Dracula: Bram Stroker

by Bram Stroker

A classic masterpiece of gothic horror fiction, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a chilling tale of disturbing events, dark desires, and the harrowing world of vampires. Jonathan Harker travels to the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania to assist the infamous Count Dracula with the purchase of an English house. The newly-qualified solicitor finds himself soon out of his depth as he discovers horrifying details about his client’s life through a series of spine-chilling events. This supernatural novel tells of quietly monstrous incidents and curious circumstances as Harker becomes the focus of Dracula’s bloodthirst. First published in 1897, Dracula is Bram Stoker’s masterful piece of vampiric fiction, exploring themes of sexuality and religion. Written through a series of letters and correspondence, this gripping novel is a gothic horror classic and is not to be missed by fans of the genre

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Classics

370 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2023

Reviews

[Ian N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this... I did have to get used to the writing style, honestly the constant perspective change with different journal entries kept slowly me down, but it was interesting

[WEN ↟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fear and consternation is rampant throughout the novel. Through Dracula Stoker explores gender roles, repressed sexuality, femininity & masculinity, good vs evil, fear of the unknown, science vs superstition, Christian salvation, Technology & Modernity. Some things which I think are over looked is the pure kindness, love & friendship between the characters it’s truly heart warming.

Robert Eggers, Nosferatu perfectly visualises & evokes the deep sense of fear & dread which Stoker executed through writing & I mean PERFECTLY. Stoker doesn’t just write these gothic landscapes he manages to conjure cinematic images & feelings through his evocative & intricate style of writing. The tension, the slow spine tingling sense of dread & the atmosphere it’s all a masterpiece. During my re-read & having since read some of his short stories I have so much admiration for his writing. No one quite describes fear nor articulates it quite like Bram Stoker. I had the time of my life re-reading Dracula!!! Stokers atmospheric writing is the epitome of why I love gothic.

Besides consternation , friendship & loyalty are both really strong currents throughout Dracula (but I think it’s easy to miss them & get caught up in all the action) There’s so much pure kindness in this novel. Van Helsing ugh I just love him even more. Not only did he deliver the best speeches he’s just so pure in his kindness. He still remains my favourite character! I LOVED the battle between the supernatural & science. The fear of the unknown. I’m a sucker for books that explore morality & it’s one of the many reasons I adore gothic lit. Dracula truly is a gothic feast & I can see the clear influence it’s has on gothic horror.

The count is the embodiment of many allegories such as xenophobia & anxiety surrounding women’s sexuality/repressed women’s sexuality. Another great gothic work I find my self comparing Dracula with is Stevensons novella Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Both works explore anxieties surrounding the late Victorian era, social order & morality. Through the Count stoker also explores the duality of men, Dracula is very well mannered & seems respectable but lurking beneath his facade is a much darker nature. The Victorian’s loved to hide behind a polite facade.

Although I have a deep love for this novel I am not blinded to its faults. However my interpretation is that Dracula does have feminist underdones ( as well as anti- feminist tones of course) for the standards of Stokers time. Stoker gave his women characters agency & prominence (e.g Lucy had many suitors but had the choice/ freedom to refuse their hand & Mina was working outside of the household, the male characters treating her as their equal e.g asking for her help & valuing her opinions) Stoker portrayed both his men & women characters to be obedient & dutiful. Mina is a strong, intelligent women who significantly contributes however.. she is often pushed back so the male characters can protect her. Undoubtedly Mina is also portrayed as the ideal Victorian woman especially surrounding purity. Women’s purity & the brave men speeches did really become very irksome. Whether this was intended or not I do believe Stoker does explore toxic masculinity & its negative effects on men, especially with Arthur not being able to cry in front of his male friends to grieve for Lucy.. with Mina however he can grieve & always having to be the hero is exhausting. Even if Stoker doesn’t bluntly say so within the text I do think the sexism is level out to some extent but the feminism in Dracula is 10 steps forward 10 steps back.


I’ve talked a lot about why this novel is so important to me on here. I first read this over 10 years ago & it felt like the right time to re-read. I had the time of my life re- reading Dracula. When I first read Dracula I did find it hard & slow.. however during my re- read I thought the exact opposite! I found it really fast paced & easy to read. Since reading Dracula I’ve read a lot more classics which I think has helped.

