Book Review: Bram Stoker's Dracula

 

Since it's October, the month of everything creepy and ghoulish, I've decided to review some horror stories. Our first book is the grandfather of all supernatural horror. Bram Stoker's Dracula was released all the way back in 1897, a time when milking the cows was considered a terrifying ordeal…so this kind of story was pretty hardcore. You'd expect a horror story like this to age poorly but it actually hasn't. It was brutally intense in its day and it's still a little creepy in 2011.

Here's the story. Jonathan Harker is a real estate agent traveling to Transylvania to do business with a man named Count Dracula. He discovers that The Count is really a bloodthirsty vampire. The reason Dracula needs Harker is for legal advice on how to move to London where human prey is more plentiful.
                                                       
Eventually, Harker escapes Dracula's castle and returns home to London where he assembles a team to hunt and kill The Count. His allies are an interesting crew from the light-hearted but courageous Texan, Quincy Morris, to the compassionate genius of a leader, Dr. Van Helsing. The female leads, Mina and Lucy are sadly not as interesting as the male heroes because they aren't active in the adventures.

The entire story is told through journal entries written by the characters. This gives it a very realistic quality that contrasts with the supernatural elements beautifully. The writing style, though long-winded by modern standards, is very elegant and atmospheric. The descriptions of the scenery and creatures are very haunting.

 

"But just then the moon, sailing through the black clouds, appeared behind the jagged crest of a beetling, pine-clad rock, and by its light I saw around us a ring of wolves, with white teeth and lolling red tongues…" (Stoker)

This book was a great influence for horror novels with its grotesque descriptions and constant tension. There are some genuinely scary moments in this book. In an early scene, when Jonathan Harker is still a prisoner in Dracula's castle, he witnesses The Count feeding a live child to his vampiress minions. Pretty brutal for 1897!

Mr. Cullen would wet himself if he met Stoker's vampires.

   

Still, it's not a perfect book in a modern viewer's eyes. The first major problem is that the females leads, Lucy and Mina, don't get a chance to shine. They have few defining character traits except "dutiful" and "compassionate". The men also prevent them from going on any missions…a little sexist.

Another problem is that the long-winded writing, though well crafted, seems a little ponderous in our times. Most young readers who grew up with Harry Potter will find this one a tough read. There's a lot of dialogue and description to wade through. But, with a little patience, it's an enjoyable read.

Conclusion:

Dracula is a richly written and sometimes scary book (especially for its time). The heroic characters, with the exception of the uninteresting women, are likable and courageous. The writing style may plod at times but it's still an intriguing story that shaped horror fiction as we know it. This is a book I'd definitely recommend you read.

     

Score: 3.5/5 Very Good

The Count compels you to read it!