Dracula by Bram Stoker: C+

From the back cover:
When Dracula first appeared, it fascinated and terrified readers. A vivid tale of evil forces, unspeakable desires, and imperiled innocence, Stoker’s work quickly earned a reputation as one of the first psychological thrillers of its day.

This haunting, unabridged reading, from the original 1897 text, recounts with mounting suspense the nocturnal travels of the suspicious count from Transylvania.

Review:
While there were elements of this story that I enjoyed—moments of genuine interest where the action picks up—on the whole I’d have to say it was rather boring.

The plot itself is fine. Jonathan’s narration in the beginning was quite amusing as were a couple of cameos by more common folk. The ending is satisfying. I also enjoyed comparing the vampire facts here with those that have been incorporated into later interpretations.

On the negative side, the women were irksomely fragile and pure-hearted and fond of lauding the bravery of the men. There’s a plot hole. What really made it drag, however, were the long-winded characters, particularly Van Helsing. There were a few speeches that he gave more than once, too.

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