I Read ‘Dracula’ For the First Time

When it comes to fictional monsters, few have had the staying power of Dracula. Everyone knows the iconic vampire. Over the centuries, he’s been put into pretty much everything. Horror movies, animated comedies, parodies, cross-overs, video games, on and on the list goes.

I was first introduced to the legendary monster when I was five or six years old. The film: ‘Batman VS Dracula‘. I only watched it once, and then so long ago I couldn’t tell you anything about it, but I can still vividly remember the nightmares it gave me these twenty years later. Batman fighting Dracula might sound silly, but to an impressionable five-year-old, it was a terrifying introduction to the vampire lord.

Since then, I’ve seen plenty of versions of the character across media. But I’ve never gone back to his roots to experience how he began. I have never read Bran Stoker’s legendary novel.

Until now.

Published on May 26th, 1897, ‘Dracula‘ was a stark departure from the romance and sensation novels Stoker was known for. When English readers first got their hands on it, the reaction was polarizing, with some praising the book for its horror and others criticizing it for that very same quality. Despite the mostly positive reception, Stoker himself barely made any money from his work, and it did little to improve his career standing at the time. Only after his death in 1912 did ‘Dracula‘ cement itself and its author as literary legends.

Our story begins in the diary of one Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor hired to find a house in London. His client: a count residing in an isolated castle within the Carpathian Mountains, named Dracula. It is here, in the count’s dark and lonely domain, that Jonathan discovers the truth: that his host is a powerful vampire, an evil demon who feasts on the blood of man. Powerless to stop him, Jonathan flees, and Count Dracula makes his way to his new residence in England in order to stalk fresh prey.

From here, the narrative is divided up between a handful of characters. There is Mina Murray, Jonathan’s fiancé and best friend of Lucy Westenra. Accompanying them is Dr. John Seward, researcher of the criminally insane, Quincy Morris, and Arthur Holmwood, all three of which fell in love with the lovely Lucy. When the fair maiden falls mysteriously ill, Seward calls in his mentor, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, expert of all things medicinal and supernatural. This unlucky bunch find themselves caught up in Dracula’s evil schemes. Now it’s up to them to find a way to slay the ancient vampire.

In terms of characterization, ‘Dracula‘ doesn’t disappoint. Van Helsing definitely steals the show; he’s the perfect balance of whimsical kindly old man and monster-slaying badass. While he certainly makes the largest impact, the rest of the cast are strong characters in their own right.

Of course, we need to talk about the titular count. Dracula’s time in the spotlight is fairly limited in this book after the first eight or so chapters, but my god does the vampire make an impact! One minute, he’s calm, sophisticated, even charming. The next, he’s a hulking mass of darkness and wrath. But most frightening of all is his great intellect and cunning; whenever our heroes form a plan to counter the vampire, he sets to work on a scheme to overcome their resistance almost immediately. He’s a truly terrifying antagonist, right up to the moment the sun brings his reign of terror to a close.

Part of what makes the cast so interesting, and what makes this book so engaging to read, is the story’s framing. The narrative is comprised of a series of diary entries and letters written by the various characters, as well as the occasional newspaper excerpt. This truly brings the tale of Dracula to life, making it feel like true history rather than horror fiction.

While this story has been retold a thousand times over the years, no one tells it like Bram Stoker did. His pros were a thing of beauty and horror in equal measure. Reading this book is just as engaging today as it was in 1897.

Then with swiftness, but with absolute method, Van Helsing performed the operation. As the transfusion went on, something like life seemed to come back to poor Lucy’s cheeks, and through Arthur’s growing pallor the joy of his face seemed absolutely to shine. After a bit I began to grow anxious, for the loss of blood was telling on Arthur, strong man as he was. It gave me an idea of what a terrible strain Lucy’s system must have undergone that what weakened Arthur only partially restored her.

This is a phenomenal book from cover to cover. My only real complaint is the pacing; the story can drag its feet sometimes, but that’s to be expected in classic literature. The narrative was more than engaging enough to keep me reading even in spite of that issue.

If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend reading ‘Dracula‘. This book more than deserves its place among the all-time horror classics. A truly legendary beginning to one of fiction’s most legendary monsters.