Let's talk about: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula by Bram Stoker is a book that I try to re-read every October. 

This year I read part of it and listened to the rest on my audible app. I am using a free trial of audible right now and one day I decided to look up Dracula on it to see how much it was (I used my free credit for a different book) and it was FREE! I don't know if that was temporary or not but if you are interested in getting the audio version you might want to go over there and sign up for your free trial and check. (I will talk about Audible more on my personal blog later.)

I really enjoyed listening to it because it had a full cast including Tim Curry and Alan Cumming.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a huge fondness for this book. 

I have always been interested in vampire lore but I didn't read it for the first time until October of 2004. I remember sprinting to our car one night as my husband and I left our apartment to go shopping because it was foggy outside and I had been reading a part of Dracula that involves fog. He thought it was hilarious. And it kind of was. 

"The world seems full of good men- even if there are monsters in it."

Bram is a fantastic writer. This book is timeless. It is scary but not terrifying. It has some violence (what with the vampires and everything) but it is not too gory. It has a lot of substance. It isn't just a horror novel meant to scare you. It is much more than that. 

I love all of the characters in it although sometimes the women seem to be too "perfect" but I think the way the men look at them as these fair, virtuous, innocent beings has a lot to do with the time period it is set in. 

There are a few times when you may feel like the book drags on a bit. I don't feel that way but I have talked to some people that do. He does go into a lot of detail and this is a very well rounded book with a lot of information and a lot going on simultaneously. 

It is told through diary entries and letters written by many of the different characters. It begins with the diary entries of Jonathan Harker as he travels to the castle of Count Dracula because Dracula is a client. Then he goes missing for a while. We switch to Mina Parker and her friend Lucy. 

From there it goes on to other characters as well and then they all become connected. 

 

 I think you will like it. I think it is a book that everyone should at least try. 

Especially if you like vampires or Gothic novels. It is a classic for a reason. 

In my opinion, it deserves all the hype.