Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Dracula by Bram Stoker

94 reviews

jessicabearbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Chronic illness and Misogyny

mistystar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Murder

celery's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

• 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

Could've been shorter

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Content Warnings

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

akgeekgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

rochelleisreading's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

s3ag0at's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: War

wowsmeows's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Animal death

corallydeer's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This was a decently fun read! Since it was an edition with larger text, lots of pictures, and a simplified level of writing it was easy to get through and the writing style wasn't too awkward. I did feel like the story felt pretty rushed with this edition which made it hard to get into, so I had to keep reminding myself to read it. But overall I enjoyed it! I'll definitely have to read a full edition.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Death & Murder

(various people are killed by Dracula and his wives)

| Medical Content

(Seward and Helsing are both doctors; depictions of medical assessments and blood transfusions)

| Racial Slurs

(consistent use of the word "gypsy" throughout the book)

| Violence

(Dracula and his wives attack a number of people; the men and Mina confront the group of Romani people transporting Dracula's coffin and fight them)

| Animal Death

(Renfield collects various bugs and small animals to feed them to slightly larger ones)

| Death of Parent

(Lucy's mother passes away from shock; Andrew tends to his dying father throughout the story)

| Grief

(various mentions of funerals; Lucy grieves the loss of her mother a bit before passing away herself)

| Gun Violence

(the men use guns in the fight to get to Dracula's coffin)

| Injury/Injury Detail

(some minor discussion of the bite marks; one character receives a stab wound in a fight)

| Mental Illness

(Seward is a doctor at an asylum; Renfield goes back and forth through various depictions of mental illness)

| Suicidal Thoughts

(Jonathan decides that if they don't succeed at saving Mina from vampirism then he'll become a vampire with her to stay together as un-dead)

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

When I read one of "the classics," I pause and remind myself that I'm about to step into a different time with different people who held different and sometimes/often offensive beliefs. A "classic" may not be a good story with good characters, but instead may be a good window into the time and place it was written and set in. And "classics" are also saddled with the moniker of being "over-hyped." With this in mind, I can firmly say that I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula! I didn't feel like I was stepping into a totally unfamiliar world because Stoker is descriptive without making the reader feel bogged down with details or flowery descriptions. I think the characters, while quite overwrought, were fully fleshed out *rim shot* people, and I'm pleased to say that this includes the women! Dracula is very much worth the hype. I can see why it's maintained cultural relevance and why its tropes and themes remain popular after 127 years. I was waiting for the mythical "right" time to read this book, and I'm glad I got to enjoy it during spooky season!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, and Stalking

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Antisemitism

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail