Yesterday after 49 days of hard work I completed one more novel of 454 pgs, this time it’s the classic from Bram Stoker and it’s the origin story of the vampire clan stories and is named ’Dracula’. This novel was first published on 26th May 1897, and since then had been an inspiration to many adaptations and many other stories and novels.
Abraham Stoker was born an Irish in 1847 and died at the age of 64 and wrote some known novels including this famous novel on vampires. The famous novel’Frankenstein’ inspired him to write something same but different altogether, including the same thrill and fear feeling, he researched on the superstitions and folk-lores and mythological stories of vampires prevailing in Europe. He did his researches and wrote his novel in the same format of’Frankenstein’ novel - Epistolary format, which basically is a collection of memoirs, narrations, letters, journals, diaries, pallet cuttings and likewise things which gave a feeling of reality fiction hence making the novel more fearful. My copy is published by Harper Collins, and it costs me Rs.149. The book contains some references in the begnning, then the main story, and in the end a glossary of various terms
It is a story of a vampire who was one of the first, and who lives in a deserted palace on mountains in Transylvania - Count Dracula, who has lived for so many years and has fought so many wars, now he wants to spread his reigns to Europe, esp England first. So, he purchased some of the lands in England, and ask the main dealing firm to send in their representative to discuss further. As a result, Jonathan Harker came into the picture, who is into the legal thing. It took him time and various suspicions when finally he reach the castle of Dracula, since he have to pass through wild interior jungles of Carpathian lands, have to face the wolves, and there were mist any many horrified details, but he think it otherwise, somewhat different if not normal. But later he come to know that the person he is dealing is not an ordinary person, he is as everybody says, a vampire, who can turn into bat at night. He was indirectly imprisoned in the castle, as he cannot leave the castle unless count wants so. Later, count leave for England hidden in grave-boxes filled with earth, since he cannot get out in day time, and he needs his own land’s earth/soil to survive during days. Jonathan also escaped the castle and was later hospitalized due to his bad health. Then we move to other characters in England - Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra, both are fast friends, and soon going to marry, Mina to Jonathan and Lucy to Lord Arthur Godalming. Then there is one Dr.John Seward who is treating a mental patient by the name Renfield. And there are some other characters, friend and well-wisher of Arthur - Quincy P Morris. From one day, some unusual happenings started, and Lucy felt ill, such ill that nobody else can identify the reason behind her illness, and then comes our main character of the story - Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, who knows many details about unexplained events, and it is he who discovered that a vampire is on loose and it had attacked/sucked blood out of Lucy’s throat. Now he has an unfinished job of killing that vampire, when he inflicts Mina Harker(now married) with his fangs, and all men comes along with him on his quest of killing Count Dracula.
Previously I owned’Twilight’ which is there in my collection, though I am unaware of its location, and I haven’t read it yet, bought long back, but during last few months I watched the whole Twilight movie series, though the movie was not that much praiseworthy but a sudden interest comes up into my mind, of why not to read about vampires, and then an offer came on flipkart to get free delivery of books of any cost if you order through its android application, I searched and this classic got my interest, and I ordered it. And now after reading I can say that a classic always a classic, you can never compare a classic with new books, esp the fantasy-adventure genre books. They were written in such vivid description, that you can lost at the same time, and can imagine the whole virtual world through your imagination. This effect was given by’Chandrakanta’ and’Lord of the Rings’ type books in the same way. Here too, the effect was enormous. And the writing style was different, as I have already state above that it is written in epistolary format, it gives a feeling like everything which is written in here is truth and fact, and not mere fiction, this is what makes this book a marvelous success, if you are able t o convince your reader about your story, then its a win for you, and as they say, "Facts and truth sold at higher rates than fiction".
These stories of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Invisible man have one thing in common, the feel, the fear, like here the starting is good, a guy on a journey into unknown lands, and then the horror strikes us, when we come to know the horrified settings of our main characters, and we actually felt it. This book’s english is different, the old British style, not that hard, easily understandable, but I am sure, many will put down this book, since its long, and not everybody will like the book, and if you’re not into fantasy then you may not enjoy it. For me, this book is just like a whole journey, you can take this book on a train or when you travel long, you can enjoy it. Now I wanted to go visit all those exteriors which are mentioned here, the castle, the woods and all those places.
I will recommend this book, if you want to enjoy some fantasy adventure thoughts, and not get distracted through the writing style, I rate it 4/5.
GRuchirG.
Jai Raam ji ki:)