Books & Beyond discussion

Has anyone ever read this book before? I own the book and I've started reading it on several occasions before, but never had the time to finish reading it. I heard it was really good though. I also heard/suspect that it's about the man who gave Dracula his name. Any thoughts?

And what is everyone's expectations of the novel (if you've never read the book before?). I just hope that this book lives up to the expectations of everyone.

So I have read the first chapter of The Historian. I noted that just before the chapter ended, there was rain coming down and not to mention in a city that is centuries old. It sets the tone as moody, drafty, depressing. Is this a foreshadowing of what's to come? I think that something might happen to the father or the author before the story's end. I wonder if this manuscript has anything to do with the mother's death?

And what about that housekeeper at the beginning of the chapter? The narrator mentioned there were several nannies and housekeepers, but didn't say why the left or what happened to them. But the strange thing is, she describes the current one as English and slightly older than what her mom would have been had she lived. Does the housekeeper have anything to do with it? This book's barely begun and already there are many different hints on where it will end up. I can't wait to find out! Can you?