November Group Read: Dracula by Bram Stoker

[Rafael]

It is a comedy, with Leslie Nielsen and Mel Brooks. What is not a bad thing at all.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Re-reading. What fun!

[JB]

Interesting read. My first time. I enjoy the unique perspective of how it is narrated. However... (view spoiler)[ Sweet Lord in Heaven everything by Van Helsing gives me a headache. I get the fact he is foreign to the rest of characters and English is not his native tongue, but oh my... (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

JB wrote: "Interesting read. My first time. I enjoy the unique perspective of how it is narrated. However... [spoilers removed]"

I found Van Helsing grating. Let's presuppose he's a 'learned gentleman,' I think he would have mastered English grammar ... huh? Don't cha think?

[J.]

I suspect that Helsing's affectations may be an artifact of then current British sentiment. Historically, Britain and Germany (previously Prussia and numerous principalities) had been very close, however the 1890s were marked by the ascension of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Wilhelm was young, ambitious and often less than diplomatic. He dreamed of a greater German Empire, and he took steps to attain it. These steps did not make Germany and Britain enemies, but it did create a rivalry. Hence, I think, Van Helsing being loud and inclined toward being an asshole.

[Graeme]

J. wrote: "I suspect that Helsing's affectations may be an artifact of then current British sentiment. Historically, Britain and Germany (previously Prussia and numerous principalities) had been very close, h..."

Context++ could be a factor.

[Graeme]

Hi Corinne, there's no doubt there is brilliance within the mess.

[JB]

Finished it last night. Really good read and really puts a different spin on Vampires. My how they have changed over the years. Van Helsing explaining them did not help the process though.

Really enjoyed the end as well. The build up was more enjoyable than the big finale. I was pleasantly surprised to find the book was different than the movie, and exponentially better. It seems they butchered the most enjoyable part of the end for the sake of movie "excitement," and failed miserably. Really happy I finally marked this one off the list!

[Char]

Corinne wrote: "The first quarter of the book is my favorite.

The towns people put up two fingers against the evil eye to Jonathan. He has no idea why. Do you think this is the one they are using?"


LOL In my world we credit that hand sign to DIO as well!

[Char]

I, too, love the epistolary form when it's done well and I think in this book it's done extremely well.

My favorite part has always been Jonathan's arrival at the castle

[Charlotte]

I did not like this novel, I read it a few months ago So it is still fresh in my mind. Maybe my mind it is because I prefer modern adaptations, but the older english, the more 'proper' english is not y friend.

[Rachel]

Daddy wrote: "I did not like this novel, I read it a few months ago So it is still fresh in my mind. Maybe my mind it is because I prefer modern adaptations, but the older english, the more 'proper' english is n..."

I tend to agree. I enjoyed the first half but after the death of Lucy it really started to drag for me. And I wanted to shout at all those men when they were so involved with their plans they failed to notice that Mina was displaying the same symptoms as Lucy that they literally had to walk in on Dracula feeding Mina his own blood to catch on.