Pamalama22 reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
this is one of my favorites books of all time. I even loved the movie
Hardcover, 448 pages
English language
Published Dec. 21, 2005 by Barnes & Noble Classics.
The classic tale of the bizarre Carpathian count, who drinks human blood to stay alive, and the Englishman who knows his secret.
Graham Downs reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book consists of a series of journal entries, telegrams, memoranda and news articles, written by different people at different times. It's up to the reader to piece together all the events of the book based on all these scraps of information.
The first couple of chapters were riveting, and I really thought the concept worked very well. I was even a little scared, and if I didn't know so much about vampires, and if the genre hadn't been re-interpreted so many ways since this book was published, I think I would've found it even more scary!
The last few chapters, similarly, were action packed and fast paced, and I couldn't put the book down as it sped towards it's grisly conclusion.
The rest of it? A bit disappointing. It's long-winded and difficult to read, and I found myself "zoning out" on more than a handful of occasions, and consequently …
This book consists of a series of journal entries, telegrams, memoranda and news articles, written by different people at different times. It's up to the reader to piece together all the events of the book based on all these scraps of information.
The first couple of chapters were riveting, and I really thought the concept worked very well. I was even a little scared, and if I didn't know so much about vampires, and if the genre hadn't been re-interpreted so many ways since this book was published, I think I would've found it even more scary!
The last few chapters, similarly, were action packed and fast paced, and I couldn't put the book down as it sped towards it's grisly conclusion.
The rest of it? A bit disappointing. It's long-winded and difficult to read, and I found myself "zoning out" on more than a handful of occasions, and consequently losing the plot.
For example, Professor Van Helsing is famous in the world of vampire lore, because of his role in Dracula, and I was therefore really looking forward to reading his character in this book. Don't get me wrong, he is an interesting, well-defined character with a lot of depth. But he can go on a bit, and he often has pages and pages of rambling monologue, which means that his real gems of wisdom sometimes get lost in all the ramblings.
All in all, I would say that the book's reputation as a hallmark of the genre is well-deserved, and it's a pretty decent read. It's not particularly well written, though. Oh, and those chapters are long! It took me on average two reading sessions each to read each of them!
WellWorthARead reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker (Saddleback's Illustrated Classics)
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I was given a complimentary copy for review.
Four Corners Dark contains 4 short stories and most definitely saves the best for last. If able to rate them separately I would have given 5 stars to the last story "The Spinning Wheel" Which reminded me of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This way Comes complete with mysterious carnival. It was my favorite.
The first 2 stories Engine Eighteen and Return to Nowhere were just ok. I felt that the endings could have been better resolved. The third story The Raven Mocker, was the longest of the 3 and although it was better than the first 2 stories It seemed a little stiff and some of the dialogue seemed unnatural. A bit of editing could have made this story flow along better. All in all not a bad book.
I was given a complimentary copy for review.
Four Corners Dark contains 4 short stories and most definitely saves the best for last. If able to rate them separately I would have given 5 stars to the last story "The Spinning Wheel" Which reminded me of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This way Comes complete with mysterious carnival. It was my favorite.
The first 2 stories Engine Eighteen and Return to Nowhere were just ok. I felt that the endings could have been better resolved. The third story The Raven Mocker, was the longest of the 3 and although it was better than the first 2 stories It seemed a little stiff and some of the dialogue seemed unnatural. A bit of editing could have made this story flow along better. All in all not a bad book.
Manuel B. reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
While it has its lengths, I find it overall to be an exiting book of subtle horror. It somehow reads like a new and non-stereotypical version of the vampire myth that it once created itself.
What I like most about this book, is that it seems to play with a certain psychological fear. The fear that the ones you love not only die, but that they turn into something really horrible after death.
adastra reviewed Dracula Bram Stoker(Annotated Edition) by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula Bram Stoker(Annotated Edition)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Well, actually not as bad as I remember from 10 years ago. It's certainly very verbose and the truly interesting events are few and far between. But it does a good job at establishing the mysterious atmosphere.
Well, actually not as bad as I remember from 10 years ago. It's certainly very verbose and the truly interesting events are few and far between. But it does a good job at establishing the mysterious atmosphere.
