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jessicabearbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
"You are nearest and dearest and all the world to me; our souls are knit into one for all life and all time"
Wow. There aren't really words to truly express what it's like to read this classic. There's such a stereotype about classic literature that breeds apprehension to a reader: they're boring, difficult to read and understand, too long etc. Dracula feels like a modern day movie that should be loved by all. The atmosphere is incredible! Definitely recommend reading at leas the first 60 pages listening to some sort of spooky/classical/ambient music as the way Bram Stoker introduces the reader to the story and overall vibe of Dracula is amazing. 100% recommend immersive reading. This story is CREEPY but a little comforting at the same time.
4.75 because it's definitely a longer story to read (took me 16 days to due to my dedication to appreciate and understand every single word) and it was a little difficult as there's a lot of old language and phrasing used (But in Bram Stoker's defence he was writing in 1897 and it sort of added to the vibe).
The characters are so lifelike and more real and loveable than a lot of modern characters I've met this year. I could't help but get attached to them as their emotions are so beautifully portrayed, and their relationships are so deep and real. Dracula is 100% a romance novel. The relationships and idea of Love itself are masterfully explored and written. I mean, I was not expecting to fall in love with this story as much as I did, but it was difficult to pretend this was 'just another Classic when the exploration of Love is the deepest and most beautifully expressed I have ever read.
"If you only knew how gladly I would die for her you would understand-"
"I love you with all the moods and tenses of the verb"
As I said above, definitely try and read this with some ambient playlists in the background - but don't write off using more modern day music! The relationships in Dracula are recognisable enough to listen to songs such as "Wait" by M83. I'd suggest playlists with similar energy to "Saying goodbye to them", "They were never real", or "Missing your comfort character". This story is heartbreaking. If you allow yourself to be taken on the journey, and not stay certain that this is just a piece of Classic literature that you're reading for the sake of it, you will feel every emotion felt by Mina, Arthur, and Jonathan.
An ode to Mina:
Thank you for sharing your story. You deserve the best in the world, for you were the purest being in it and always will be.
"The whole of life seems gone from me all at once, and there is nothing in the wide world for me to live for"
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Chronic illness and Misogyny
celery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
derilok's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Misogyny
jpw447's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I enjoyed components of this - the love and loss, the sincerity of the characters' relationships, Van Helsing himslef - but most of all was the fear of the unknown. This was done really nicely, as Dracula's powers become increasingly apparent, and the situation looks increasingly destitute for the protagonists.
Van Helsing was a very cool character, as he had an awful lot of knowledge and was extremely careful in how he shared it, which added to the mystery elements well. His moral conviction and beliefs feel real and robust, which gives him strength of character. I did really like him.
With that said, the writing style made this difficult to read. Although it was written in the late 19th century, and it's wonderfully poetic at times, it became opaque as the book went on. Whilst it builds tension well, it does make the final quarter of the book hard to enjoy - the path is clear, yet the characters spend an awful lot of time over-explaining the next steps, and the same conversation is had perhaps three times.
It was great to read this, and I really loved the first three quarters of the book before it started to drag on, making me skim the last 100 pages. 7/10
Minor: Gore
pbella3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, and Murder
akgeekgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
keaganbailey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The acts of killing are also strangely sudden (being a few paragraphs at most) compared to the human deaths that take place over multiple chapters. Between that and the sections of nothing but planning travel - the pacing some of the worst I've ever read as the author focuses on mundane information of the world rather than plot.
However, that all being said, I still enjoyed the main story beats. I would recommend an abridged version.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, and Kidnapping
wowsmeows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal death
leann0330's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts
Note: Since this is a gothic horror novel, I tried to add content warnings but may have missed some. I finally read this and went into it, not really knowing what the “original” vampire folklore is because our society has been so saturated with undead fantasy. It was great to read this (and I knew that Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla was one of Stoker’s inspirations for this) going in fairly blindly. The story was suspenseful and I loved that it was told strictly from journal entries, so quite a few different POVs. Poor old Van Helsing droned on and on. I think that’s probably the only complaint I have other than the way women were still thought to not be as smart as men (but that was a product of the time). Because, let’s be honest—Mina was the real MVP. I wasn’t sure if the good guys would win in the end, so it was suspenseful for me until the last page.bearystarry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis