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Dracula

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Dracula by Bram Stoker is a classic novel that introduces the legend of Dracula, a Transylvanian royal seeking new hunting grounds in London. The story unfolds through letters, journals, and recordings, following a group led by Dr. Abraham Van Helsing as they combat the vampire. The book, written in 1897, captures the attention of readers from the first page to the last, defining the rules of vampires and kickstarting the vampire craze of the 20th and 21st centuries. Despite its familiarity due to movies and cultural references, Dracula remains a suspenseful and engaging read, perfect for Halloween.

Characters:

The characters are a mix of strong personalities, with Mina and Van Helsing standing out, though they often appear somewhat archetypal.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is a mixture of diary entries and letters, creating a unique narrative that's immersive yet can feel repetitive or overly formal at times.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot involves Jonathan Harker's entrapment in Count Dracula's castle and the subsequent efforts of Harker and his companions to hunt down and destroy Dracula in London after he preys on an unsuspecting Lucy.

Setting:

The settings shift between the dark, isolated castle of Dracula in Transylvania and Victorian England, creating stark contrasts between the familiar and the strange.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven, with strong beginnings and climaxes but slow middles that may lose reader interest.
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Notes:

Dracula was first published in 1897, marking the inception of the modern vampire myth.
The novel is structured as an epistolary, told through journals, letters, and newspaper articles from various characters' perspectives.
Count Dracula, based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, is depicted as a sinister and sophisticated character with allure and danger.
Mina Harker is a strong female character who actively contributes to the group's efforts against Dracula, reflecting early feminist themes.
The story features a notable ensemble cast, including Van Helsing, whose long-winded speeches and broken English add humor and character.
Renfield, the madman in the asylum, provides comic relief but also represents the grotesque and tragic elements of the vampire's influence.
Dracula can move about during the day but loses his powers, which contrasts with modern depictions of vampires being completely nocturnal.
The book explores themes of sexual repression and the anxieties surrounding female sexuality during the Victorian era, particularly seen in Lucy's character arc.
Stoker's portrayal of Dracula is less romantic and more monstrous compared to contemporary vampire tales, emphasizing horror over allure.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include strong themes of violence, blood, death, themes of isolation, and misogynistic attitudes reflective of the Victorian era.

From The Publisher:

Of the many admiring reviews Bram Stoker's Dracula received when it first appeared in 1897, the most astute praise came from the author's mother, who wrote her son: "It is splendid. No book since Mrs. Shelley's Frankenstein or indeed any other at all has come near yours in originality, or terror."

A popular bestseller in Victorian England, Stoker's hypnotic tale of the bloodthirsty Count Dracula, whose nocturnal atrocities are symbolic of an evil ages old yet forever new, endures as the quintessential story of suspense and horror. The unbridled lusts and desires, the diabolical cravings that Stoker dramatized with such mythical force, render Dracula resonant and unsettling a century later.

Ratings (412)

Incredible (63)
Loved It (150)
Liked It (111)
It Was OK (65)
Did Not Like (17)
Hated It (6)

Reader Stats (718):

Read It (428)
Currently Reading (10)
Want To Read (185)
Did Not Finish (16)
Not Interested (79)

17 comment(s)

Loved It
1 week

I really liked this book. I had fun reading from the different perspectives of the characters but I think that there were times in the book where some letters from a character’s perspective were either misplaced or just shouldn’t have been included

 
Incredible
1 week

I've reread it every year since 2019 and I'm hopeful i will continue on with my habit next year as well. While it's not a perfect novel it remains one of my favorite classics of all time. The love and found memories I've got from this is a rarity for me in older days as it feels as magical as when I had favorites as a kid.

 
Incredible
4 weeks

After spending so much time with Queen Betsy, Anita Blake and Sookie Stackhouse, I decided to check out the grand-daddy of all vampire books. Yep, I read Bram Stoker's Dracula.

To be honest, I was afraid to read this book. (OK... petrified!) It wasn't that I thought it would be boring or hard to read or anything like that. I was simply afraid I'd have to sleep with my lights on for the rest of my life. Yes, I'm that big of a wuss. Heck, I was scared of the Dracula movie PREVIEWS so I figured this book would be way out of my league.

I was shocked because I actually loved the book - and wasn't scared once! I really enjoyed the writing style with all the different journal entries and character perspectives. It felt very modern. With a few small tweaks (OK, large tweaks), it could've been a current release!

Now, I feel a little guilty for all the fluff I read. I should be reading more books like this one!

 
Liked It
1 month

A very suspenseful read.

 
Loved It
1 month

I enjoyed this wayyyyy more than I thought I would. The themes of good vs evil, salvation, fear of desire (especially women’s desire), and masculinity were very interesting to explore. The book is a giant metaphor as you might imagine. It’s slow paced, but it still held my interest the whole way through. The characterization of the two female characters was of particular interest to me (considering the fact that the men were not able to save them, at least without Mina’s extensive help). All in all a fascinating reflection of the time in which it was written.

 
Incredible
3 months

A blast to listen to, even though it did come off a little cheesy at times :) the audible edition with different narrators was fantastic.

 
Loved It
3 months

A classic for a reason. Even though the letter-writing style slowed down the pace of the story significantly at the end, I still enjoyed this piece of suspenseful Gothic literature. Surprisingly sexy for Victorian times!

 
Incredible
4 months

This book was incredible for me because firstly, the story's told in journal entries; and the writing style and quality is top tier it'll engulf you into the story.

 
It Was OK
5 months

If

Dracula wasn’t OG vampire literature, I would probably have awarded it fewer stars.

Dracula has xenophobic/racist/antisemitic and sexist themes, and, after I had finished reading it, I was informed that it also has homophobic themes (which makes sense because Count Dracula is clearly a male character; if Stoker solely wanted to make his book sexist, he would have made the Count a female character).

As for the sexism, female characters are viewed as inferior throughout the narrative. Stoker makes it clear that Lucy Westenra’s all female household falls to Count Dracula

because there are no males in the established household. Relatedly, Mina Harker becomes an object for either Count Dracula to exploit or the “good” men to protect. She has no autonomy within the plot. I also feel bitter that after Mina Harker does all this work, gathering information about the Count, typing the information up, and painstakingly organizing the information chronologically, the men are like, “Thanks for all this vitally important information, but you can’t actually hunt the Count with us.”

Additionally, I dislike the message that evil must be dealt with through clinging to tradition. In

Dracula, tradition is inherently good; the characters are protected through traditional religious items, such as crosses and sacramental wafers, and through traditional social structures, such as marriage.

At times I was hoping that all the characters would die at the end

 
Loved It
5 months

It’s a really good story, shockingly dark and disturbing. The beginning with the carriage ride was enough to suck me in. I haven’t finished it yet because the fawning over Mina all the way toward the end was absolutely driving me nuts.

 
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About the Author:

Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was born in Dublin, Ireland. He began his career as a theater critic before becoming manager of London's Lyceum Theatre. Dracula was Stoker's fourth novel; he went on to write many more, including The Lady of the Shroud and The Lair of…

 
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