Dracula
115. Bram Stoker, Dracula
In this epistolary novel, the letters and diaries of several characters are combined to tell the story of the mysterious and evil Count Dracula. Jonathan Harker, a solicitor’s clerk, is summoned to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania to assist him in the purchase of an estate in England. The count seems friendly enough, but Jonathan’s suspicions are roused by Dracula’s superhuman strength, his strange power over wolves, and his refusal ever to eat in Jonathan’s company. Meanwhile, Jonathan’s fiancée Mina is visiting her friend Lucy in a small English town, when Lucy suddenly begins to waste away from a strange illness. Jonathan, Mina, and their small group of friends - including the renowned Dutch doctor Van Helsing - eventually discover the horrifying truth about Count Dracula and devise a plan to destroy him.
This book has become so ingrained in popular culture that it’s hard to read it with fresh eyes. We all know what Dracula is, so the book’s painstaking buildup of suspense is largely wasted on modern readers. One of my biggest complaints was how slowly the book moved; I couldn’t help getting frustrated by the characters’ obtuseness in not discovering Dracula’s secret earlier. This isn’t the book’s fault, of course, as the plot was probably quite innovative and shocking when it first came out. I won’t even get into the sexism and xenophobia displayed throughout the book, as I’m sure there have been thousands of dissertations already written on the subject. I do think the book was well-written and entertaining, but it’s very much a product of its time. I’m glad to have read this book so that I can compare it to modern takes on the vampire myth, but I didn’t terribly enjoy it otherwise.