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The Historian is a story within a story, mostly told through letters. I didn't mind the lengthy transitions that followed different main characters, the timing of new bits of information kept me turning the pages. The novel takes the history of Vlad Tepes and blends it with the legend of Dracula and carries his presence into the modern world. Kostova made this believable, not an easy task. As the reader learns more about the real Dracula, the story becomes even creepier.
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I know some people will have problems with this book, but I loved it. I felt transported back to the world of academia that I escaped several years ago and to all the European cities I've stayed in, recalling all the things that happened there (including falling in love), so in part it was a personal journey down memory lane. I enjoyed looking for my dissertation advisor's influence (he worked with Kostova when she was doing her research) and possibly the character built on his quirky personalit
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It's been a while since I sat down and really enjoyed a book. This book had many elements that I enjoyed - it was a smart book, but it had a lot of adventure, history, and travel to places with which I'm not terribly familiar (Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, etc). The characters were interesting - not all of them, I felt, were thoroughly developed, with the exception of Helen. That being said, the plotline more than made up for it, and I feel I gained a great deal from having read this book. I would
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Sep 13, 2008
Johanne
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
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I loved this book. I love vampire lore and this combined vampires and my love of European history. It really made me want to travel to Eastern Europe.
Nov 23, 2012
Sarah
rated it
liked it
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