Dracula (Wordsworth Classics)

It seemed about time that to read this gothic classic. It didn't seem right to read it during the summer, given it's dark nature, so I waited for cold, dark and rainy November before reading it. Like so many classics, I could have given you a reasonable appraisal of the plot before I'd even read it. However, vampire folklore has become so convoluted in recent years with the pop culture of Buffy, Twilight and True Blood that it could be hard to discern the wheat from the chaff. However, I hoped to come to this with as open a mind as possible. The book is divided into two very distinct parts. The opening third of the book is set in Transylvania, and gives the account of Jonathan Harker's time as a guest in Castle Dracula. This section reads almost like a short story, with the rest of the book being tagged on the end to make it into a novel. The style of writing is that of a composition of letters, journals, telegrams and memoranda from various characters, although Stoker has spent little effort in distinguishing the individual voices from their writings. i.e. all the characters write with the same mannerisms. This makes the book feel like an early literary equivalent of "found footage" films such as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, and I think that they do owe some debt to Stoker for this style. This first third is an absolute masterpiece and the zenith of gothic fiction. The remainder, where the action moves to England, is still good, but doesn't quite live up to the blistering opening. There are a number of new characters suddenly introduced into the plot, though the author only expands on a few of these, with 2 characters in particular, having a very similar role in the book, though with little to distinguish between them. The flow of the book is very good for the most part, though Stoker's keen interest in hypnotism led him to use it as a plot device in some places, which left me feeling a bit cheated, considering how contrived it felt. But that shouldn't detract from a classic book. While it has been copied and derived from since, none have come close to Stoker's original. I would highly recommend this to anyone considering reading it.

Dracula - a classic - beautiful cover for a fantastic novel

I have to admit that I purchased Dracula almost as an afterthought and left it to gather dust on the bookshelf for a year. I started reading it though a few days ago and having just finished it am glad to impart my two cents. What can I say?....It was gripping. Stoker is proved as a skilled writer for his superb balance of suspense, mood, reasoning, action and macabre imagery. The documentative style utterly had me in the thralls of the characters and their predicaments; even more so when something troubling or chilling occurred or threatened to do so serving only to pull me deeper and deeper into the nightmarish reality of the Count. Several other reviews point out issues with the pacing especially with regards to the middle of the novel. I don't believe this to be an issue although I will be honest and say I had to employ an act of will in order to get by 2 or 3 chapters in the last quarter of it. One might attribute this to the fact that I was up all night finishing it though. :) There are several contrived scenarios regarding character proximity which have to be taken with a fairly large grain of salt but since it was quite obviously intentional it poses no problem as long as the reader can suspend belief. Van Helsing can be long winded at times which in and of itself would not be troublesome but for the fact that his English is only passably grammatically correct which forced me to at times jump back a line or even paragraph or two to discern his true meaning. There is a flip side to this coin however as I can't imagine Stoker painting him with a different brush. It is therefore that Van Helsing's mode of speech is both a blessing and a curse. Stoker weaves his plot and characters tightly, interlacing polarising myriad feelings and themes of love and hate, sadness and joy, hope and despair, sickness and health and ultimately life and death. An emotional roller coaster that is worth your attention and at £2 what more could you ask for? In closing you may wonder why I have not touched deeply upon the antagonist. I will leave that to Stoker. "It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply gorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion."

For the story, 5 stars. I've always steered clear of horror stories, because I didn't see the point in scaring myself when I could read something happy or funny, but it wasn't that terrifying. Having seen so many adaptations of Dracula, I did wonder what the original story was like, and I'm glad I read it. I don't think any of what I'm about to say will spoil anything. What I noticed in so many adaptations is that it's made to look like Van Helsing knows everything about Dracula right away and has been hunting him for years... not true. And all that stuff about werewolves and vampires hating each other... not a single mention. So, even if you think you know Dracula, you probably don't, and I would recommend giving it a read. The reason why I've chopped off a star is due to the quality of this paperback copy. The text is fine. Everything is legible. The problem is that with normal handling, and just one read from cover to cover, that cover is starting to peel around the edges and the spine has obvious dents. I didn't even read it in the bath like I do with a lot of books, so there's no reason for it to be as damaged as it is. If you intend to pass this book among family and friends, maybe invest in a hardback, or get some cover protectors. If you just want to read the story, it's fine as it is.

An invaluable edition of the classic Gothic novel . A must have edition for all Bram Stoker fans .

Great purchase, I havn't read it yet but the price was good, it's the perfect size for carrying in your coat pocket to read if you're travelling by bus or train. Delivery time ⌚ was very good, all round a good purchasing experience.

Bought for my son for an Xmas stocking filler - he is very pleased with it and enjoying it immensely.

This and the other books I bought for my granddaughter at University. She is very happy with them, especially The Miller's Tale with the space for making notes.

Quality paperback. Story was the original but not like any movie which helped make it an enjoyable read.

Si tratta di un testo che ho acquistato per l'Università e l'ho trovato veramente ottimo. Ciò che mi è piaciuto è la carta utilizzata per il libro, ma ancor di più l'introduzione del testo, che ne spiega i particolari e i significati che altrimenti non sarebbero riconoscibili dal lettore. Spedizione ed imballaggio ottimi grazie al servizio Amazon (nel mio caso Prime). Trovo quest'edizione particolarmente eccezionale, poichè presente un'introduzione molto chiara, è tascabile, molto pratica da portare in Università, in treno, in autobus, in metro etc! La carta inoltre è molto piacevole al tatto e non è plastificata, permette dunque di appuntare note e traduzioni senza particolari problemi. Lo consiglio molto, come consiglio l'acquisto di qualsiasi altro libro di questa collana.

chegou em perfeito estado

Tyvärr så höll inte denna måttet. Samtliga Sid-kanter var problem med

Great book, decent cover and quailty.