xylatra’s Reviews > Dracula > Status Update

"Come, sir, bethink yourself"
Idk why that made me laugh but it did. 😂

Ha, the odd sexist comment still bugs me. Women are spoken of by the men as being such fragile, hysterical, empty-headed "little girls" in this book, that whenever Mina just behaves like a regular, functioning adult person, it's like the men are all going to either faint with shock, or kiss the ground she walks on, or both. The specific kind of sexism this book has is weirdly saccharine, infantalising and worshipping

The whole blood-lust thing aside, this partially reads to me as an interesting commentary on antiquated ideas of what women "should" be in terms of their character, and which (perfectly normal and human) traits outside of a particularly narrow scope are deemed "unsavory".
I particularly like the use of words like "sensuous" and "voluptuous".

Trying to keep this spoiler-free, but is it bad that I actually like and relate more to certain characters when they become vampire, more than when they are a human? It's like they are way too perfect as a human, almost uncannily so, but there seems to far more range of expression (and room for "uncomfortable" (sensual, anger, forbidden emotions)) in vampire form...

Dr Seward is like that guy who puts out a big Facebook status declaring "I'm leaving Facebook today, it's been a long journey but ultimatey I need to do this for the best. Love to you all." and is back the very next day.

Van Helsing is kiiiiind of a creep...? Idk. I don't like how he talks to women. He gives off a creepster vibe.

This is actually SO GOOD I don't want it to ever end...

"Hot, sick waif girl" vibes throughout. Endless, endless talk of roses in cheeks coming and going. A woman can be literally dying, and yet heavy emphasis put how beautiful / not beautiful she is in varying states of death or aliveness. I am loving this book, and I know "this is of it's time / what do you expect?" but still. I don't like that. 🫠

Okay I feel really bad for her now. Oh dear 😿

Mina is insufferable.