Historian: Vampire Theme

[J.D.]

The Historian won our October Group read for the vampire theme. :)

Has anyone started reading it?

[Barbara]

I have started. I am really not that impressed, but I am going to finish it.

[Michelle]

I've read it before, and loved it.

[stormhawk]

I read it before, thought it was pretty deadly boring. Every time the story seemed to be going somewhere, and that some progress was being made and it was going to get exciting ... it went back to being boring.

[Michelle]

Just to explain why I loved it because I neglected too in a rush. I'm a history nut and I happened to go through a Vald Tepes kick where I researched him compulsively so that's why it's one of my favs. I can understand why people say it's boring though.

[J.D.]

Hmmm... I was going to go pick it up at the library, but now I am thinking that maybe I should just read the other group read...It seems like a lot of people have been saying that it bored them.

[Kristina]

I read it last year and I loved it. But I also love history and I was entertained by the whole book. I couldn't put it down.

[Barbara]

I get confused with all the history. The Ottoman's and the Turks and the "I don't even remembers" are peoples I have never studied. The premise of the book is great though, so I am really trying to finish it. I am plodding along.

[Elvia]

I'm not much of a history buff but my husband is. I just told him he may want to check it out. It's actually in my library bag at home right now and I haven't gotten around to it. lol

[Melissa]

I read it when it was first out and I liked it all the way up to the end. I felt the author left me hanging. I was so into the whole plot and the chase and then it fizzled out. My husband listened to it on cd and was pretty mad at me when it was over because he had the same reaction I did. I thought it was still a good enough story to recommend it to him, but the ending wasn't what I had expected.

[Mawgojzeta]

I read it (am not a huge history buff) and rather enjoyed the book. I found the history quite interesting. Also, I realized early on that this was not going to be enjoyed unless I was willing to take a bit of time with the book. I only read it when I had a full twenty minutes or more to sit down to it and was not into anything else*.

*I am one of those people who read on t.v. commercials, while cooking, while blow drying my hair, a quick page here and there....

[Barbara]

I am actually getting more into it now. I am around page 400 and I am able to follow it a little more easily (Thanks to a crash course in history of the Ottomans and Byzantines).

[pianogal]

I found this one a few years back, and was really excited to pick up it b/c I love vampires and I love history. But, I was so disappointed. It's just boring and long. If you liked it, more power to ya, but it was not something I would ever recommend.

[Barbara]

One thing I don't like about the book so far is that you don't know the narrator's name. It upsets me because I feel like I can't picture her correctly. Something stupid to complain about.

[Lisa]

Barbara wrote: "One thing I don't like about the book so far is that you don't know the narrator's name. It upsets me because I feel like I can't picture her correctly. Something stupid to complain about. "

I know what you mean, but sometimes not knowing the name becomes a part of the character. The mystery Rebecca by the second wife of Mr. DeWinter, Rebecca being his first wife, and the fact that you don't know her name and Rebecca, who is dead, has the title of the book, adds to her feelings of insignificance.

[Barbara]

I finally finished it today. I wrote a short review basically saying what I already said here and added that I disliked the ending. It could have been better... Oh well!

[Barbara]

Lisa Anne, what do you think the significance was? I was thinking along the lines of either anonymity as she changes the names of some of the places she visits. OR it could be that she identifies with herself being a Historian and that's all she wants you to know... What do you think?

[Jaimie]

Barbara, I know you asked the question to Lisa Anne but it's a good question and I'd like to chime in. The narrator having no name urked me at first but then I just decided to call her Elizabeth (the author's first name) in my head and I was fine. But I think not naming the narrator gave me more of an opportunity to see the story through her eyes, rather than see the story as an outsider. In hindsight, I just read Rebecca for the first time a couple of months ago and I think Du Maurier may have had the same intention.

It's a shame so many of you found it boring. I read this a few years ago and loved it. In fact, wanting to read it made me finally able to read Dracula all the way through and I read them back to back.

Reading Dracula first gave me an understanding of something Kostova never explained-maybe she was hoping her readers would have Dracula fresh in their minds. It was the part in which they finally found her father and they were able to get information on Dracula when he was in a trance at dusk or dawn (can't remember). It's never explained in The Historian but it is explained in Dracula (although I don't exactly remember enough of the explaination to explain it here). There was also something else that I caught but I can't remember what it was. But these were minor things; my friend read it and had never read Dracula. She didn't catch those little tidbits but she still enjoyed the story.

Also, Dracula is known for being intensely atmospheric and Kostova was able to capture that in The Historian IMO.

[Barbara]

I have never read Dracula, although I wish I did seeing as I might have picked up on more of the funny little detail's of Elizabeth's book. Maybe I will try Dracula out now that you mention it. Perhaps I will understand more or feel differently. Books are never REALLY a waste of time to read.

[Shelli]

I listened to the abridged audio of this...which was still 10 cds...and I really enjoyed it...I also own the book so could read if I felt I had missed something....I think for this one, this was the way to go!

[Helen]

I love history and vampires but this book was summed up in message 4 - every time you think something is going to happen it just goes back to being boring. I had to leave it, something I hate to do.

[Lisa]

I loved this book, if just for the rich place descriptions. I've been obsessed with wanting to travel to Istanbul ever since!

[Elizabeth]

The Historian is in my top 5 favorite books. The research and history were unbelievable.