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.