'Dracula' by Bram Stoker

Dracula, Bram Stoker (4.0)

This book was written around the same time as ‘Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde’ and ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, and coincided with Freud’s ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’. Each has what we now consider a Freudian component – for ‘Dracula’, many have seen the vampire itself as a manifestation of sexual repression. Given that, the most annoying part of the book was the overly chaste and spiritual language and actions of the protagonists. These characters are hard to take in their earnestness. Fortunately Mr. Stoker does a great job of creating tension and thrills around his incarnation of the vampire, Dracula. I particularly enjoyed any of the chapters in which he played a part. Few books written prior to this (late 1800’s) were able to generate such a page turning experience. As the group tries to capture and kill Dracula before he can return to his castle in Transylvania, I was reading frantically to see if he outwits them once again. I definitely believe it’s worth reading what is considered the ultimate vampire novel, just make sure to skim the Victorian age melodramatic speeches.