Monday, September 10, 2007

Dracula


No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to his heart and eye the morning can be. (46)
I chose to read Dracula for many reasons. But here are the top two: 1) My friend, Julie, is directing Dracula at the local community theater this October. She's been talking about it for weeks. (This is her first time to direct in this community.) And she's been telling me how wonderful it is...and how much I'd love it. How the writing, the language, the imagery, is just incredible. And I do want to be a supportive friend and all. And she's never disappointed me before when she's recommended a book. 2) It is one of the 'perils' in the R.I.P. II Challenge.
All men are mad in some way or the other; and inasmuch as you deal discreetly with your madmen, so deal with God's madmen too--the rest of the world. (115)
Let me say this now, it was SO good and SO different from how I expected. I'll admit that the first chapter didn't hook me. The format--letters and diaries--took a little bit of getting used to. (I'm not used to suspense being dispensed in that way.) But soon enough, I was hooked. I had not realized this story was told through so many narrators--and each one is unique and well-developed. I read most of it on Saturday afternoon/evening in fact. I didn't want to put it down. But I couldn't finish the last hundred pages or so until the next day. But I did finish it last night, Sunday, and it was just incredible. It was so intense, so suspenseful, so teasing, so memorable, so haunting, so tragic, so good. It was just a WOW book for me.

We have been blind somewhat; blind after the manner of men, since when we can look back we see what we might have seen looking forward if we had been able to see what we might have seen! Alas, but that sentence is a puddle; is it not? (300)

7 comments:

chrisa511 said...

I agree with you 100%! So much more than what I was expecting. I really enjoyed this one. I loved the atmosphere of the novel. It was a true example of a gothic novel and set the tone perfectly for this challenge. I can see this being one of those books that I go back to each year around during this season!

Debi said...

O.K., O.K., your review just clinched it...I must go buy this book now!

Booklogged said...

Same thing happened to me. I didn't expect to like it but I really did.

Dewey said...

I've never read this! I really should. I wonder if I could possibly finish it for the RIP challenge? Too bad I chose such a LONG book (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell).

Ana S. said...

It's a wonderful book, isn't it? Your review and Chris's really made me want to revisit it.

Stephanie said...

I can't wait to read this! I'm slating it for closer to Halloween. It's surprising though. I've never read it although I just love the vampire genre. I guess Dracula is so familiar because of movies and pop culture, I just never thought about it!!

I'm adding you to my blogroll, if you don't mind!

Anonymous said...

I just finished it and put up my review too. I really enjoyed it, but wanted to know more about the Count and what his earlier life had been like. I need to watch the film again with Gary Oldman, but I just packed all my dvds away for moving house next week.