Impaled

[celticlad42]

I'm finally finished with Dracula, which was about 400 pages of solid brick wall.  The first six chapters were really, really good but then Stoker slows it down, way down, letting it slowly drip until the unsatisfying end.  What I talk about next will spoil the ending, so be warned.

Our popular image of Dracula comes from the movies - in the book he

Comments

*big spoilers*

[thepecial1]

Dear Rob

Re: *big spoilers*

[celticlad42]

I remember you Steph.

You bring up a lot of good points about Dracula. I agree that part of the horror was the sexual innuendo (Dracula sneaking into their rooms, the bites on the neck, etc.) But I think that it was meant to apply only to Dracula's interactions with the women and not the protagonists'.

I think the blood transfusions served two purposes in the story. First, as a suspense device - a risky medical procedure to save Lucy/Mina's life. And second, to use the comingled blood as a symbol of the men's love for her. And although it's hard to ignore the sexual overtones in mixing blood, Stoker's characters were far too well behaved otherwise for me to buy the whole "threesomes" idea. The mixed blood was a symbol of altruistic love, and nothing else.

Thanks for the suggestion about Wilde. I read Dorian Gray last year and I liked it. I'll add "the importance of being earnest" to my list for this December.

I have my post about Wicked up, but it's friends only, so I'll add you.

Re: *big spoilers*

[thepecial1]

i didn't know, since i only met you once...i'm glad you didn't think i was a stalker...anyways...

well, most of that is what i *memorized* about dracula. i think my class was threesome-happy.

thanks for the add, i can't wait to see what you though!

-steph

[lilostitch]

I'm reading "Geek Love" by Katherine Dunn right now. It's about a circus family who purposely breed defects into their children...it's interesting, amusing, and entertaining. Pretty light reading, but it was a finalist for the National Book Award, so it's not *that* light.

[lilostitch]

PS- i suggest you should read it.
That, and anything by Augusten Burroughs.