Dracula in All Challenges All The Time

Nov 19, 2017 Shirley Revill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, classic, looking-over-my-shoulder-late-at-ni, horror, nightmares-if-reading-at-bedtime

Absolutely one of my favourite books.
Think I am ready for another read of this classic possibly at Whitby in the ruins of the abbey.
Love a bit of atmosphere when I read. Highly recommended.

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Oct 20, 2018 Jess Penhallow rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, uk, turkey, hungary, romania, boxall-s

After reading a few disappointing examples of late 19th/early 20th century genre fiction I wasn't sure if I was going to like the daddy of genre fiction but I actually did. I still don't think that this type of book is really for me but I can appreciate how this book influenced so many other books not only vampire or horror books but other genre books with the use of diary and letter entries, multiple perspectives and a 'five man band' to name but a few.

There were definitely moments when it dra ...more

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Oct 09, 2019 Jude: The Epic Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, favs-of-2019, fantasy, books-i-own, 1800s

This was not at all what I thought it would've been. That's me for a lot of classics; where I have a lot of basic information and form this fake image of what I think the book is. Then I actually read it and I'm shocked to find how different it is. ...more

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Oct 09, 2015 *Dawn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2015

Dracula by Bram Stoker
3-1/2 stars

Solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to Castle Dracula, in the wilds of Transylvania (Romania), to meet with his client, the Count, who is purchasing property in London. After being compelled to stay at the Castle, and later learning that he is actually being held prisoner there, Mr. Harker begins to see disturbing and frightening things.

There is one passage of the book in particular that is my favorite as far as the suspense surrounding it. Looking out a castle Dracula by Bram Stoker
3-1/2 stars

Solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to Castle Dracula, in the wilds of Transylvania (Romania), to meet with his client, the Count, who is purchasing property in London. After being compelled to stay at the Castle, and later learning that he is actually being held prisoner there, Mr. Harker begins to see disturbing and frightening things.

There is one passage of the book in particular that is my favorite as far as the suspense surrounding it. Looking out a castle window, trying to find a means to escape, and looking down at the 1000-foot drop, Harker sees Dracula exiting a lower window face-down, scaling the castle wall using his hands and feet. The way it is described gave me chills.

Yes, Dracula can transform himself into a bat. He can also use mind-control over his victims. There is no reflection of his image in mirrors. And then there's that whole drinking your blood thing.

After escaping the castle, Mr. Harker returns to London to recover. While he was away, a close friend of his fiancee' has an encounter with the Count. The end result of that encounter starts the ball rolling to eliminate the monster. A team is assembled.

Dr. Seward--who oversees an insane asylum which houses a very interesting character, Renfield, who is diagnosed with zoophagia (he's obsessed with eating creatures to absorb their life force). Somehow Renfield's odd behavior interjects a little humor into the story as he tries to barter with the doctor to bring him creatures to eat or things that will attract them to his cell. Through most of the story, he has an affinity for flies and spiders. Seward contacts his former professor and friend, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing--who was the first to understand what the Count was. Then there is the American adventurer, Quincey Morris, a friend of Arthur Holmwood (Lord Godalming), and Mina Murray (Harker's bride).

We learn about the motives behind the Count's actions along with the characters in the book, following their journal entries, conversations regarding people they have interviewed, some newspaper clippings, etc., which they are keeping a record of for posterity in case they are unsuccessful.

In their efforts to track down the location of the Count, they slowly piece together every move he has made so far, how he made the journey to London considering his limitations of needing to go to ground during the day, etc., eventually following him back to his native Transylvania, in desperation of saving not only the rest of humanity, but more personally, one of their own. ...more

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