An absolute fever dream. I LOVE how there are so many different ways you can interpret what vampirism is and what it can represent. From homosexuality, immigration, and etc. But what stood out most to me is how Stoker represents love through EVERY character. Jonathan yearning to see his wife as he descends the horrific depths of Castle Dracula. Lucy's descriptive letters to Mina about her messy love life. The father-son dynamic between Van Helsing and Dr Seward. Honestly just how under the pressure of defeating a notorious blood sucking monster, we see how the characters love. I wholly, absolutely, entirely, truly, ADORED reading through it. And I think that is what makes Stokers' characters so realistic and enthralling to read. Despite many tragic events they remain unmistakably human. There is so much I love about this novel I have to cut myself off from writing any more praise ( Д^). The only downside to Dracula is the pacing. I had to take breaks from reading it just so I wouldn't fall into a reading slump. It frequently gets REALLY boring. Nonetheless, it was (mostly) great. I will definitely re-read and properly analyse Dracula in the future!

Sehr unterhaltsam, wenig tiefsinnig.

Anfang war gut zu lesen aber hab mich in all den Briefen, Tagebucheinträgen usw verloren. Könnte nicht zu Ende lesen

A fun, easy, engaging read, one that I did not expect to like quite as much as I ended up doing. After having read a variety of those books considered classic vampire literature (thanks, uni!), Dracula ended up being the clear favorite for me, making it very obvious as to why it is now considered THE vampire novel. The story flows very well, the multi-media approach and shift of perspectives add to a collage-like story that makes the world of Dracula feel real, relatable and lived-in. At times, the pacing falls short, especially the chase in the end - with Dracula on the boat and Van Helsing repeatedly hypnotizing Mina - felt very repetitive and could have been shortened tremendously (funnily enough, in the novel, Mina actually remarks that herself, questioning Van Helsing on whether or not he is artificially prolonging their journey). Another highlight for me was the group dynamic that emerged. Seeing that many men constantly confess their profound love for one another is rare, even in modern literature, and highly appreciated. Cannot get over the fact though that Mina is basically just a glorified human recording device. Seriously, these men would be DONE without her. Very funny how her thought process would go from mourning her best friend in one second, to her remarking how she just HAS to practice her shorthand and „oh, let me just make ANOTHER copy of the thing that I just typed out“. Typewriters are scared of that woman.

I really liked the beginning and the middle part and this would have easily been a 4.5, but by the time they decide to travel to Romania I was dragging myself to the finish line. It's a fun book that throws a light on the beginnings of vampire fiction and if you're interested in the lte 19th century at all, this book is a must read. That being said it is decidedly not your classic horror tale (to modern readers' eyes and ears), so if that is what you're looking for, don't read this book.