Dracula (1897)

If I were to rate this purely on plot alone, I would probably give it more stars. There were certain parts that were extremely difficult to get through, and most of the reason for that is because of the era that it was written in. I liked that it was written through multiple people's points of view as a diary style, and I definitely liked reading through certain character's points of view better than others. I also really liked that the gentlemen thought so highly of Mina Harker because they were apparently under the impression that woman were not able to handle difficult subjects nor were able to think up plans or think for themselves. Mina Harker surprised them and Dr. John Seward was always quick to write that he and Dr. Van Helsing thought she had a man's brain. It was refreshing to hear of a woman from the time period who was not just a needy thoughtless twit who waited for a man to come into her life. There were some parts that were difficult to understand what they were trying to say about situations with "child brains" versus "adult brains", but other than that, I enjoyed reading Dracula even though it took me such a long time to get through it. ( )

Não lido.

Beautiful Gothic Horror Deserving of Its Reputation

I usually try to write reviews without spoilers but hey, this is Dracula. What can I say about this classic that hasn't already been said? Well I can tell you of my unique experience reading it. I have always loved Dracula, but as I populated my list of "read" books here on Goodreads, I realized that I could not say with total confidence that I had ever read the entire novel (which is my criteria for going on that list). Being so near Halloween and all, I figured this was a great time to finally take this classic in.

Normally the first time I read an author it takes me a while to learn his/her style and to get in sync with the writing. I am a Kindle Paperwhite reader primarily, and usually by the last 20% or so of a book I am flying. However, in Dracula, I was enthralled after page one by Stoker's beautiful prose which really reads more like poetry. For me, this one was really more about the journey than the destination.

Even though I thought I knew the story of Dracula from all the movies and tv shows I have seen over my lifetime, there were a few surprises that I never knew about until this reading. (Here is where the spoilers come in). First I need to discuss just how perfectly the Bloofa Lady story was done. We learn of the Bloofa Lady through newspaper clippings. Apparently children have been disappearing in the community and although they have eventually turned up, it is a mystery as to why they go missing in the first place. The children all tell a vague story of the Bloofa Lady who comes to them in the night and whispers to them so sweetly that they follow her into the dark. Then things get fuzzy and they remember no more until they are found (usually the next day) weak and pale. They all have small scratches on their necks as if made by a cat or small dog. Of course the astute reader will have noticed the dates of the clippings which begin shortly after the funeral of Miss Lucy. Stoker doesn't tell us right out that it is her, but instead lets us put the story together for ourselves. In the end our heroes stake out her tomb and sure enough, one morning in the misty hour before sunrise, a figure in white appears in the fog, leading a small boy by the hand. It is Lucy in her death shroud and she takes the child up and moves to feed on his blood. Our heroes intervene and I will let you read this part for yourself. This should be enough, however, to convey how freaking creepy this part of the story is. How have I missed the Bloofa Lady all this time? I think she could carry her own movie single handedly.

Another interesting tidbit I discovered in Dracula (again spoilers), was that Renfield did not, in fact, go to Transylvania before Jonathan. I always thought he was the first accountant that went to help Dracula before Jonathan had been sent, but this storyline apparently originated in the early Dracula films, not from the book. In the book Renfield is simply a "patient" in an lunatic asylum. Stoker infers that because Renfield is insane, he is affected by the Count's powers, just as animals (the children of the night) are. Renfield is drawn to Dracula in the same way wolves and bats and rats are commanded by him. Renfield's tale is a tragic one and as his odd behaviors increase, the sense of foreboding does as well.

I did feel at times that perhaps Van Helsing could have just told everyone what his suspicions were instead of being so secretive. But, maybe they all would have thought him crazy and his cause would have been lost. If the story happened today, I am sure it would be close to impossible for anyone to take him seriously. Also his manner of speech was jumbled and difficult to follow, and many times I had to re-read what he said to make sure I was understanding. This made the reading a bit slower process than normal but, honestly, I didn't mind. Regardless, both these elements were probably realistic, and they did help to build the suspense. I never wanted to quit reading.

I really loved this book. It is one that I will endeavor to find just the right edition to place on my shelves - a beautiful leather-bound edition perhaps, worthy of the masterpiece inside.

This was an easy rating for me: 5 out of 5 stars ( )

Dracula is one of those stories you think you know because it has become part of popular culture - with a billion spin offs. But in fact you don't. I hadn't intended to read it but had a book scheduled which was related so felt I needed to read it first. I found it a real mixture - some parts were really good and interesting and some bits were deadly slow and I was reading as fast as possible to get past them. And I didn't know the actual story as it turned out. I didn't love it but it was good enough most of the way to get an average score from me. And all the tiny bits which people have used to create their own stories were fun to spot. ( )

I was really entertained by the start. Jonathan Harker’s diary was excellent, full of tension and ever growing fear. You really got a sense of Harker being totally isolated from everything that might have provided comfort to him. From anything he knew. And being out of his comfort zone and then suddenly being confronted with nightmares come alive.
That was great.

Unfortunately after that the book got a bit bogged down in a sort of “this happened and then that happened” and it suffered because of when it was written and set. All the male protagonists were so noble and well, jolly well decent, that it was a bit boring. The women too were almost too perfect. All the characters seemed almost stock characters, examples of what Stoker thought people should be, rather than accurate portrayals of what they are.

I still enjoyed my read of Dracula, and I think there is plenty of interest for anyone to discuss. The whole vampire myth building that he created, or adapted was game changing. And it is sort of amazing that our idea of what a vampire is still harkens back a huge amount to his creation. Plus it shows of Victorian Britain, with all its flaws and classist and racist leanings. Foreigners and lower class persons are just so beneath the middle class!

And do I even need to mention the vampire as sexual predator trope?