Honestly, this was my first experience with an audiobook (not counting Winnie-the-Pooh on cassette when I was about 5). When trying audiobooks previously I often found myself getting distracted, and my mind wandering. However, something about Christopher Lee’s charming and powerful voice kept me firmly rooted in this theatrical tale.
If you’re not one for gothic, it goes without saying that this might not be your cup of tea. But if gothic is your thing, then this is an excellent story which, for me, has everything you could want from the genre.
The story is a theatrical one, told in epistolary form, similar in tone to another of my favourites, Frankenstein. The creation of Dracula as a character is out of this world, he is the vampiric predator. He is magical and evil and charming combined. He is what I think a vampire should be, sitting firming at the root of this category of monster and setting a high standard for gothic novels overall.
It could be said that the text feels repetitive, but I disagree, or simply can’t get enough. Perhaps the experience may have been different if I read the book alone, without the aid of Christopher Lee. Anyway, as far as the plot goes, it is a classic pursuit of evil, a chase to overcome it, with some romance and adventure thrown in. As with a lot of gothic, emotions and scenes are amplified to the max, so prepare for what might feel like something being over the top, when if fact, it is utterly a joy. This audiobook is free on Spotify by the way, enjoy.