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    Dracula
    Dracula
    Dracula
    Audiobook15 hours

    Dracula

    Written by Bram Stoker

    Narrated by John Lee

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    First published in 1897, Dracula by Bram Stoker has become the standard against which all other vampire stories are compared and the inspiration for countless film and stage adaptations. Indeed, the name "Dracula" has been synonymous with the undead for at least a century, and the original novel still has the power to chill.

    Come then to Castle Dracula, hidden in the forbidding peaks of the Carpathian Mountains, where an undying creature of evil casts his sights on unsuspecting England. Voyage on the doomed ship Demeter as it carries a monster out of ancient superstition in search of new life and new blood. Tremble as first one woman, then another succumbs to the unholy thirst of the nosferatu, and as a small band of men and women, horrified by the supernatural forces arrayed against them, risk their lives and their very souls to oppose the evil known only as...Dracula.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateDec 8, 2008
    ISBN9781400179657
    Author

    Bram Stoker

    Bram (Abraham) Stoker was an Irish novelist, born November 8, 1847 in Dublin, Ireland. 'Dracula' was to become his best-known work, based on European folklore and stories of vampires. Although most famous for writing 'Dracula', Stoker wrote eighteen books before he died in 1912 at the age of sixty-four.

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    Reviews for Dracula

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    • 5/5
      - Too Sensual to Ignore -“Dracula” by Bram Stoker relays the tales of an up-and-coming realtor, Jonathan Harker, who travels from England to Transylvania to meet a client; Count Dracula. In the classic interpretation of good versus evil, Jonathan and several of his acquaintances seek out the monster that killed one of their beloved companions. Their journey is filled with superstition, which is seen within the very first chapter of Jonathan’s diary during his journey to the Count’s home; many community members warn him of the dangers that awaits, and some even beg that he returns to his home. The book fashioned a new era within the literary field alongside such works as “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “The strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is a collection of reminiscences, transposed in diary entries, victrola recordings, and recounts of events throughout the time period. It dives into the parasitic indulgence so deftly hidden within Victorian London. There is a certain theme found in each of the novels I mentioned; the human form, when molested, may unleash a creature reeking with God’s defamation. I would recommend this book to readers with an interest in folklore/urban legends, gothic fiction, classics, horror novels, and the victorian perception of evil. It is definitely worth picking up if you are curious about the beginnings of these kinds of books, as well. It is an excellent subject to use for a case study of the genre.
    • 5/5
      A re-read of a classic I’ve not touched for many years. A book of this type will always receive mixed reviews. A classic, by definition, is always a book of its time and will jar for a modern reader. Especially for a modern reader who has not read classic literature for most of their life. My childhood books included novels such as Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island so I have no problem with reading this. At such times when Dickens was popular, writers were paid by the word so if any such novels feel padded there’s a reason. This book does feel overlong, and if written/edited now would be much shorter. I’d particularly forgotten the peculiar way Van Helsing speaks which I read with a blend of irritation and amusing pleasure. In the 21st century the book has many faults, much of it reading like Victorian melodrama, and is far from horrifying, but in 1897 Dracula would have been petrifying. It’s almost impossible to review a book of this type so it’s important to understand how this novel was pivotal.Though Stoker did not invent the vampire myth or write the first well-known story, he wrote the crucial novel, bringing us a vampire who would popularise the genre and creating a legend. Like the writing or not this book deserves its pedestal. Stoker touched on the darkest fears, not only of the time, but at the heart of terror, a creature capable of overtaking the human mind, of seducing, of changing shape and appearance, of ‘infiltrating’ the home, the heart, the marriage bond. Horror novels often reflect societal fears of the moment, and Dracula is no different though many of the same fears exist more than a century later. Stoker also puts into the mind unforgettable images — a wild country of superstition, Dracula’s towering castle, Harker’s slow realisation he’s a