Book Review – Dracula by Bram Stoker

[image error]Over the years, I’ve seen my share of vampire movies and read a number of books about vampires. Because my daughters were teenagers at the height of the Twilight craze, I know about about Edward Cullen and his family. Then there was Anne Rice’s rock star vampire, Lestat. There have been countless others as well; however, it was only this month that I read the original Dracula.

I love Gothic mysteries, and Dracula had plenty of Gothic atmosphere. The book is full of creepy, old castles, dank crypts, and gloomy weather. Like many classic novels, this one used a lot of description, but I appreciated how Stoker painted a picture of the Carpathian Mountains and the old-world charm of those who lived there. As I read, I disappeared into the world he created. I knew the basics of the story, but even so I was swept away. I consider this high praise since I’m generally not attracted to novels written in diary form the way this one was.

I also liked the characters, even if they were a bit over the top. Stoker made Mina, the heroine, out to be a saint and hearing about her perfectly sweet nature got old after a while. I like my heroines a little more earthy. However, considering when this book was written, Mina is a pretty kick-ass woman. She doesn’t see a lot of action (the men want to spare her delicate sensibilities), but she’s fearless and smart. An equal part of the team. I also liked the relationship she had with her husband, Jonathan. The two of them were clearly in love and wanted only the best for the other. These were characters I could get behind.

Dracula himself, however, was a bit of a disappointment. He was evil enough for me, but his evilness wasn’t clever or interesting. I like villains with fascinating backstories who use twisted logic to justify themselves. Dracula was more like an animal acting on instinct than someone with a purpose or will. Obviously, he was clever enough to move from Transylvania to England, but beyond that, he was more of a mystery than anything.

There were a lot of interesting details in the book that subsequent vampire stories have ignored. For example, I was shocked to find that Dracula had a mustache, and that he was an old man until he drank blood from young women. The book was also surprisingly gory, given the fact it was written in the 1800’s.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I plan on reading more classic horror. I highly recommend Dracula for those who like mysterious, Gothic horror. This was definitely a five out of five star read.

Want to read more vampire books? Try Soul Awakened.

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There’s a vampire war on, and it’s time to choose sides.

Cassie doesn’t know why she fainted on stage, or why she woke up with a two-hour hole in her memory. She doesn’t understand the twin puncture marks on her neck, and can’t comprehend why she’s suddenly terrified of being in the dark. All she knows is that her ordinary life has completely changed…for the worse.

Then she meets Isaiah, a mysterious man with a dark past. He has answers to her questions, but he’s reluctant to give them and put her in more danger. Only when Cassie proves herself does he trust her with what he knows: there’s a vampire war in Detroit, and those who don’t take sides will be caught in the crossfire.

Now, it’s up to Cassie and Isaiah to put a stop to things before the warring vampires claim more victims. Falling in love isn’t part of the plan, of course, but some things can’t be helped.

Soul Awakened is available on Amazon. FREE on Kindle Unlimited.