Rating: 
Summary: Super-duper, Spooky Ride!!
Review: Bram Stoker's "DRACULA" is definitely THE GOTHIC NOVEL. I read Stoker's novel for a course on Gothic Literature and still think it is one of the best books I have ever read. So the rambling by Renfield was a little over-wrought and confusing and sort of slowed the story down a bit, so Mina's pontifications and "let's all love one another" ... could get a bit out of hand and annoying (though it is set in Victorian times, what do we expect??), BUT Stoker's book has alot of wonderful characters, suspense and tension to keep the reader going. I was reading it late at night in my room and when the curtains were blowing in my room, it made a sound which made me fear a vampiric bat was lying in wait of me outside, waiting for me to invite him in....shudder....A super book on alternative family/ blood ties, about good vs. evil, about love and lust, about the mysterious eastern European landscape and Vlad the Impaler, this romantic (in the old sense) book is a must read for all. ....
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Summary: All times greatest horror novels
Review: Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is one of all times greatest horror novels. Within its 417 pages it manages to stun its readers with it's amazing frightening and suspense filled storyline. It is a classic tale of a vampire, Count Dracula, who is hungry for blood. He first victimizes his lawyer's fiancé's friend, Lucy Westenra, turning her into a vampire. This brings the tragic death of Lucy. Seeking revenge, Dracula's lawyer, Jonathan Harker, his fiancé, Mina Murray and a few of Lucy's close friends, set out on a mission to end the life of the vicious Count Dracula. During this time the Count manages to feed on Mina, making her yet another on of his victims. As she slowly starts changing into a vampire herself, the rest succeed in killing the count using silver knives. The death of the Count saves Mina. The reason I chose this book to read was because I had heard that it was really good. I had no idea how good I was. It is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. It brought chills to body every time I would pick up the book. Bram Stoker's choice of words and excellent imagination colored the book. I thought this book is a very intriguing book to read especially for adventure lovers who like a good scare. Like all books, Dracula had its strengths and weaknesses. Some of its strengths were the fact that you were able to imagine yourself in the story making it easier to understand. Its descriptions were very graphic and detailed, enough to help the reader picture exactly what was happening. Even the characters were described so thoroughly, that it felt as if you knew them by appearance and personality. Also, the story keeps you attached so that you don't want to put it down. Each chapter has something new and interesting to offer to help capture your attention over and over again. Slowly everything links together and you slowly find your self near the end of the book. I can't remember ever being bored throughout the book. Its weaknesses are a few in number. Every now and then you can get lost because there is so much being told and sometimes it's hard to follow. Also it jumps a lot from one setting to another and one characters point of view to another's. I would probably recommend this book to teens 14 years of age and older, because of the graphic descriptions, it would truly scare children younger because of it's violent scenes. In general this is one of the best classic novels I have read. This is the type of novel that satisfies most tastes. It includes: love, triumph, adventure, sorrow, mystery, horror, friendship and satisfaction after an accomplishment. In other words this would be the book I would recommend to all types of readers, especially those who want a good scare.
Rating:
Summary: Bram Stoker's Dracula
Review: Count Dracula decides he wants to go to London. When he gets there, he begins stalking and killing a group of friends. Eventually Dr. Van Helsing arrives and lets everyone in on the fact that Dracula is a vampire. So now the group goes on the offensive, and stalk Dracula across Europe. This is the classic vampire novel. Over a hundred years old, this book dosn't get old. With the whole vampire underground counterculture, it is easy to forget that this book actually inspired Anne Rice. The book is told mostly through diary entries and newspaper articles. Also it is told in prose that has somewhat disapperared in the last hundred years, so it may be a little hard to understand the first time you read it. All in all, this is deservedly a classic horror novel, maybe on of the first modern horror novel. I really suggest everyone read it.
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Summary: Still thrilling!
