Book Review: Dracula

Title: Dracula

Author: Bram Stoker

ISBN: 978-1-55111-136-0 / 1-55111-136-5

First Published: 1897

Review:

Dracula is one of the texts I have had to read for my Victorian and Decadent Literature module on my course. Usually, reading a text because I have to takes away some of the enjoyment, but I still found Dracula an exciting, gothic romp across Eastern Europe and through Victorian London.

Of course, Dracula has a huge legacy in modern society. There are many films adaptations, and vampire mythology has seen a wealth of material in literature. With the current Twilight phenomenon, it has been interesting going back to the roots of the vampire genre.

Dracula uses letters and journals written by the main characters to tell its story. There are five or six major characters, with a few letters from minor characters dotted throughout. This presents a multitude of perspectives that all work together to create a cohesive story. It takes a little effort from the reader to remember which journal entry or letter is written by which character, but this is helped by distinctive language features that show who is writing. This journal format makes the events in the story more believeable since they act as factual documentation.

The plot is fairly simple: Dracula has come to London in an attempted invasion, and is hunted across London and Eastern Europe to Castle Dracula by Van Helsing and his friends. At times it is repetitive. Certain characters succumb to vampirism, and many journal entries seem to say the same thing as they go through a cycle of good health and relapses. Apart from these sections, the plot is fairly fast paced, especially towards the end of the novel, where it gets rather exciting.

The characters are all likeable and distinctive. The journal entries make it easier for us to see what each character is thinking, or at least what each character is willing to put down on paper. Since there are only a few main characters, it is easy to keep track on each character’s goals and motivations.

This is a Victorian novel, and as such is probably a little less accessible than modern books. The language is a little advanced, and there are references to what was then state-of-the-art technology, famous people and events in history, and geographical locations that assume prior knowledge. However, the edition that I read (published by Broadview) provided useful footnotes and appendices to help fill any gaps.

Overall, a very exciting and educational book. It provides an insight into Victorian culture, especially surrounding technology, psychology, hypnotism, and gender. If anybody is interested in the original vampire novel written in English, then I’d definitely recommend that they read Dracula.

Ratings:

Character: 7/10

Plot: 6/10

Style: 7/10

Overall: 7/10