prisoner, Dracula’s vertical crawl, his intention to take over London, the crazed incredible Renfield, Dr Seward’s asylum. And, perhaps, for women today, the book represents the ultimate equality statement. Lucy and Mina’s story both begin with them represented as something beautiful and fragile, ‘creatures’ who can do nothing without their men and who require protection. The book ends with a gun in Mina’s hand. She has become a far different woman from the shy girl who did nothing more than look forward to a life of marriage. She wishes to protect Jonathan as much as he longs to protect her, perhaps placing Stoker as a realist and/or ahead of his time. Still, there are moments that sit uneasy with me, the worst of which is the historical error that anyone can provide a transfusion without blood-matching, a fact not discovered at the time but which cannot help making even this modern reader wince.
    • 3/5
      Good book but hard to get through. it took me about 1 1/2 months
    • 5/5
      Dracula movies told me what the original story was like, I thought - mistakenly. From the first page, I was as amazed at the skill of Bram Stoker in writing his story as I was at another time in opening Richard Nixon's autobiography and being stunned by the clarity of thought and excellence of perfection that he had achieved.I read Dracula for a university course. Had I know it was as excellent a story as it is, I would have read it much earlier. I consider the book a true classic, something has already lasted for a short time, but will likely last a lot more time. A few weak points were pointed out to me. But as long as I must engage my "suspension of belief" for the book as a whole, I have no problem excusing such errors. I've thought of other authors I've read and tried to decide where Stoker's Dracula fits in among them. I don't think he does! I think Bram Stoker's Dracula is somehow unique. If I am able to read other tales of mystically powered, soulless masters of men's minds, then I may have a home for Dracula. Until then, his is a lone story that starts nobly apart from the other fictions there are - of Asimovian robots, Burroughnian warrior kings, C.S. Lewis' adventures in Pereland', and even Twilight.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book a lot, although as usual with epistolary novels there was some odd moments as characters are forced to over-explain their actions. Overall, very enjoyable, lots of twists and turns and engaging characters.
    • 4/5
      Young London lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to conduct business with Count Dracula, a mysterious and very sinister-looking man who reveals himself only at night. When their business is finished, Dracula seems intent on keeping Harker in Transvlvania while he travels to England. Harker soon figures out Dracula is not just an ordinary man but a vampire and manages to escape only to suffer a mental breakdown, delaying his marriage to Mina, a woman Dracula becomes fixated on. To the rescue comes Van Helsing, a doctor who knows about vampires and how to kill them. But their efforts to find Dracula are hampered by the fact that Dracula has Mina under his power and is able to stay at least one step ahead of them as he flees back to Transylvania.This classic is written in an interesting style with the plot relayed through diary and journal entries of the people surrounding Van Helsing. Readers might find it interesting that Stoker based Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, a Romanian ruler during the mid 15th century known for his cruel impalements of men, women and children. The plot lags at times, especially during lengthy discourses by Van Helsing, but it's an interesting look into the period (late 19th century) and the mindsets and interactions of men and women of that time. The story is at times thrilling and suspenseful and Dracula a most evil character.
    • 5/5
      I remember when I was about 11 or 12 years old rummaging through a second hand bookshop in Egham. I had this urge to buy a book, my first ever book that I'd paid for with my own money. After much faffing about I settled upon a rather aged and dog-eared paperback by Bram Stoker titled Dracula. I don't remember the cover but I do remember the smell. There's a very distinct smell about second hand books, which gets more distinct the older they get!

      Back then I took maybe two days to read it from cover to cover and really enjoyed it. Re-reading it nigh on 38 years later on the Kindle I find I have lost none of the enjoyment. It's an excellent book that keeps you with the story all the way through. It's also interesting to see how cinema has changed the story when it's been adapted by Hammer and Hollywood, it's often been made much more sexualised and at the same time less horrific. Perhaps the closest film regarding Dracula in 'feel' to me would be Polanski's 'The Dance of the Vampire Killers'.

      If you haven't read it then do. Free on ebook readers as well!