Review: The novel "Dracula" is written by Bram Stoker, in 1897. It begins with Jonathan Harker, a solicitor. He's travelling to Transylvania to Count Dracula. The Count bought houses all over London from Jonathan Harker's firm (he wants to search for new victims there, but of course Harker doesn't know that) and wants Harker to tell him all about English customs, traditions and the English language. But there are a lot of mysterious things going on at the Count's castle and Harker realizes soon, who Count Dracula really is: a vampire who drinks the blood of the living and makes them become vampires, too. Somehow Harker manages to escape from the castle, but that was not the last time he saw Dracula......... (I'm not gonna tell you the end...:))One thing I liked was that Stoker described everything very detailed. That made it very scary and spooky and you can imagine it better. For example Chapter II, on page 28, where Stoker describes the Count precise and exact. Also the descriptions of the castle, of Transylvania's landscape and of the tombs were excellent. Although Stoker didn't describe too much, you can also use your imagination. The book is divided into several diary entries, letters and newspaper articles. They all are written in the "Ich-Perspektive" and in a "personales Erzählverhalten", but by different persons. I like stories which are written in the "Ich-Perspektive" because you are able to sympathize with the people better. Sometimes stories which are written in this perspective are kind of one-sided or biased but this story wasn't because each letter or diary entry was made by a different person (the point of view changed with every letter, entry,...) and you read narratives from many different characters. So you could see each character's point of view even though Stoker used the "Ich-Perspektive". He wrote it really well, I never got mixed up because of the different points of view, you always had an overview and the parts weren't confusing. The reader was able to find an own opinion and was not influenced by the narrator as it often happens when just one person tells the story with only his or her point of view (in "Ich-Perspektive"). There was one part I didn't like: Why did Stoker left out Harker's escape from Dracula's castle? I think it would be very interesting to know how he ran away from there and while I was reading the book I always wondered when Stoker was going to tell about Harker's escape. Well, now you can imagine how he did that............. But this part which was left out by him could also be very exciting. Something that was at first strange and new to me was the old/older language Stokers used ,of course. There were some words I didn't know, but of course you can make sense of them when you read the context and it was not that difficult. Difficult to understand was the dialect or accent some of the people had. For example the captain of the "Czarina Catherine" Jonathan Harker met at the end. It was not very easy to understand him, but it was interesting. It would be also interesting to know Dracula's point of view and his thoughts and why he became the "King of the Vampires" (it's mentioned in the movie I saw, but not in the book), perhaps Stoker could have added one diary entry from Dracula!? The story is timeless, the people read it more than hundred years ago and they also read it today, it's still frightening and thrilling. The book was hard to put down, I just couldn't stop reading, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I know that the story has inspired many movies and other stories, but I don't think they're as good as the "real" Dracula. I saw one movie (the one with Keanu Reeves) and even though it was made really good and thrilling it was not as good as Stoker's novel, which was, of course also more detailed.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Horror Novel of All Time!
Review: Bram Stoker's tale of terror, 'Dracula,' is just as chilling today as it must have been to readers a hundred years ago. Stoker's original story, which has been told many times since in film and book, is the tale of Johnathen Harker, his love, and his friends, and their horrific experiences at the hands of Count Dracula. The book begins with Harker traveling to Transylvania to meet with the mysterious Dracula. Aquainting him with English customs and traditions when the Count buys land all over London from his firm, Harker soons learns of Dracula's true nature- that of an unnatural fiend who causes destruction wherever he goes. When Dracula travels to England Harker's friends enlist the aide of Dr. Van Helsing, the only man who understands just what evil the Count is capable of. The story that follows is one of love, hate, maddness, and adventure as Dracula seeks to destroy Harker and his friends. As well as being a great work of literature, 'Dracula' is a wonderful tale of horror that modern readers are sure to enjoy!
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Summary: Read it.
Review: So I have watched Blade and all those new vampire movies. I decided that I had to see what started it all. This book definitely surpassed my expectations. I did not think that a book written 100 years ago could hold such ground in today's society, but surprisingly it did. Its first person perspective from newspaper articles and journal entries adds a macabre realness to the novel. Stoker's use of the Count seems to emphasize the dual nature of humans; a sophisticated noble one minute and a blood sucking fiend the next. In addition it is mind boggling how someone could create such a character. I recommend this book to anyone interested. I will recommend this book to my grandchildren. It is a timeless classic that will never grow old.
