Dracula
Possibly the most famous example of Gothic novels, Bram Stoker's 1897 masterpiece is the tale of Dracula, a vampire intent on increasing his tribe. The titular character, Count Dracula of Transylvania, has his arch nemesis in Abraham Van Helsing, the doctor knowledgeable of vampires and vampirism and ardent in his quest to destroy the cursed Count. After nearly escaping death in the Count's haunted castle, Jonathan Harker reunites with his fiancée Mina and their friends John, Qunicey and Arthur, who have already been beset by the Dracula's attacks on Mina's friends Lucy. Unable to save Lucy, despite Helsing's best efforts, the group decides to eliminate Dracula forever. They undertake on a dangerous mission, as Stoker invokes history, folklore, and religious stories in this epistolary novel. The group's repeated encounters with Dracula, possible death and the worst imaginable fate, becoming vampires themselves, keep the readers on an edge throughout the novel.
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Community Reviews
Disclaimer: I’m not really a fan of gothic horror nor of Vampire stories.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I was familiar with some points in the tale, (it’s hard to avoid spoilers when the book was first published over 100 years ago.)
But even so I was completely drawn into the tale.
There are some parts that drag out a little, particularly in the middle, but overall I find that Stoker’s writings feel rather ahead of his time. The characters were all colorful and dynamic, and Dracula himself is such a perfect blend of monster AND human, something I find sadly missing from many modern adaptations.
Overall I was surprised to find that I genuinely enjoyed this book. Would recommend to anyone, even if you’re not a fan of vampire stories.
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