    • 3/5
      I found the first section, in Transylvania, highly enjoyable and pretty chilling. The next part, about Lucy, wasn't as good, but still gripped me at times. Her supposed caretakers were a bit too bumbling to be believed, but they didn't know what they were up against, so I suppose that's all right. The last two parts, about the detective work and the trip to Romania for the showdown were too long-winded - by about page 300 (of 462) I just wanted to get to the payoff. I also don't see why all the stuff about Renfield needed to be in there. To me, it really slowed the story down without advancing it in any noticeable way.All in all I'm glad I finally read Dracula, but don't see any reason why I'll ever be reading it again.
    • 5/5
      Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to become the bride of Dracula. There is something about vampires that is completely and utterly romantic. Maybe it is the way the moonlight hits their fangs, revealing the sweet sanguine from their latest kill, I'm not really sure. Each time that I read "Dracula," I remember when I feel in love with the story and the character, and this books is just as much a bittersweet love story as it is horrific.
    • 4/5
      so much better than all the vampires book that have come out recently. Good story, but a few open ends.Interesting style to tell the story but using journal entries and letters.
    • 4/5
      I found this to be interesting even captivating at times. Well written for an older book.
    • 5/5
      My measure of a great book of suspense is whether or not it reads well out loud, and if that's a good criteria, I think this book succeeds admirably. ((I grew up with folks telling ghost stories around campfires, trying to scare each other.)) Folks might argue that _Frankenstein_ is the more thought-provoking book, but this one scares me on a primal level.
    • 4/5
      I've been meaning to read Dracula for some time in order to see how the modern portrayals relate to Stoker's classic. I was pleasantly surprised; it does drag in places and Victorian attitudes towards women are quite alien to our times, but this book is really quite gruesome. I can only imagine how terrified the readers of yesteryear must have been!
    • 3/5
      Generally I enjoyed [Dracula]. It had a sort of action adventure quality while maintaining the dark and moody tone. Each characters letters and journals were usually distinct, although at times some of the denser material read like standard prose. I could not bring myself to like Mina. I found her insufferable and boring most of the time and a ‘product of her time’ at the best.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this gothic horror book; the first novel I'd read in years since finishing my degree course. Of course it's not "scary" by today's standards but nonetheless quite impressive and graphic for its era. After finishing this fairly lengthy book, I ordered the DVD and was quite disappointed by their interpretation. I'd have no hesitation in recommending this book but be prepared for old Victorian English which can take a little deciphering here and there!
    • 4/5
      This story is about Dracula.Maybe You know him because this story is very famous.A man,Janathan visit his castle,and Dracula try to suck Janathan's blood.Throughout reading this book,I couldn't　stop feeling nervous and thrilling.But I enjoyed this book very much,I recommend.
    • 3/5
      A little longer than needed (especially if you know what happens), but it does have it's merits and the style is not bad. I really liked that the audio version used a different narrator for each character.
    • 5/5
      I started this novel with some curiosity but not much enthusiasm, so I was ready to nitpick. Our hero is sitting down to tea with Dracula himself and doesn't have a clue, despite observing one oddity about his host after another. I wanted to shake him and yell, "it's the world's nastiest vampire, you idiot! Get the blinders off!" Then, revelation: he doesn't recognize Dracula because for him, there's no such person. This is Dracula being invented, right here in this book.I ought to have known the reason Dracula is a household name is first and foremost because the original novel is so good. All of it is written as letters and diary entries, news clippings, etc. all meshing wonderfully. Nor is it nearly so straightforward a plot as I expected. Who is Renfield, the asylum inmate, and what's his role in the story? Why should I care that some completely incidental lady has three suitors who all propose to her? Ah - wait and see!When I read Frankenstein I felt sympathy for the poor monster. Dracula is not a character to inspire pathos. He does such a good snarling face that you'll probably live with the nightmare vision for the rest of your life. He has more freaky powers at his disposal than I have space to list in this review. And he is not above taunting you after costing you the love of your life.I care nothing for Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing, but I love the Van Helsing of this novel. I love his careful building up to revealing what he knows, leading to the big pronouncement: vampires exist! How many characters in how many novels could take lessons from this guy? He could teach "How to convince people to believe in the supernatural without instead convincing them you're insane". It does take him a long time to set up his case, but seeing how he pulls it all together is what makes it great. Afterwards he's an equally steady hand at keeping others' minds on an even keel when madness comes knocking at the door.The finale fell a bit flat, anticlimactic by today's standards, but this novel is about the journey far more than its conclusion. I received a lot more journey than I'd bargained for.
    • 4/5
      I've visited the shrine where vampire horror all began, and I happily pay homage. The Dracula novel surpasses all the old movies, in my opinion. To enjoy it throughly, I set aside modern jade and prejudice and simply enjoyed the story with as fresh eyes as was muster-able. Dark forests and mists and wolves. Red eyes, sharp teeth, mists and seduction. Chilled as terror-cicles in the blood. To Stoker's credit, his novel, now over 100 years old, remains creepy, and page-turningly-bold.