[Raychel Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t read this sooner in my life. One of my favorite tales. I found it at the thrift store and decided it was time. What’s amazing is that the book already had a crucifix in it. It’s like it was literally meant to find me!!! There’s a reason why this book is timeless. The writing is incredibly unique.

Picture this: you’re chilling in a creepy castle with a guy who’s basically the OG “tall, dark, and brooding.” But then, bam! He turns out to be a bloodsucking menace with boundary issues and a flair for melodrama. Welcome to Dracula - the book that birthed vampire hysteria.

Inviting Jonathan Harker over, only to basically gaslight him into insanity? Not cool, Drac. And the way he sneaks into England to terrorize everyone? Bold of him to assume nobody would notice a walking corpse with a thick accent and a coffin in tow.

Then we have the human squad, led by Van Helsing, who’s basically a 19th-century hype man for garlic and crosses.

The real star, though? Lucy Westenra. Homegirl just wanted to flirt and live her best Victorian life, and instead, she becomes Dracula’s snack pack.

Stoker’s writing is atmospheric AF, full of foggy landscapes, spooky vibes, and that slow-burn dread you didn’t realize you signed up for. Sure, some parts feel like a Victorian PowerPoint presentation (the endless letters and journal entries), but it’s all part of the charm.

Bottom line: Dracula is the ultimate gothic thriller, blending horror, drama, and unintentional comedy. If you haven’t read it yet, grab a garlic necklace, settle in, and prepare to meet the original vampire daddy. Just don’t invite him in. You’ve been warned.

[Andrea Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE! I absolutely loved this book. I listened to it on audible and it was voiced by Alan Cumming, Tim Curry and a full cast. The cast did a great job at making the book come to life. I love that Mina is such an independent, smart, and caring person. I think it is something that has been lost to other adaptations of the story and wished she was portrayed more as she is in the book. I loved that the men all looked to her and praised her for her wit. She was the driving force behind the group of men. I loved her character the most.
It obviously has some flaws and shows its age in some areas, but I thought for its time it has held up quite well.
The ending was very good in my opinion and was a good climax to the story. I felt like I was there huddled with Mina and Van Helsing watching the group of guys fight off the Romani people to eventually get to the coffin that held the Count.⚰️ Stoker does a fantastic job and makes the scenes come to life even though you are hearing everything from the other characters descriptions. The varying perspectives keep the story moving and feeling alive. (pun intended)
Overall, truly an incredible book to sink your teeth into. 🧛‍♂️🦇🩸

[John Collings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have known this story for decades mainly because of the Francis Ford Coppola production in the 90s, yet I was surprised at the way the story was told. It is told from the perspective of the people that are affected by the title character, and the vampire spends most of the story hiding in the shadows. While reading it, I could see how this story created the framework for many of the horror stories that followed. Authors such as Lovecraft, and Stephen King have to give credit to Bram Stroker for what he created with this classic tale, and it still holds up today. The pacing sometimes lags a little, especially in the earlier part of the novel. The story covers the same ground over and over again, and I get that it is to supply the multiple partners in a situation where sex in not explicitly talked about but could be implied by the actions. Despite this, it gets redundant, and it is a more exciting story when it moves beyond this part of the story. Otherwise, it is a classic for a reason, and people should seek it out at least once in their lifetimes.

[Galo Celly · Rating 5 out of 5]

La obra me dejó cautivado. La forma en que Stoker crea una atmósfera de misterio y terror es impresionante. Desde el momento en que Jonathan Harker llega al castillo del conde Drácula en Transilvania, se siente una tensión creciente que no disminuye en toda la novela. Los personajes están magistralmente construidos, y el propio Drácula es un villano fascinante y aterrador. La combinación de cartas, diarios y recortes de periódico para contar la historia es innovadora y mantiene el ritmo dinámico. Es un clásico que recomiendo a cualquiera que disfrute de una buena historia de vampiros con un toque de elegancia victoriana.

[Jeliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the style of the book where we see multiple perspectives as diary entries. I have seen some similar perspectives where the middle of the book tends to drag and I resonate with that however it does pick back up the pace nearer to the end. Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. It is so descriptive and Stroker does a great job in having readers feel like they are reading journal entries from multiple different people and he uses their writing style to develop an idea of each individual character in readers' heads. This was a good read and I do recommend it to people who are into gothic horror.

[Jenni Killin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dracula is the classic vampire story that every goth girl loves. Written from multiple perspectives, a group of men and women are being taunted by the horrifying vampire, Count Dracula, and they will stop at nothing to put an end to his power. The writing style of this is super interesting, as it's all written as diary entries by different characters. The plot itself is captivating, and the whole story is hypnotizing. This is definitely a great start to get someone into reading, especially if they're into darker themes.

[Andrew Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know the exact date that this book, but it was back in my early college years. I can remember with a lot different than anything I’ve ever read because of the division of the journals between different characters, but I thought it was very impactful and the way that I saw the story of Dracula and it was long overdue on my list to read this therefore, I thought I was so engaged, even given the blessed time of being able to read this on the train. I didn’t however, finish it till much later, but I did appreciate the way that Bram stroker created the story.

[Amanda Goldsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good but i thought the ending was only ok. took me a super long time to work through the second half ! it drags for a second but then gets fun again. im sure it was groundbreaking when it hit the press tho. i liked how it was written from multiple point of view and through their diaries but also thought all the men were being kinda weird abt mina.... like too much kissing and hugging and crying on someone else's wife for me personally.

[Roberto Leonardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨:
Ho sussultato, stupito com'ero di non averlo visto, dal momento che lo specchio rifletteva l'intera stanza alle mie spalle. Nel sobbalzo, m'ero fatto un piccolo taglio ma non l'ho notato subito. Dopo aver risposto al saluto del Conte, ho girato lo specchio per rendermi conto di come non lo avessi notato. Ma questa volta, impossibile l'errore: mi stava vicino, lo vedevo da sopra la spalla, ma nello specchio egli non si rifletteva!

VOTO: 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍻

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to rate this higher since it's a classic and it's what all the films and programs after are made of, however I just struggled to read it. The diary entries really aren't my style at all, I would rather it have been written as an actual story but that's just my personal view. The plot seems to drag and dip in odd places and just makes for hard reading ( in my opinion)

[Glenn Moonfaize · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too long and repetitive. Maybe in 1897, readers had more time. This book took a toll on me and a huge amount of time, and I still have 20 pages to go! This is too much back and forth; then talk of how the group loved each other while Dracula kept getting away. Some good scary horror moments but the epic delivery of the story was an ordeal.

[Julian Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a fan of Vampires in literature, I am glad I made time to read The Classic vampire novel. It’s amazing how Stroker maintains the gloomy, fear and evil feelings throughout the story and it’s characters. Definitely the book is better than the movie. Dracula is the King.

[Anya Nielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly super unhinged when you start paying attention to what's happening and NOT being said in the epistle format. Such a fun read. I've never seen an adaptation really do it justice. knowing how to read it makes all the difference.

[Johannes Hellwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic from the victorian age. Worth a read, but sometimes a little chewy. Detailed descriptions and old English.

[Diego Collazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

🙏

[Isabella Galdamez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leí versión pequeña

[Natty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sorry this was boring af. And way too long for it to be this boring af.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siii ...peroooo

Me quedo a deber el P.O.V. del Conde

[Kerianna Cleary · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dear Diary,
This girl is the nastiest skank bitch I’ve ever met. Do NOT trust her. She is a fugly slut.”
-basically everyone else in this book about Dracula

[Samantha Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Dracula has no friends because he’s a pain the neck.

[Yottard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect, moody autumn classic! I was curious to see how the plot compared to the Coppola and Eggers' films and how much the lore might have influenced other screen work...and I was happy to learn that there are enough differences to make for a new experience! The pacing felt a little slow at times. I do enjoy a multi-pov, but that might have affected the pacing.
I really do wish I could've read this before I got immersed in so many modern versions of the vampire, though. What a time to be alive when this was first published!