Post #4: Dracula

Dracula (Enriched Classics Series)

Bram Stoker

Post number four for 2009 is for Bram Stoker's Dracula. I originally started this book in 2005 while I was working cashwrap at Barnes & Noble, and also only picked it up because it was the only thing that looked remotely interesting AND was close to where I needed to stand. I stopped reading it after a couple of days, then decided last year that I should try to read it again, so checked it out from the local library. That attempt didn't go so well either, so I finally just bought the book and have since been picking at it for about six months or so. Possibly longer.

And now I've finally finished it. What follows will contain spoilers, so please avoid if you're so inclined.

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Much like when I read Frankenstein, my feelings about this book are mixed. I enjoyed some parts more than others - in particular, the beginning and the end were, imo, better than the rest - and some parts were just downright difficult for me to get through. I had a difficult time with Van Helsing's speech, and the book in general reminded me of Tolkien's writing, in that, for one reason or another, I had a hard time reading it and staying involved in the story.

That being said, I enjoyed Jonathan's journey into Romania and all the things that happened to him at the Count's castle. It did a really nice job of setting up the story and introducing the different elements. The middle seemed to drag; I enjoyed Mina's telling of her time spent with Lucy, but at the same time it didn't engage me like the beginning had. There were a lot of new characters introduced - Dr. Seward, Quincey Morris, Lord Godalmning - and it seemed too big of a coincidence that they'd all be right there when needed, especially Morris who, if I was understanding correctly, actually lived in the U.S. Also terribly coincidental (and slightly eyeroll inducing) was the fact that all these men were iinterested in Lucy. It seemed a bit much.

One thing that irritated me was that the men didn't figure out what was happening to Mina until it was nearly too late. I mean, they'd all been there for Lucy's demise - shouldn't they have realized much more quickly what was going on? How many times do they need to see someone completely colorless and lethargic before they realize that Dracula just might be about? Also, Renfield's reason for being in the asylum was rather gross, and I could have done without quite so much detail. :-P

I enjoyed the end because of the whole "adventure" feeling I got from it. They were all working together to find Dracula and dispose of him, and I liked the various accounts of what each party had to go through. Although, that being said, these characters sure had exquisite memories! They were able to tell us exactly what every character ever said, even when the conversations went on for a long time. I get that we needed to suspend our disbelief, but I almost think it would have just been better to write this book like most other author's do and forgo the journal entry format. (Although, that being said, Frankenstein was built around journal entries, too. Must have been the literay method of the time, perhaps.)

I was glad that this edition of the book included footnotes to tell me what the heck they were talking about as far as geographical features and the different ways of speaking by the characters (the Czarina Catherine's captain's speech in particular was difficult to understand even *with* the footnotes), because I would have been quite lost without them. I'm glad we don't talk like that any longer. It may have been melodic, but MAN did they take a roundabout way of saying what they meant to say. :))

While I did enjoy the book and am glad I read it, I don't think I'll be rereading any time soon. Maybe it was the fact that it took me so long to get through it the first time that makes me feel this way, but I kind of feel that this book may be one of those that's just better off being read the one time. Time will tell, I suppose. I may find that I want to revisit it again after all. And I don't mean to sound like I didn't like it. I just ... didn't like it as much as others I've read.

One final thing. The back of the book declares, "The quintessential tale of suspense and horror, presenting one of the most terrifying characters ever born in literature: Count Dracula of Transylvania." My only thought on that is that I disagree. I have read several other books that do the suspense/horror thing much better. Maybe it's because I knew that in the end Dracula would be killed, but I wasn't terribly surprised by anything that happened in this book. Oh, well. Now I know. :-P