Hi, I need a hand!

About two years ago, I decided to start reading novels for the first time, and I decided to start with Harry Potter, which has always been my passion. I was already used to reading, but I only read manga, so I decided it was time to read a book. Anyway, I managed to finish the first book in the series, but I started the second one and never got halfway through. Now, after two years, I've decided to revisit the books (not out of a sense of purpose, but simply out of personal interest), but my tastes have changed a bit; right now, I'm mostly interested in gothic novels. I wanted to try starting with Dracula, Frankenstein, or The Vampire Chronicles novels (Anna Rice's series), but I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable with one of these novels as a first read. I ask this because I know many people find such novels difficult; for example, my girlfriend tells me Dracula is quite a difficult read (since she's already read it). Anyway, to sum up, I'm wondering if you think I should start with something simpler or if I should try one of these novels. Thank you so much!!