Just read Dracula to prepare for Nosferatu.
The book is amazing, feels way ahead of its time. The different character entries just added layers of investment to the story.
I think some people complains that the middle part drags a little bit. But I actually really like the “Lucy” part:
The looming dread, the slow escalation from the arrival of an empty ship to the final confrontation with Lucy in the grave. It feels like a perfect book within the book for me.
Instead, I do think that the final part that drags a little bit. All those trackings for ship schedule. Splitting up our heroes to three parties but didn’t really utilize the split.
And I do wish it was a bit clearer on why Dracula let Jonathan alive that long or what was his plan with him.
In my mind I read it as he was planning to make Jonathan the next Renfield. But yeah I wish it was more explicit.
But all minor complaints.
Overall its a timeless book, groundbreaking and evidently innovative too judging by its influence.
by Slowandserious
7 Comments
I signed up for Dracula Daily and can’t wait for it to begin
I thought he kept Jonathan alive just to learn from him more about England, the place he was planning his vampiric conquest?
I enjoyed the book alot. There were highlights and lows for me.
Like the beginning chapters with Jonathan in the castle, the spookey ship chapters with Dracula coming to england, the crazy guy chapters in the asylum with Dr. Seward, and a couple more were the real highs for me.
I also really loved the feeling of this mixed band, this party of different yet very noble people banding together to take on this great evil.
I agree with you about Lucy not being the drag really, but I did find it just *okay* at times, and as you say its the final part with the tracking that dragged. Really, imo, the drag settles as the dust settles, and all the characters know each other, and know of the threat(Dracula). Once they know exactly what happened and know who they are dealing with and form a team, it begins to drag with characters trying to connect, etc.
I read Frankenstien soon after and loved that one.
I watched nosferatu yesterday and legit felt like breaking out my copy of dracula I have somewhere which I read back in middle school
Dracula is a novel that has stood the test of time for a reason.
Its also something of a Victorian techno-thriller. The protagonists use cutting edge technologies like telegraph and railways to get an edge over Dracula.
Mina is also a proto-feminist icon, being an example of the Victorian New Woman: educated, intelligent, and with her own social circle and interests. Her ability to collate and examine the various documents that comprises the novel is just as essential to the effort as Van Helsing’s occult knowledge.
Dracula was one of the most engaging classics. Especially since we have hindsight to rely on, knowing cliche vampire traits and all. The Dracula cast didn’t. It was hilarious yet a bit miserable seeing them miss obvious clues, and Lucy’s slow death.
10/10 want to visit Whitby if I ever travel to the UK.
I really like Dracula because it feels like first “found footage” horror, before found footage genre was created lol.
Jonathan had just become another one of Dracula’s pets. There was no need to kill something harmless that gave him a little pleasure by being cute and telling him about modern life.
I love what a big ol nerd Mina is.