Dracula

Having ignored my own recent advice after reading Princess Casamassima by Henry James to 'beware verbose Victorians', I finally picked up Dracula this week. This is my third book for the 2016 TBR Pile Reading Challenge.

I've had a paperback copy of Dracula by Bram Stoker awaiting reading since we visited Whitby Abbey last year. The ruins were so creepy, even on a sunny day, and I loved remembering our visit and being able to envisage the relevant scenes as I read. I did already vaguely know the plot, but don't think I have ever read this book before, not even in a child's classics version. Thinking about it, perhaps there isn't one? For what essentially is a pretty short story, this is a long book. However, once I got into the convoluted style, I found that there was a swift enough pace to keep me interested. It is very dated in attitudes, particularly towards women who are relentlessly patronised throughout, and the characters are each of a type rather than realistic individuals, however where Stoker excels I think is in his wonderfully evocative descriptions of places and actions. I was captivated by many of the scenes and found myself wishing I had read Dracula years ago!