Dracula by Bram Stoker
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Book Overview:
Dracula by Bram Stoker begins with Jonathan Harker traveling to Transylvania to meet an eccentric client and finalize his purchase of a property in London. While there Harker discovers that he’s been imprisoned within Count Dracula’s castle and he bears witness to horrific and terrifying discoveries.
Meanwhile, in England, various peculiar events unfold. Starting with an unmanned ship wrecking in Whitby with the Captain found dead tied to the mast with a mysterious note in his pocket. Then there’s the young lady Lucy who is troubled with a mysterious ailment and two strange puncture wounds are found on her neck. At an insane asylum, a man warns about the upcoming arrival of his “Master” leaving the staff confounded. These events coalesce contributing to a small group of adversaries uniting to confront these evils and prevent their progression.
My Review:
How does one review a literary masterpiece such as Dracula? From the beginning, this story had me in a chokehold, and wouldn’t let go until I reached the epic conclusion. To say that I enjoyed this classic would be an understatement. It was an absolute experience! I think my favorite element was the gothic atmosphere and continual sense of foreboding and mystery. It made for a compelling read where I eagerly rushed to turn the pages to see how the story unfolded.
Additionally, the characters were endearing. My favorite was Van Helsing. His wisdom, insight, and compassionate nature were the foundation of the small group of adversaries. Truly his hunches and discoveries allowed them to connect the dots and uncover what was afoot and put them on the trail of Count Dracula.
I adored Mina Harker her fierce protectiveness and loyalty for her friend Lucy Westernra and her unwavering love for Jonathan revealed much about her character and the type of person she was. I was invested in her story and wanted nothing but a satisfactory outcome for her. Also, the found family element in this story was superb. Everyone had a tender affection towards one another which urged them to work together to protect each other and defeat the evil that was abound.
Count Dracula was the perfect villain. He’s not the modern-day vampire we’ve depicted that sparkles in the sun, drinks animal blood, and just wants to be loved. Rather he has evil intent and desires to turn the streets of London into his hunting ground where he can gain power and spread his dominion. He’s described as appearing deathly pale and smelling of decay a true thing of the dead. He uses his abilities to trick and persuade others to acquiesce to his wicked desires.
Although we don’t see Dracula on the page often and mostly catch glimpses of him through the unfolding events that transpire throughout the story it didn’t decrease my general anxiety and dread concerning him as a character. In some ways it heightened it since I didn’t fully grasp what he was doing I was always on edge waiting for him to strike.
Then there’s the exploration of the lore concerning vampires. The missing reflection in mirrors, the ability to transform into other animals such as wolves or bats, the use of mist, telepathic powers and powers of suggestion, aversion to garlic, holy wafers, and the crucifix. These factors built much of the fodder used for vampire stories that followed setting a standard for all the vampire tales that followed.
The pacing of this story was slow and intentional. While it started with a bang while Jonathan Harker was in Transylvania uncovering the truth of Count Dracula’s plan it tampers down to focus on building the framework for the tale. Thus allowing us to witness the steady unraveling of the devious intentions Dracula had for all involved. We see him for the diabolical transgressor he really is.
Only as the story reaches its final act does the pace increase creating a sense of urgency that the characters may fulfill their plan and stop the ensuing terror. And what a flawless conclusion! The ending was well executed and brought things full circle. Amidst the horror of this tale, there is a happy ending for most involved.
While many themes can be gleaned from this classic the one that stands out to me the most is the xenophobic overtures concerning foreigners or those of another race. We see this represented by Dracula’s invasion of London and his vile intentions of what he seeks to accomplish there. It’s evident that during this time racial purity was paramount and the idea of someone of an unclean race or ethnicity was deemed a threat to society that must be eradicated.
Stoker explores this idea by featuring upstanding characters of English descent countering the evils of an impure outsider. He builds on the fear that many have that a foreigner or unclean race will come and disrupt the balance of society by taking from the pure race, diluting their bloodline, amassing riches and power causing the eventual eradication of their current way of life. While outdated and xenophobic his thoughts on this topic reflected the concerns of society.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a brilliant piece of work that can be explored and enjoyed for many generations to come. I highly recommend if you love vampires that you read this classic you won’t regret it.
To learn more about the spooky books I chose for October visit my post October 2024 TBR: 5 Star Predictions
