Dracula, Bram Stoker – Amazon.com

I did it! Finally! After all these years, I read Dracula! It took me a long time for several reasons. First of all, the font is small in the book I own, which made it difficult to read. Then I downloaded it on my Kindle and that was better, but I was also reading other books at the same time. Another reason why it may have taken me so long is the way it is written. In today's world, we are used to fast paced novels while Dracula is detailed, the writing old fashioned and the dialogue long. The different style, the sometimes plodding pace, the archaic words such as "bestrewed" and "perforce" forced me to slow down, but it also helped me immerse myself in the story.

Stoker never visited Eastern Europe, but within the first few pages it is clear he did his research. The food, the garb and the landscape of Romania are so detailed, that although it is a bit tedious to get through, I really got a feel for the country. I visualized the imposing mountains and their dark shadows. As I read about Jonathan Harker's journey to the castle, I heard foreboding music accompanied by howling in my head. I don't know if seeing so many movies let me imagine the story better, but it was very vivid in my mind. There is a sense of wonder when you travel to a place where you don't know the language, but also one of unease. The fact that Harker is a foreigner gave him more distance from his surroundings and made him more vulnerable.

After getting through the first few pages of exposition and Jonathan's journey to the castle, it got juicy. The novel Dracula is much more messed up and scary than any movie version I've seen. I had a preconceived notion because of film and television, but the book is different and I feel like I discovered a new story, or rather learned the true story.

Link:
Dracula, Bram Stoker - Amazon.com