Dracula
Book By Bram Stoker
Review by
Janelle A. Spiers
“Never did tombs look so ghastly white. Never did cypress, or yew, or
juniper so seem the embodiment of funeral gloom. Never did tree or grass wave
or rustle so ominously. Never did bough creak so mysteriously, and never did
the far-away howling of dogs send such a woeful presage through the night.”
~ Bram Stoker, Dracula
“There are darknesses
in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all
lights.”
~ Bram Stoker, Dracula
WARNING: Please be aware that if you continue reading
this Book Review, you may be subject to reading spoilers and or secrets of the
original book. However, all attempts shall
be made to hide the crucial points, in the event that this review encourages
you to read this book. Any information
divulged will be deemed by the author of this review necessary to the review,
or, not capable of ruining any major surprise.
Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897 and changed the fictional realm of horror
forever. Stoker’s haunting story of
death, love, and fantasized monsters brings both inspiration and chills to the
reader, thrusting them into a tale mixed to the brim with modern life and early
European folklore. Dracula has made such an impact in the literary world that Bram
Stoker’s ideas have been used in many stories since that time.
Despite the grim circumstances and breath-taking
drama, Dracula is a powerful story
about good vs. evil. The light of
goodness, truth, and holiness are starkly and beautifully contrasted with the
darkness of evil, lies, and horror.
Stoker wove a powerful, golden thread of redemption throughout his dark
tapestry, so that no matter how dark the night or how desperate the character,
there is always some hope left on which they can cling. The idea of love being more powerful than
fear is also present. Each of the
characters are challenged to decide how far they are willing to go for love for
each other, and for life itself.
The unforgettable story begins with a man named
Jonathan Harker travelling across the Carpathian Mountains to the castle of
Count Dracula, where he will be helping with a legal affair. After the frightening experience of trying to
get to the secluded, mysterious castle, Jonathan finds himself the guest of an
equally mysterious master. As time
passes, suspicion and fear begin to build, and Jonathan realizes that he is no
longer a guest, but a prisoner; Dracula has locked him in the old castle. A series of harrowing events plague Jonathan
and he barely escapes with his life back to England where his fiancé awaits
him.
But a long, arduous life has just begun for the
heroes of this tale. A shipwreck on the
coast brings with it strange and deadly results and a young woman with
sleepwalking issues suddenly begins to look more pale than usual. With the help of two brilliant doctors and
two other stout gentlemen, Harker and his newlywed wife, Mina, are faced with
the fact that there is a mythical creature in their midst, and if they do not
stop the threat, Dracula will destroy the world they know and love.
Jonathan Harker is a very steadfast, cool-headed
man, but his encounter with Dracula and his eerie home leaves a great strain on
him, especially when he thinks his life is at stake. He spends the rest of the story with a
burning passion to defeat the monster, but at the same time, he can lapse into
a very weak and fearful state, typically more for his bride than himself.
Mina Harker is the faithful, “guiding star” for the
men of this tale. Her loyalty and
compassion to her husband is equally, yet properly, shared with the other
gentlemen who bond together to destroy Dracula.
When Mina is attacked by Dracula and her life takes a terrible turn, she
longs to stay with those she loves, but she is willing to sacrifice herself in
order to keep her friends safe.
Dr. Seward is a major piece of the puzzle and he is
necessary to the destruction of Dracula.
He specializes in helping the insane and mentally disabled, and when one
such man is found to be working for the Count, Seward manages to pry
information from the man to help them in their conquest.
Perhaps the greatest protagonist is Abraham Van
Helsing, a Dutch doctor and former teacher of Dr. Seward. Van Helsing is the first one to discover what
Dracula is and how he can be stopped, and despite the fact that no one believes
him, he manages to prove Dracula’s true identity and the means to ending
him. Van Helsing is a quiet, thoughtful
man with much faith and brain that ultimately result in the demise of Dracula.
Dracula himself is a creature of much discretion and
sinister intent. As a vampire, he is
neither dead nor living, and is called “un-dead” as a result. He preys on anyone and everyone but with so
much secrecy that it is almost impossible to detect. One of the most remarkable traits that Count
Dracula possesses is that he is very patient and slow; with no fear of dying
from old age, he has hundreds upon hundreds of years on his hands, and so every
movement he makes is bold, but in no rush.
The writing style of Dracula is very unique.
Instead of constant narration, the entire book is split up into journal
entries written by the main characters, gatherings of newspaper clippings,
letters, telegrams, etc. In addition,
the ways the words are written or constructed vary, depending on which
character is writing or recording. However, on an overall note, the
understandability of the story can be difficult, due to the older way of
speaking and writing, also, based on the long, winding plot line and
information that comes with it.
Abraham Stoker was born on November 8, 1847, in
Dublin, Ireland, the third of seven children.
Stoker was bedridden for the first several years of his life from an
unknown disease or illness, but by age seven, he was completely recovered and able
to attend a private school; he never suffered from any major illness
again. In his early adulthood, Stoker
married Florence Balcombe, who had been previously courted by his friend, Oscar
Wilde. The Stokers moved to London,
where their only child was born, and Stoker became the theater manager for
Henry Irving, a famous actor. There he
was introduced to notable people, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and on traveling
to America, president Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, and Walt
Whitman. Dracula was written in 1897, but never attracted much popularity until
after his death on April 20, 1912.
Though the story and its characters are fascinating
and enjoyable, some of the content may be unsuitable for young or sensitive
readers. There are a few instances of
swearing, but they are mild and not used flippantly. There is some romance between two couples
without the book, but nothing intimate is ever recorded or hinted. Several of the female vampires that appear in
the story are described as intensely lovely and they act rather seductively in
hopes of luring in prey, but the characters shun such creatures.
The intensity of the story can be
overwhelming. Several beloved characters
die, and one, who died a as a vampire, must be mutilated after death to keep
her from attacking innocent children, which she had been doing. Blood is a central theme and gory idea that
fuels the story along, so it may be unpleasant to read. There is also a mentally insane man who eats
flies, spiders, birds, and wants to eat cats, as well, and his death may be
distressing.
The progression of Dracula’s stunning plot line is neat,
concise and has left very little room for argumentation, barring the fact that
vampires are works of fictitious imagination. All the characters, from gentle
and graceful Mina to the intelligent and thoughtful Van Helsing are almost like
living creatures that grow and live within the tale. Bram Stoker has painted a breathing portrait
of a world about to be undone by the un-dead.
Dracula
was not the first story about vampires, but by it, a path was forged through
the uncharted territory of fiction that still progresses today. One of Bram Stoker’s characters once said, “I want you to believe...to believe
in things that you cannot.” Stoker tried to create a piece of far-fetched fiction
into a tale that would seem so real it could bite you, and that is exactly what
he did. Dracula is an amazing, thrilling, haunting tale about the search
for light in the darkest places, love in the most hopeless times, and peace
from the dreaded monster, Count Dracula.
(Based on a rating
system entirely made up of pros and cons, I judge by different categories to
ensure that the reader of this review can aptly choose if this book is an
appropriate for themselves or others.)
Theme ~ Positive! (For excellent topics that are inspiring
and applicable to life.)
Plot Line ~ Positive! (For a gripping, unmatched
storyline)
Characters ~ Positive! (Very memorable and extremely
consistent)
Writing Quality ~ Negative! (For difficult, archaic writing
style)
Mature Content ~ Negative! (Intense and graphic sequences,
more suitable for an older audience.)
Congruency ~ Positive! (For extreme consistency in plot,
characters, and quality)
The total score for Dracula by Bram Stoker is 4 out of a
possible 6 positive points.
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