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Summary: Dracula
Review: Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a well-thought out, complex novel that leaves the reader page-turning into the late hours of the night. The author's use of imagery and detail make the novel complete and help to further the reader's understanding. The style in which the book is written, which is called epistolary, is hard to comprehend at first, but it eventually grows on the reader and it becomes easy to interpret. Dracula, a vampire who has lived through centuries, is the main character, and throughout his pursuit of people to feed on, he runs into many people who are looking to destroy him and put a stop to all of the havoc he has brought to their lives. The fight against evil is displayed throughout the novel and the obstacles that are overcome by the characters take an immense amount of bravery and strength. One of those obstacles is the destruction of Count Dracula. The success in overcoming this obstacle lies with Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Dr. Jack Seward, Arthur Holmwood, Quincey P. Morris, and Jonathan Harker. These five men team together to save Jonathan's wife, Wilhemina Harker, from the evil Count Dracula. They have to save her before the same thing that happened to Lucy Westenra, her best friend, happens to her...........
Rating:
Summary: The Best shuld always be the Original
Review: After having seen numerous treatments of the Dracula story, I wrongly assumed I new it pretty well. After stumbling through the first few chapters, I got the swing of its style. Mr. Stoker used a rather novel approach in creating this novel. The perspective of the story changes with each chapter. You read narrative from many different characters. Awkward at first, later it gives the impression of a balanced account of the events. It seems to make the events more believable. A note now forgotten by many is this was a "current" story when written. It was not a piece of colorful historical fiction. The reader is not biased by the narrator's point of view. Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire" is told from Louis' perspective. That very story is given a different spin from Lestat in "The Vampire Lestat". With Dracula, all players are backing up everyone elses story. The chilling effect, is that it seems true. I was very pleased that a hundred year old story could hold such a grip on me. Actually, it was I that had the grip, a tight fisted one, on the book until I finished.
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: First off, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula. This classic tale of vampires is a great read. I normally read fantasy and sci-fi, but this book offers things I can't get from either of those. The old English in this book adds flavor, and the way it is written (a series of journal entries) adds a great change of pace. Many people read this book because they want to see the great-grandfather of all the Dracula and vampire media, I know that's why I did. However, there is a trick to this book. It is better to go into this book not expecting, and without thinking about all the things you think you know about vampires. If you do, you may be extremely disappointed. Instead, take the book for what it is; a great read that has a wonderful tale. The characters were rich and vivacious. The story was terribly well written, and was packed full of suspense. If you can learn to just look at it for what it is, I know you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic story of good vs. evil
Review: Umberto Eco, in the foreword to his The Name of the Rose, suggests that it is not the job of an author to explain his work. From this assertion he goes on to argue that the title of a book should give away as little as possible as to the content of the novel. Simple titles, such as ones that simply identify the main character (Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, etc.) are acceptable. Even better are titles that give no hint at all of the subject matter, and the best titles are the ones that are in fact completely misleading. Umberto Eco certainly would have applauded Bram Stoker. Dracula, the novel, is in fact not at all about Count Dracula. The character of Dracula appears for a grand total of less than 100 pages in this 400 page novel. The main characters in this book are the two women that he bites, and the handful of gentlemen that resolve to hunt him down and kill him. And though Dracula is eventually the focus of their attention, for the better part of the novel they don't even know of his existence. If you are expecting a suspenseful, gory thriller that follows a blood-thirsty killer on his nocturnal adventures, like in the movies, you may be disappointed. Still, with the right expectations, this is a perfectly enjoyable book. It paints an interesting picture of an age very much caught up in righteousness and religion. It's a classic story of good versus evil, with few gray areas. And it introduces a character who was destined to become the most famous villain in the history of literature.
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