      One observation, or point of discussion, is the evolution of villains and evil in culture. In Dracula, evil is straight forward: the vampire is dead/unclean, repelled by sacred objects, repulsive, and, any attraction is sexual in nature--but here, sexual attraction to be fought against-- its allure is a trap that leads to the soul's death and destruction. Upon defeat, Dracula gains a moment of peace, perhaps grateful for having been staked and beheaded.

      In modern times, from Interview with a Vampire to Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, et al, evil is allowed to speak to the reader directly. Evil has a story, can love, can be loved, hey--the monster's not all that bad if you don't mind a little gore and carnage. Our culture desires romance with vampires. We want to be vampires, live forever, be as strong as superman--lose our fear of the night. The shade of evil is less clear. Some vampires play the role of bad guys, others are warm, fuzzy and heroic. The world is more complicated, you see.

      I believe this comes from our wanting to weaken evil, make evil not so scary as all that. Reduce our fears by showing a 'human' side to evil, beyond the motivation of Dracula which was to simply survive, reap a little vengeance now and then, or take on a few servants as needed.

      Humanized evil is popular now. Zombies, werewolves and vampires are not that much different than us. Perhaps this is a positive view, if we apply it on foreign people and cultures -- less demonizing and more tolerance of, er, different appearances and lifestyles. If such is the case, I'll praise the modern horror trends. Fear is a rotten motivator of worldly action.

