DRACULA

The hardcover edition is gorgeous with it's sprayed edges...but the sticker that's PRINTED into the artwork on the back is hideous. Normal stickers, guys. Normal stickers.

So I love Dracula. That’s not the problem. The problem is the used copy I was sent isn’t Dracula- it’s a kids book that’s a condensed retelling. It’s not even technically penned by stoker. It’s ’based off of’ the original work. 🙄 And of course I can’t get a refund. This is why computers shouldn’t be put in charge people.

Surprisingly, "Denn die Toten reiten schnell" or "For the dead travel fast" is more than an opening line to this tale of love in the dangerous moonlight. After watching several Dracula movies and a few Nosferatu's, I pretty much thought I had a handle on the genre. Little did I know what a wonderful world of mystery and suspense Bram Stoker opened up for me. The story is told mostly by a third party through the papers, diaries, and phonograph recordings (on wax cylinders) of those people involved in a tale so bizarre that it almost defies belief. The general storyline is that of a Count who plans to move to a more urban setting (from Borgo Pass to London) where there is a richer diet. There he finds succulent women; something he can sink his teeth into. Unfortunately for him, a gang of ruffians (including a real estate agent, an asylum director, a Texas cowboy, and an Old Dutch abnormal psychologist) is out to detour his nocturnal munching. They think they have Drac on the run, but with a wing and a prayer, he is always one step ahead. Of more value to the reader is the rich prose chosen by Stoker as he describes the morals and technology of the time. We have to come to grips with or decide if we can perform the rituals that are required to eliminate vampires versus the impropriety of opening graves and staking loved ones. The vamp powers in the book differ from the movie versions in that they are more persuasive and capable of manipulating the local weather. At one point, the Dutch Dr. van Helsing is so overwhelmed by a beautiful vampire lying in the grave that he almost forgets why he is there and may become “vamp chow.” All in all, the story is more about the cunning chase. The question is whether they will succeed in dispatching Dracula, or will Dracula triumph? Remember, "For the dead travel fast."

It was okay. I appreciate that it was written well over 100 years ago.

I’m so excited to read this, though I’m desperately trying to wait until October season. There’s some bad reviews on quality, which made me nervous. I spent extra to get the stunning clothbound edition and it didn’t disappoint! It’s an absolutely gorgeous book and is brand new. I love the cover and I’m very happy I spent the extra to get the cloth edition.

School reading with a classic concept but disappointments throughout