Dracula
Ratings758
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings758
Average rating3.8
Acting on behalf of his firm of solicitors, Jonathan Harker travels to the Carpathian Mountains to finalize the sale of England's Carfax Abbey to Transylvanian noble Count Dracula. Little does he realize that, in doing so, he endangers all that he loves. For Dracula is one of the Un-dead—a centuries-old vampire who sleeps by day and stalks by night, feasting on the blood of his helpless victims. Once on English soil, the count sets his sights on Jonathan's circle of associates, among them his beloved wife Mina. To thwart Dracula's evil designs, Jonathan and his friends will have to accept as truth the most preposterous superstitions concerning vampires, and in the company of legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, embark on an unholy adventure for which even their worst nightmares have not prepared them.
Reviews with the most likes.
Used the Dracula daily and it was even better in many ways to reading it as originally written because it was sent on the day. Could feel passage of time.
The parts concerning Dracula were interesting, specially the beginning, but they amount to maybe 8% of the book. The way the story is told, read from the diaries of the involved people, felt like a detailed account of an actual events, not the work of literature I find enthralling to read. So, too much useless details, not enough mystery, horror, fantasy, character development or whatever.
By the way, Van Helsing is a completely asshole. In multiple occasions he possess the facts of the situation and chooses to withhold them from everybody for days, leading them on and asking them to trust him utterly, without asking any questions. Then he acts all sanctimonious when he reveals what he knows.
Contains spoilers
1860onwards challenge - Book 1 - Dracula (1897)
Atmospheric and haunting beginning - the castle, the crawl down the wall, being kept prisoner. Enthralling moments such as the arrival of the boat in Whitby. Interesting characters such as Van Helsing, Renfield and his conversations with Dr Seward. Tense ending, never sure how it was going to end. Overall a clever structure and a fun read throughout. Perhaps needed some more detailed character development.
Characters ***
Atmosphere *****
Plot ****
Emotion ***
Style ****
3.8
This remains a wonderful story. The opening is the strongest - super creepy journey through the Carpathian mountains and subsequent guest visit (which morphs into imprisonment in a very unsettling way) at Castle Dracula.
After that the story can drag at times, due to far too much phonetic dialect, too many iterations of Lucy coming back from the brink of death, and rising action toward the climax that sometimes feels like reading the time tables for trains & ships. Still, even in audio form when one can't skim these passages, the investment is well worth it.
The full cast Audible recording is delightful, and it's nice to get an extra helping of Tim Curry towards the end, as Van Helsing writes a lengthy account of his journey with Mina. Alan Cumming is great as well, and the actor reading Harker is also really strong.
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