A naive young Englishman, Johnathon Harker travels to Transylvania to do business with a client, Count Dracula. At first enticed by Dracula’s gracious manner, Harker soon discovers that he has become a prisoner in the castle. He also begins to see disquieting facets of Dracula’s nocturnal life. One night while searching for a way out of the castle, and against Dracula’s strict admonition not to venture outside his room at night, Harker falls under the spell of three wanton female vampires, the Brides of Dracula. He is saved at the last second by the Count, because he wants to keep Harker alive just long enough to obtain needed legal advice and teachings about England and London (Dracula’s planned travel destination was to be among the “teeming millions”). Harker barely escapes from the castle with his life.
After showing his true and terrifying colors, Dracula boards a ship for England in search of new, fresh blood. Unexplained disasters begin to occur in the streets of London before the mystery and the evil doer are finally put to rest.
Hmmmm…. well… I listened to this because I have never read Dracula. I know, its true! And well… it really wasn’t what I was expecting. I had no idea that Dracula was set around a real estate deal…. and a ship. And I had no idea this book was mostly written in journal/diary entries. In my head… it was all about spooky Dracula in his castle, inviting people in for oh…. I don’t know… appetizers? 😯
How freaky to think this creepy book was written over one hundred years ago….. that’s about a hundred years before vampires became cool! Oh and when I say creepy, I mean it with all due respect….. creepy good… yah know?
Historically, the name “Dracula” is derived from a secret fraternal order of knights called the Order of the Dragon, founded by Sigismund of Luxembourg (king of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, and Holy Roman Emperor) to uphold Christianity and defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. Vlad II Dracul, father of Vlad III, was admitted to the order around 1431 because of his bravery in fighting the Turks. From 1431 onward, Vlad II wore the emblem of the order and later, as ruler of Wallachia, his coinage bore the dragon symbol. The name Dracula means “Son of Dracul”.
Wikepedia
I am glad to say I have experienced Dracula. Check that off my lifetime to do list 😛
Amazon Rating
The 2011 WHERE Are You Reading Map had been updated to include Dracula
I purchased this audio at Barnes and Noble
Book Journey 
I love Dracula! It exceeded my expectations, too. The whole thing was so atmospheric. I expected a slow read, but that wasn’t the case at all.
**spoiler**
My favorite scene was when the crew members of the boat started disappearing one by one…
**end**
I have never seen the movie…. maybe I should 🙂
I saw the movie many years before reading the book. I’d forgotten everything that happened by the time I read it so it was all new to me. I should rewatch it.
I bet it is CREEPY! 😛
I’ve often thought of reading Stoker but for some reason never manage to pull it off!! 😀
The audio is short…. I think a little over three hours. I found it in the clearance area of Barnes and Noble so thought I would give it a go 😀
I still can’t believe that I have not read this book! It has been sitting on my shelf for a few years… maybe I will get to it with the “off the shlelf” book challenge that I am participating in this year!
I would still be in that group too Bonnie if I had not found it on clearance and thought “why not?”
that is still on my to do list but I found it boring and keep getting really bored with the slowness of it.
I can see that – the audio was fast 🙂 Try that.
I have this one on my own TBR pile (It’s on my personal I-Must-Read-Before-I-Die list). With my commitment this year to read at least one or two classics a month, I’m hoping I get to it this year! 🙂
The book must be fairly short Julie if the audio was only three hours. 🙂
Surprisingly I really enjoyed this when I read it … it wasn’t at all what I expected, and it was deliciously creepy. 🙂
I was surprised too…. so different than what I thought it would be Heather 😉
Dracula is one of my favorite books! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
And the movie (with Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder) is excellent, if slightly different from the book. I definitely recommend that you watch it.
Thanks for the recommendation… I will see if I can find it on Netflix 🙂
I actually haven’t read this one either. I suppose I should – I’ve heard good things. Did you like the narrator on the audio?
I did Anette…. creepy voice… perfect for this book 🙂
Great for you. This is on my must try this year list, hoping to cross it off also.