Lynn reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker (Penguin Classics)
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I read this when I was about 13. It scared me silly. I couldn't sleep for days. That a book can have that effect - with no visual component or ominous music - says a lot for its author. Vampires were terrifying back in the days before they all became cops or detectives with sensitive souls. I haven't had the courage to read it again.
I read this when I was about 13. It scared me silly. I couldn't sleep for days. That a book can have that effect - with no visual component or ominous music - says a lot for its author. Vampires were terrifying back in the days before they all became cops or detectives with sensitive souls. I haven't had the courage to read it again.
Sharyl reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
After a lifetime of hearing the name Dracula, especially at Halloween, it finally occurred to me to read the original, by Bram Stoker. (This was in part because I'd received a Nook last Christmas, and this is one of the many titles that are public domain.)
Anyway, I was impressed that such horror was dreamed up in the late 1800's. The story is told by way of journal entries and letters in a style that now seems quaint, and some of the tone, especially that of Belgian professor Van Helsing, is flowery, wordy, and overly dramatic. His journal has a thick accent, as well, which makes for slower reading.
The story comes together quite well, and the imagery is successfully creepy. This tale is also a very religious one, which isn't surprising, given that everyone knows how a vampire abhors a crucifix. Still, it is more overtly Christian than I …
After a lifetime of hearing the name Dracula, especially at Halloween, it finally occurred to me to read the original, by Bram Stoker. (This was in part because I'd received a Nook last Christmas, and this is one of the many titles that are public domain.)
Anyway, I was impressed that such horror was dreamed up in the late 1800's. The story is told by way of journal entries and letters in a style that now seems quaint, and some of the tone, especially that of Belgian professor Van Helsing, is flowery, wordy, and overly dramatic. His journal has a thick accent, as well, which makes for slower reading.
The story comes together quite well, and the imagery is successfully creepy. This tale is also a very religious one, which isn't surprising, given that everyone knows how a vampire abhors a crucifix. Still, it is more overtly Christian than I had expected.
It is an intriguing experience, reading a novel for the first time after already having so many presumptions about its subject. It could have been a disappointing experience, but it was not; this novel lived up to my scary expectations.
loppear reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of "DRACULA (Webster's Chinese-Traditional Thesaurus Edition)" on Goodreads
3 stars
Quite enjoyed the story, and the way it's told through the diaries of the characters, surprisingly fast-paced and fluid for that. A good classic, and sufficiently frightening.
Quite enjoyed the story, and the way it's told through the diaries of the characters, surprisingly fast-paced and fluid for that. A good classic, and sufficiently frightening.
patchworkbunny reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker (Vintage Classics)
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Took me forever to read but I think that's because my mind is on other things. The passages where people are speaking with an accent were hard to understand but overall a wonderful classic. Definitely worth a read if you like modern vampire fiction.
Took me forever to read but I think that's because my mind is on other things. The passages where people are speaking with an accent were hard to understand but overall a wonderful classic. Definitely worth a read if you like modern vampire fiction.
Michael @ Knowledge Lost reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Before the Twilight series there were stories about Vampires that actually were good. The most famous of these was the story of Dracula by Bram Stoker. Structurally it is an epistolary novel, that is, told as a series of letters, diary entries, ships’ logs, etc. Literary critics have examined many themes in the novel, such as the role of women in Victorian culture, conventional and conservative sexuality, immigration, colonialism, postcolonialism and folklore. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel’s influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many theatrical, film and television interpretations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
This book was a long one and at times I admit to struggling with it. I was very interested in the origins of Dracula, but I think there was so much involved in this book that at times I don’t think I enjoyed reading it. Overall …
Before the Twilight series there were stories about Vampires that actually were good. The most famous of these was the story of Dracula by Bram Stoker. Structurally it is an epistolary novel, that is, told as a series of letters, diary entries, ships’ logs, etc. Literary critics have examined many themes in the novel, such as the role of women in Victorian culture, conventional and conservative sexuality, immigration, colonialism, postcolonialism and folklore. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel’s influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many theatrical, film and television interpretations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
This book was a long one and at times I admit to struggling with it. I was very interested in the origins of Dracula, but I think there was so much involved in this book that at times I don’t think I enjoyed reading it. Overall it was a decent book but I wouldn’t consider it a must read.
