Dracula

I finished Dracula a couple of months ago, so this isn’t the most timely review, but I’m getting to it, at least! And even though it’s been a couple months, I’m still struck by how good this was, especially for a classic. When I think classic, I think stuffy, wordy, and boring. Dracula is not that at all. It’s a multi-POV, epistolary, horror-action story.

The first big note is the language is still a bit old timey, but that’s to be expected at least. In fact, I think it enhanced the story as it really immerses you in the time period. Some of the plot is a bit contrived (people are falling asleep on the job constantly) but really that’s the worst of it, and it serves the story - so it’s acceptable. There are some spots where the story drags - the men talking / planning has a lot of “get on with it” to me - but for the most part something is always happening. To go along with that, some of the characters blend together, but they’re mostly the secondary characters. The Harkers, Van Helsing, Dracula are a couple that (obviously) stand out. And weirdly, it feels like you know some of the characters already through cultural osmosis. Dracula and Van Helsing are two who I had heard of before reading, which adds to the ease of reading.

A late-night stakeout (amazing joke Thomas), some globetrotting, various murders, a climatic battle are all exciting parts of the book, and what make this book one of the most accessible classics out there. I have so many good things to say about the tightness of the story, the characters, and that’s not even mentioning essentially creating / popularizing one of the most well known monsters out there. As for the form of the book itself, the diary entries, news clippings, and letters also make getting into this classic easier because the point of all of those media is to be clear. Some of the diary entries do drag a bit, but they’re diary entries. The “bad” parts of the book are all pretty reasonable, so the damage is minimized.

What I’m trying to say is, people always want to read more classics. They get through a chapter or two and realize they need the accompanying guide book, and stop. I totally get that. This is not one of those books. Get through a few chapters (or read through with Dracula Daily - they’ll email you the chapters on the actual day they happen!), and I promise it’ll live up to modern writing way more than you expect.

Who should read this? Anyone, especially if you’re looking to dive deeper than pop-fiction.