      As for straight out horror in literature, the more alien, unknown, and unknowable the slimy, dark-hearted critter is, the more I'm likely to keep the light on and the covers pulled up to my chin after a night of reading. This frightful feeling is fun in fiction, but for real life, I prefer tolerance and cute vampires who can handle crosses and garlic, yet struggle with morality and the pursuit of meaning in life. I think Stoker might not mind the variety and abundance of nightmares his work helped spawn. He may even have enjoyed Buffy, who, come to think of it, is not all that different than Mina--without all the Victorian dressage.
    • 5/5
      It's Gothic, intricate, romantic, tragic, fun and surprising. I haven't read Stoker's original "Dracula" in about 20 years and most of the details I'd either forgotten or had been smudged, smeared, and overwritten by a lifetime of modern vampire stories and myths."Dracula" is set in the late 19th century and is presented through a series of letters, memos and recordings between numerous characters who, through no fault of their own, become entangled in Dracula's plot to move away from his rapidly dwindling (and more "vampire-aware") food supply in Romania to the hip and crowded urban living in London.Stoker's mythology around Vampires had a few surprises (to me, at least...apologies in advance if any of these are common knowledge to Stephanie Meyers lovers...). Vampires only lose their powers during the day. They don't burn up or anything in the daylight...they just can't morph into animals, use superhuman strength, etc. Vampires can't turn into anything fancy when they're over water...which was a convenient plot point revolving around Dracula's travels to and from London via boat. Also, Stoker describes Dracula as having a long thin moustache...so I can't help imagining a fu manchu.Van Helsing comes across as a Victorian age vampire-fighting Yoda. Stoker may have been writing Van Helsing's backward-talking soliloquies to be delivered with a Danish accent, but perhaps the Stoker estate should have a chat with Lucasfilms...Harker's wife Mina is a central figure throughout the book - initially only as the target of Jonathan's letters from Transylvania, and eventually as a key figure in the hunt for the Count. Her passion and love for hubby Jonathan is both melodramatic and touching. One can't help but feel a very Victorian-England vibe in their relationship.I thoroughly enjoyed the Stoker original. He does a masterful job connecting the plot dots through diaries and correspondence. Even by today's standards, I find his approach very fresh. The first quarter of the story takes place in Romania and Dracula's castle, and Stoker is at his best in his exposition of place and in setting the weighty and Gothic tone of Dracula in his environs. The image of the Count crawling down the outer walls of his castle, while Jonathan Harker watches from above, is burned into my mind.
    • 4/5
      The writing's not always great and the heroes are rather flat, but Stoker gets tons of kudos for creating a rudely iconic vampire. I was surprised by how readable this was and once the characters finally pulled together and went on the hunt, the story was thrilling. One thing I thought interesting was that this seemed to be the birth of the monster fighting team (maybe, I don't know what earlier stories there might have been), in which a group of disparate people come together to fight what goes bump in the night. This kind of group is typically four or five and has to keep their deeds secret (think Buffy the Vampire Slayer), which causes it's own logistical and financial challenges. While Dracula ends with everyone settled and into domestic bliss, I could just as easily see the group carrying on the battle, seaking out new monsters to destroy.
    • 4/5
      You don't need to read any review of mine to get the impression that this Dracula is nothing like what modern pop culture has made vampires out to be. Now, I read this book a little more than two years ago while the Twilight heat wave was still in full swing, and I have to say that reading the original vampire was extraordinarily refreshing. If you don't want to read this book simply because its about vampires, then you're missing out on a lot of material for your anti-mainstream rants.
      For starters, Dracula starts out as an old man in a castle. To top it off, he has hair on his palms and (if I remember correctly) a large mustache. He can also control some animals, which are all "evil" (and those are huge quotations) animals (ex. wolves, bats, etc.).
      Now, I know everyone says that there is a human-vampire romance in this book, but in my opinion, this is all based on your interpretation and perspective. The human-vampire transformation is a bit sketchy too. From what I read, it seemed that a vampire had to drink their blood until they died or something... but the female lead, Mina, sort of becomes a vampire when Dracula forces her to drink his blood and then they develop some sort of telepathy... As I said, the plot can be interpreted in a few different ways.
      Anyway back to literary stuff.
      As far as story goes, I really enjoyed the whole diary/letter format. I thoroughly enjoyed the story too, and was even a bit scared sometimes... The ending, however, seemed rushed. I think it went a bit downhill once Mina was turned. I also remember thinking that Quincey's death was a bit unnecessary, but other than that, it had a somewhat happy ending.
      Honestly, your reaction to the book depends on what you expect from it. Vampire romance? Eh, maybe you can get something out of it. Horror story? Pretty high on the scale for Victorian standards. Literary work? Very intriguing. Especially to analyze.
    • 4/5
      Dracula was not at all what I expected; and I mean this in a good way. I made presumptions early on that this would be a dated, heavy, wordy, literary and somewhat boring tale of the Vampire Dracula and thus hesitated cracking open this book for many years. However, once I read the first page and realized that the story was told from the viewpoint of multiple characters via personal journals, diaries, memorandums etc... my interest was piqued. The story of Dracula is pretty tame overall, but if you have been hesitating to read it for reasons similar to those described above, I would dust off your copy and read the first couple of pages. My guess is that you will get sucked into Mr. Stoker's world just as I did.
    • 5/5
      I recently discovered that I do not actually own a copy of 'Dracula', which horrifies me! I was really quite convinced I did...As a fan of gothic literature, 'Dracula' is of course mandatory reading. I really love the novel, and the diary style in which it is written, which gives you a great insight into the thoughts and ideas of the characters in the novel. Well-written, mysterious and a real page-turner. Still one of my favourites...Really need to buy it some time! :/
