Released: 1897 (Original Book)
Genre: Horror
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, released over a century ago, was a pioneer in many ways. It was the first novel to bring the vampire to the mainstream, creating one of the most famous fictional monsters. Many horror contemporaries owe a lot to this book, but how does it hold up today?
In the late 1800s, the solicitor Jonathan Harker visits an ominous castle in the Carpathian Mountains to help Count Dracula purchase a house in London. From the moment he enters, it is clear that his client is no ordinary man and a frightening tale of cursed bloodshed ensues. The Count soon sets his sights on Jonathan’s wife Mina and the couple team up with Dr Seward, Quincy Morris and Abraham Van Helsing to put a stop to his deadly scheme. In a unique move for the time, Dracula is told through a large set of journal entries, newspaper extracts, societal gossip and other external perspectives. Events are recorded and recounted as they happen from September through to November.
Many readers will be well familiar with the rules of the vampire; they are most active at night, sucking the blood of their victims and making others like them. When the horror elements creep in, they create a bone-chilling atmosphere. One of the best moments comes with a set of diary entries aboard the doomed ship Demeter. As the sailors vanish one-by-one, you feel the Count’s power and presence. Further down the line, this is replaced by a sense of determination as the lead characters vow to destroy the nocturnal menace. The journal entries may be long and wordy, but they are packed with enough personality to set the characters apart from each other. Harker is calm and composed, Dr Seward is deeply inquisitive, Mina Harker is kind and caring and Van Helsing is pragmatic and focused. You do believe in their struggle against the supernatural.
From a modern perspective, the pacing of Dracula feels quite plodding in places. When Jonathon escapes from the Vampire’s Transylvanian castle, both characters take a backseat for some time as Dr Seward, Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra take over for a good portion. This set of events in London and the British coast culminates in a grim encounter, but keeping the entire cast in balance would have been more effective. This also applies to the final moments before the climax where the characters take some time to discuss Dracula’s main weaknesses.
Recommended?
YES: It may be long-winded and pondering at times, but Dracula is a classic of the horror genre for a reason. The creeping tension and shifting perspectives make for a unique narrative flow. The characters are all interesting and distinctive across the various journal entries with the Count himself being very imposing. For the most part, you’ll be thoroughly absorbed in the proceedings.
(Listening to the audiobook was also a memorable experience with actors like Tim Curry and Alan Cumming taking up the roles of Van Helsing and Dr Seward. Dracula has been adapted into film many times with Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee and Gary Oldman all taking up the cape of the infamous Count through the decades)
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