As horror stories about vampires don’t hold any appeal for me (I’ve never read Bram Stoker's ‘Dracula’!), had I not been sent a copy of ‘Dracula Park’ in exchange for an honest review I wouldn’t have been tempted to read this one. Although it hasn’t ‘converted’ me to the genre, I did find this story, set mainly in post-communist, post-Ceausescu Romania, but with time-shifts to the recent past as well as to the fifteenth-century life of Vlad the Impaler, surprisingly engaging and thought-provoking. What I appreciated most was how the author so effectively used the legendary story of Dracula as an allegory for political corruption, abuse of power, individual and corporate greed and the disillusionment of people who had hoped their lives would change for the better following a regime change but instead find a breakdown in social cohesion which leaves many of them longing for a strong leader … but history should remind us that we should be very careful what we wish for!
I also enjoyed learning more about the history and folklore of Romania and about the historical figure of Vlad the Impaler, although reading about the brutal, blood-thirsty exploits of this ‘strong leader’, who remains revered by some Romanians, certainly requires a strong stomach! What I found less successful, even though I could recognise why the author introduced this element of magical realism, were the vampiric wanderings of the young narrator as, for me, they served only to remind me of why I find vampire stories so risible! However, the real blood-sucking ‘vampires’ in this story are the corrupt politicians and businessmen who put personal gain before the real needs of the community … and the author’s portrayal of them was all too recognisable and credible! ( )