    • 5/5
      Well, it's Dracula. What more do I really need to say, right? :-)Written back in the 19th century when things were left more to the imagination (which can think up way more horrifying things than anything written), I prefer this to any other novel on vampires that I've read.
    • 5/5
      Count Dracula has been happily feeding on the local peasantry for many years, when, presumably enraged by the rise of the British Middle Class, he relocates to feed on our women. Some brave Middle Class souls unite to vanquish him. Harker, who survives his 1st encounter with the Count is subsequently promoted from lower Middle Class clerk to Middle-middle Class "Master" as Dracula feeds on the slightly richer woman of leisure, Lucy, who has presumed to marry into the aristocracy. Just for laughs, let's contrast the effectiveness of the Middle Class Doctors, Van Helsing and Seward with the relative uselessness of Lord Godalming. I know Arthur deals decisively with Lucy but undergoing this trial of fire only serves him right. Doubtless he has been a parasite on the Middle Classes, figuratively sucking their blood (and nicking our women) just as Dracula has been doing literally. Honourable mention must go here to Quincy, that product of the classless society. He's naturally a sidekick but he steps up to the plate when required, no doubt because Stoker was rather fond of the Americans. I'm sure I didn't read the novel this way last time and perhaps in part it's this shapeshifting quality which lends foundation to it's classic status and ensures such widespread appeal. Yes, I know: this reading says more about the reader than the Middle Class Stoker (I'm also Middle Class).It's epistolic, which is frankly rather a brave choice, considering that you always know that whoever's diary you are currently reading with survive long enough to write it; and that the paucity of epistolary novels in English hardly allows you to research the form exhaustively.Harker's Journal, which opens the novel is particularly well done, pulling you into the locality and dealing marvellously with Harker's psychological position as he knows himself to be in deep water but tries to avoid provoking the Count. Other passages sacifice this verisimilitude. The newspaper report describing the Count's landing at Whitby for example simply doesn't ring true. It contains such a wonderful descriptive passages however that I forgive Stoker as readily as Van Helsing would forgive apparently anyone their flaws.On the subject of Van Helsing, this has to be THE most annoying character I have ever encountered in fiction. He goes on and on, page after page, about how wonderful and noble everyone he meets is and I find myself wishing those reporting his speech would just summarise, for the love of God! This book would run to 300 pages and loose nothing if he would just PLEASE shut up.Lucy's blood transfusions. The concept of blood groups wasn't discovered until 1901, and this being an 1897 publication I find it hard to believe that four such operations wouldn't have killed her anyway. Again, I forgive Stoker as the concept of blood sharing sits so well with the artistry of the novel.All told, a great novel, thought provoking in more ways than I've mentioned here, and tremendous fun.
    • 5/5
      This book has been on my list of books to read for many years now, primarily because it's a 'horror' classic. Having read all of the vampire books by Anne Rice and being a huge fan of her writing style and her version of 'vampires' I have been reluctant to read any other books about vampires.I know that Bram Stoker is the inspiration behind many of the vampire books today, but I imagined the book was going to be outdated and as unbearable as the old black and white film 'Dracula'. In the way that Edgar Allan Poe was well known for his 'ghost stories' in his time, when you read his stories now, they're far from spooky. So you can imagine that I was shocked and excited to discover that despite being published in 1897, the novel is still quite creepy by today's standards.I also didn't know that this classic novel is a compilation of letters and journal entries from the main characters. I thought that jumping from character to character and letter to journal without a sole narrator could hamper the pace of the plot but it actually enhanced the story and helped to build the suspense.All in all, I really enjoyed 'Dracula', and I can understand why it is a classic.
    • 4/5
      I read this because I had read Frankenstein, a really excellent book. This was good and plenty creepy but not as good as Frankenstein.
    • 5/5
      Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is a gripping and truly scary horror classic. A sense of impending doom and encroaching terror pervades the novel. It's a wonderful page-turner most of the way, but the final third bogs down. Written in 1897, the book often seems surprisingly modern, yet there are also sections (primarily that final third) that are stilted and decidedly in the overwrought and verbose Victorian style.
    • 5/5
      I started this in highschool, and put it down not far into it. Looking back, I have to think that I either didn't have the patience, or just wasn't quite old enough to appreciate it. More than a decade after that false start, I'm thankful to have finally restarted and allowed myself to fall into this fascinating book.Something like fifty pages in, the book had entirely engaged me with its language, its characters, and its subtle power. A hundred pages in, I was on the phone with my fiance, fascinated and discomfitted by how much the book had me hooked and unhinged. I couldn't understand how, having known the basics of the story and the character for years, the book could still manage to bother me--one way or another, it got into my head. All I can say is that this book carries so much atmosphere with it--in language and subject--that it manages to be timeless and powerful, no matter how familiar you may think you are with the legends and the story. Stoker's understanding of the human psyche, and terror, combined with a page-turning and fluent structure, make this book not only classic, but unforgettable and worth every page. If you get fifty pages in, you'll be used to the structure and entirely hooked. I strongly recommend it, with the note that the best experience will come if you read this when you've time to really soak into the book in long stretches, instead of taking it in small doses in doctor's offices or etc.