Book Report: Dracula

This is a re-read for me. Every few years I've got to revisit it, like an old friend. Welcome back, Dracula -- you're still a great read.

And while Dracula is quite possibly the greatest horror novel ever written, it's also an enduring classic of Victorian literature.

You already know the plot (or at least you think you do) and most of the characters, so I'm not going to get into that. But understand that Dracula the novel is very different from most of the film versions of it.

It's very grounded in the Victorian mindset -- men openly show their emotions, weep, and exhibit great passion. If you were expecting the famed British stiff upper lip, you won't find it here.

And the men's reverence for the virtue and innocence of women (Lucy and Mina) is almost religious. And the Count doesn't hold any great passion for either of them -- Lucy is food, and Mina is revenge. He attacks her in retaliation for the destruction of some of his havens.

In the beginning, Mina sticks to the traditional female roles: worrying about her husband and his friends, crying in secret so they won't know, bringing cheer to their gatherings, yadda, yadda. But she possesses a will and intellect that's the equal of any of them, and eventually she's a valued and essential part of the team hunting Dracula. It's quite a liberated position for a woman of the time.

Another thing that's interesting about the novel is the lack of a clear protagonist. It's Jonathan Harker at first, but then it switches to being a story about the group of friends, with none of them taking a dominating role.

It helps that Bram Stoker is a genius of characterization -- the novel takes the form of a series of letters and journal entries, and through them you get to see all of the characters extremely well. Even minor characters such as Renfield (who was *not* Harker's associate, and *does not* work for the Count) are drawn clearly and distinctly.

Erotic without being overly sexual, bloody and shocking without steering into the gruesome, rich and complex, Dracula the novel is much more than the movies you know. It's an absolute must-read.

This night our feet must tread in thorny paths or later and forever the feet you love must walk in flame.