Everybody knows the usual tales of vampires and the supernatural. Or, at least, they thought they did. Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a collection of many accounts of the presence of vampires, and specifically, the infamous Count Dracula. The story starts out with Jonathan Harker, a solicitor journeying to sell Dracula a bit of property. An innocent representative of all that is good in the world, Jonathan soon finds out that he is in great danger. He says, “The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a veritable prisoner! (37).
The Count Dracula, who seemed so polite, is truly quite frightening and is planning out Harker’s death as he stays in the castle. Jonathan realizes he must escape or die trying.
The story switches from Harker’s diary to the journal of Dr. Steward, who works at an asylum near Carfax, the estate that Dracula bought. He tells of his patient Renfield, who is almost certainly insane. Steward also becomes involved with the illness of his former love, Lucy, who is a good friend of Mina Murray (Harker’s fiancée).
Steward calls upon Van Helsing, his former teacher to assist in the healing of Lucy. After leaving Lucy unattended for a night, she is found to have a turn for the worse, and was thought by Van Helsing to have lost immense quantities of blood via two red marks on the throat. With Lucy’s health quickly waning, Mina’s fears about her husband’s queer manner increasing, and the constant escape of Renfield to Carfax, there is no doubt that all these paradoxes can be related to the one and only Count Dracula.
The Essay on Dracula Play Review Job Mina Lucy
... begins with a lawyer named Jonathan Harker, visiting Count Draculas castle in Transylvania to finalize the count's purchase of an English estate. ... Mina's best friend Lucy, also the fianc e of Jonathan's best friend Dr. Jack Steward falls under Draculas spell once he ... returns to England. After being bit by Dracula, Lucy ...
The strength in personality of every one of the characters is what makes this book a vital read. From Dracula to Mina, each character has a unique personality that shows itself thought their writings and actions. Dracula, who is described by Harker as being unusually and reassuringly polite, is doing so to hide his evil. Mina is an independent woman who is intelligent and can think for herself. Another strong character is Van Helsing. He is a very stern and mysterious man, though he will at times show his emotions. Dr. Seward notes, “Then when his face grew grave and stern, again I asked him why his mirth, and why at such a time. His reply was in a way characteristic of him, for it was logical and forceful and mysterious” (209).
Another strong point of the novel was that one was never without suspense, even throughout the whole 450 pages. The book proves an excellent example of the literary device of a “cliffhanger,” for at the end of some of the accounts, the reader is forced to read on to discover the end. When Lucy says, “Goodbye, dear Arthur, if I should not survive this night!” (175) and Van Helsing says, “We can do nothing as yet. Wait and see” (195), the peak of my interests was reached. If that does not so obviously and commandingly tell you to read on, then I don’t know what will!
Though this is a quality read, man is not perfect, and neither is this book. The only thing I thought could be improved was that some of the newspaper clippings included in the beginning of the book could have been omitted. In a letter from Quincey Morris to Arthur Holmwood, Quincey says, “Won’t you let this be at my camp-fire tonight?” (78).
They are simply planning a get together, and it seems as if it has no relation to the other suspenseful action that is going on.
In addition, the book started out a bit slow. When Harker started his journal, I was worried that the book was going to be a hard and boring read. With simple and somewhat trivial information, Jonathan began, “Left Munich at 8:35 p.m. on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:45, but train was an hour late.” (7).
These first words of such as classical book were a bit disappointing by my standards. Though I am sure novels are so often hard to get going, such a writer as Bram Stoker should have been able to come up with a better first impression.
The Essay on Bleachers Books Read By Adolescents
Books read by adolescents contain both positive and negative values. Bleachers, by John Grisham is one book that contains many positive values. This book is about high school all-American Neely Crenshaw, who was probably the best quarterback ever to play for the legendary Messina Spartans. Fifteen years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie ...
With such a book as this, I am completely willing to give up all critic remarks. Dracula is not a classic without reason, but a beautifully literary depiction of personality, fear, love, thrill, and intelligence. This novel is a must-read for anyone and everyone who appreciates literature and entertainment.