Sam reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Somehow I got this far in life without reading Dracula. Thanks to a recent classic pulp horror kick, I decided to remedy this and pick up a copy.
Wonderful read. The atmosphere of despair is palpable. I love the format of journal entries and multiple perspectives; it really sets up suspense and intrigue. I had a lot of fun reading this late at night (when any book like this one should be read).
Another reason I wanted to pick it up is a board game we're fond of: Fury of Dracula from Fantasy Flight. The game is excellent thematically, and after reading the book I marveled at how faithful it is. That sounds weird, I know, but the details of the board game are so perfectly crafted around the actual story. Every encounter, every card, every player character's ability, has a reason that ties back to the book, right down …
Somehow I got this far in life without reading Dracula. Thanks to a recent classic pulp horror kick, I decided to remedy this and pick up a copy.
Wonderful read. The atmosphere of despair is palpable. I love the format of journal entries and multiple perspectives; it really sets up suspense and intrigue. I had a lot of fun reading this late at night (when any book like this one should be read).
Another reason I wanted to pick it up is a board game we're fond of: Fury of Dracula from Fantasy Flight. The game is excellent thematically, and after reading the book I marveled at how faithful it is. That sounds weird, I know, but the details of the board game are so perfectly crafted around the actual story. Every encounter, every card, every player character's ability, has a reason that ties back to the book, right down to Jonathan Harker's assertion that the railways in Eastern Europe are not run as well as they are in Western Europe. Now that I have experienced both the book and the game, I have a greater respect for the details in both.
Samuel reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
It's better to know everything from the original, the book that created the most famous character on the Horror Litherature, and know the strange peculiarities that this character possess. I've seen the Coppola movie, based on this book, and to learn the real story from the movie is something that you should try for yourself.
It's better to know everything from the original, the book that created the most famous character on the Horror Litherature, and know the strange peculiarities that this character possess. I've seen the Coppola movie, based on this book, and to learn the real story from the movie is something that you should try for yourself.
Katherine Villyard reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I read this one after reading [book:Frankenstein], as a sort of classic SF/F/H kick. Oh, so awesome. There's not a single movie that does it justice.
I read this one after reading [book:Frankenstein], as a sort of classic SF/F/H kick. Oh, so awesome. There's not a single movie that does it justice.
cherold reviewed Dracula by Bram Stoker
Review of 'Dracula' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
The first part of Dracula is absolutely amazing. I read the book when I was a college film student, and I used to think about how I would film the book, and mainly I thought about those two chapters. I know just how I would film the first chapter with Dracula. I know how I would film the chapter in which the woman keeps mysteriously losing blood (modernized, so it could happen in a hospital, a striking contrast to the first scene in the crumbling castle.
As for the rest of the book, I figured I'd hire a writer to come up with something, because outside of the wonderful scenes with Renfield, there is nothing in the rest of the book worth filming, or reading.
Stoker created a great villain in Dracula, but after that first chapter he seems to have lost interest in him; Dracula is spoken of more …
The first part of Dracula is absolutely amazing. I read the book when I was a college film student, and I used to think about how I would film the book, and mainly I thought about those two chapters. I know just how I would film the first chapter with Dracula. I know how I would film the chapter in which the woman keeps mysteriously losing blood (modernized, so it could happen in a hospital, a striking contrast to the first scene in the crumbling castle.
As for the rest of the book, I figured I'd hire a writer to come up with something, because outside of the wonderful scenes with Renfield, there is nothing in the rest of the book worth filming, or reading.
Stoker created a great villain in Dracula, but after that first chapter he seems to have lost interest in him; Dracula is spoken of more than seen for the rest of the book. Instead, the story is given over to a bunch of stiffs, pasty Christians whose deaths are no sadder than the melting of a mannequin.
Subjects
- Horror
- Fiction
- Literature - Classics / Criticism
- Classics
- Horror - General
- BG-CLASSIC EDITIONS - BG-B&N CLASSICS
- Fiction / Horror