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A review by pocketfell
Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker by Syrie James
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
When I saw a book who's summary boiled down to "Mina Harker's secret affair with Dracula" my interest was, predictably, piqued. That sounds almost as up my alley as A Dowry Of Blood, a book which affected me so profoundly that I for some reason purchased a copy in Italian.
Unfortunately Dracula, My Love is not nearly the book it could have been. Dracula was charming enough, I suppose, and true enough to the way he acts in Stoker's original, but he lacked a requisite smoothness, and his various attempts to deceive (and occasionally Gaslight) Characters in the book fell a tad flat. His convenient excuses for every little thing rang too hollow, leading to Mina looking a little silly for believing him. Mina herself was a perfectly serviceable main character, although her flip-flopping on who she loved did grow tiresome quite quickly. It felt like neither she nor the story ever lived up to the promise of an innocent woman, seduced by Dracula's wiles.
I wasn't looking for Spice, that's not what floats my literary boat, but I did want a book that really committed to the bit harder than this one did, hence the rating.
Unfortunately Dracula, My Love is not nearly the book it could have been. Dracula was charming enough, I suppose, and true enough to the way he acts in Stoker's original, but he lacked a requisite smoothness, and his various attempts to deceive (and occasionally Gaslight) Characters in the book fell a tad flat. His convenient excuses for every little thing rang too hollow, leading to Mina looking a little silly for believing him. Mina herself was a perfectly serviceable main character, although her flip-flopping on who she loved did grow tiresome quite quickly. It felt like neither she nor the story ever lived up to the promise of an innocent woman, seduced by Dracula's wiles.
I wasn't looking for Spice, that's not what floats my literary boat, but I did want a book that really committed to the bit harder than this one did, hence the rating.