I hope you do too Marce – it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. 🙂
I want to read this book, but I’ve seen the movie multiple times (I love Winona Ryder) and I kind of want to wait a little more. Maybe I’ll do audiobook too, sounds like it would be even more ~scary~
I listened to it in the kitchen while I cooked Samita…. it went fast and sometimes I cringed while listening 😛
One of my favorite books though I’ve never listened to it. I love the epistle narrative and how it allows the reader to get into the head of the major players.
My favorite audio to listen to though is from Orson Wells and his Mercury Theater on the Air. It aired in, I think, 1938 and stars Wells as Dracula and Seward. Agnes Moorhead is Mina Harker. I own it on CD and listen to it a few times a year.
I’m not a big fan of the Gary Oldman movie as I think the sexualized Dracula too much. I’m a big fan of the Bela Lugosi movie and the Spanish language movie they made at the same time on the same set. The Spanish language version is a little longer and has some wonderful shots in it that don’t exist in the English version.
OOH – I like the sound of the Mercury Theater Ryan! AND I am not surprised that this is a favorite read for you… you really like some of the older titles and deep reads. I love reading your reviews! 🙂
I just found the Mercury Theater version of Dracula as a freedownload on iTunes. It’s a free podcast of The Horror (Old Time Radio).
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-horror-old-time-radio/id256493679
Here is the link to the main page….Dracula is number 94 on the list. If you select view in itunes it will open up the itunes store and allow you to get the free download. It may ask you to run quicktime on your computer but if you have itunes you should already have it.
I just downloaded it to my itunes though I could have just downloaded my CD into it. I do think I will be grabbing a few more of these though as there are some great old radio shows on it.
Awesome Ryan – thanks 😀
I read the New Annotated Dracula which is like Dracula on academic steroids, and it was awesome. If you ever get it into your head to re-read this one, I recommend getting it. 🙂
OOH Thanks Trisha… Dracula on academic steroids… sounds interesting! 😛
I read this years ago, almost right after Coppola’s film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, came out in the early 90s. I really liked this book. It really is one of the best books ever written, in my humble opinion (P.S. I’m partial to books written in diary form…LOL!). Now I really must finish reading Frankenstein. Every time I pick it up, something comes up and I have to put it aside. I hate that!
I have never read Frankenstein. So many books. 🙂
I haven’t read Dracula yet. I’m not sure it’s very high on my list, either. :p
It was an experience Hannah 😀
Do you think it’s a must-read? One of those classics we all should read?
Hmmmmm…. that’s a tough call and I think I am going with no. I am glad I did, just to say I did…. but really if it was for being a classic…. I probably would never have picked it up. 🙂
OK, good to know. 🙂
I like Dracula a lot, but I do think it’s one of those books that everyone thinks they know, but really don’t until they’ve read it.
Exactly Carol! I obviously did not have a clue 🙂
i love the idea of Dracula being about him inviting people around for appetizers – thanks for bringing a smile to my day.
LOL 😀 Sure!
I’m not of fan of Dracula, the book or the film. I wanted to be, I really did. I just thought the plot was a little thin and the way that it was written was sort of…meh. The film, however, made the book look like the best thing ever. Keanu Reeves? Seriously? Even Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins couldn’t save that thing.
Gabriel…. Watch the Bela Lugosi version. It’s a much better movie. It changes a few things around (like any movie does) but it’s creepy and Lugosi is terrific as the count. The Oldman movie was crap in my opinion and I’ve never been able to watch the whole thing through.
I am taking your advice here Ryan…. 🙂
Great thoughts! I dont know if I could have read this…. but the audio was ok to listen to while I was in the kitchen.
I’m glad you liked this book. I listened to it two years back because I wasn’t sure either how I’ll like it. But I just loved it so much!
Have you sen any of the movies Aths?
This reminds me of how I felt the first time I read Frankenstein. The actual book is really nothing like the pop culture monster we know about. Glad it was creepy good 🙂
I am glad I can now say I have experienced Dracula 🙂
I recall being surprised by this as well, much better than I anticipated!
It was gory – but not as gory as I thought it would be…. I was planning on …. well…. more gore 😛
Glad you crossed this one off your list! I’ve had it on mine forever. I’ll get around to it one of these days…
Rip the band aid off and read it Kathleen 😀
I visited 10 more.
Sorry wrong comment section.
LOL thats ok… 🙂