Book Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula
-Author: Bram Stoker
-Publishing Date: 1897
-Setting Genre: Historical Fiction: Europe
-Narrative Genre: Horror, Epistlary
-Themes: Scientist of Mythology, Religious Faith, Seduction, the Other

Subjective Length: A week or so

Overall 7/10. This is a definitive classic of horror writing and establishes conventions still seen today. The expert in disregarded lore seen in the character of Van Helsing recurs in characters like Daniel Jackson of Stargate, the archaeologist who ascribes to the ancient aliens notion; or the heroes of Roger Zelazny's Amber novels, who interchange magic and science with impunity, utilizing whichever happens to work best with the physics of their current reality; and is subverted in works like "Ghostbusters" where the main characters face ancient beings without prolonged library trips to study ancient ritual, opting instead for the, less common, scientific firepower approach. The Vampire myth may predate this work, but it is Bram Stoker's most memorable work that kept this ancient piece of folklore alive into the modern horror genre.

Controversial Themes: 
Sex: There is a strong metaphorical association between sex and the vampire's bite. This was explored more thoroughly in later works on the theme, however, the implication is there.This includes an attempted seduction wherein a vampiric trio of women seek to seduce one of the main characters in a scene existing somewhere on the edge of waking and dreaming. 
Religion: The handling of religion in the piece could be problematic for several types of readers. Firstly, there is a strong Christian overtone, and the assertion that vampires are, as defined by scripture, a form of demon, banishable only by the trappings of faith in Jesus Christ. Secondly, the assertion of them as, in some vague capacity, demonic powers makes for the Christian reader the difficulty of seeing Christians made victims of demonic possession, if even in fiction. 
Body Horror: Not so much controversial, as simply outside of some readers' comfort zones. The drinking of blood and the visceral effects of Vampiric infection are a milder version than what modern horror fans may be used to; however the elements of body horror remain; old fashioned as some of them may now seem. 

**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**

The story takes place in the journal entries, and occasional letters of the human protagonists. The narrative opens with Jonathan Harker's journals of his attempts to act as real estate agent for the foreigner Count Dracula, of Transylvania. Harker has come out to Dracula's homeland to help him work through the purchase of land in England. Harker gradually becomes aware that his host is not human, and the dread of the unknown creeps into the narrative through multiple encounters of increasing horror. 

We are then introduced to Mina Murray, Jonathan's fiance, as well as Lucy Westenra, who is proposed to three times in a single day. Their correspondence serves to establish several contributing characters to the story. John Seward, a psychiatrist, Quincy Morris, an American from Texas, and Arthur Holmwood, the man Lucy truly loves in return. 

It is after this that the reader is presented with an account from a newspaper detailing accounts of a captain gone mad, which, nevertheless, smacks of the journals of Harker, and makes clear that Dracula has come to England. 

Lucy is then lured out, and found sleepwalking on the cliffs with small punctures on her throat. She falls into an illness, and John Seward sends for aid from a fellow doctor named Abraham Van Helsing. He analyzes the causes of the illness, and begins to seek to remedy her illness; which consists in the need of constant blood transfusions to maintain life. He also adorns her room in flowering garlic.  

Despite their efforts, Lucy dies, and stories begin to circulate of a woman abducting children in the parks of  Hampstead. Van Helsing returns from his research and proves through an encounter with the dead woman that it is Lucy Westenra, returned from the dead as a demonic corpse, and leads her former suitors in a carefully timed assault to destroy the corpse's capacity for reanimation. 

It is after this, that Mina and Jonathan join in the fight and begin a careful compilation of all notes relevant to the creature that has come for them. The group begins to track down and destroy the coffins of fouled soil brought over by the Count as sanctuaries. Then, Mina is attacked and infected with the same vampiric influence that killed Lucy.  

In the final act, the Count is hunted down as he seeks to return to his castle in Transylvania. He is found within his final remaining coffin, being transported by day by his hired men. The protagonists assemble and destroy the corpse, finally ending the Count's ability to hold sway the minds of men. 

The book has a bittersweet ending, and does a better job than some other works of ending with the victory of the heroes, yet acknowledging what was lost and who is mourned in the wake of horrific events. The characters survive, but are not unchanged by their trauma. It is, in the end, a triumph of the human species, and the most human reaction to all that has transpired, is to mourn and remember the lost along the way. It is at the end, then, that we see what was being fought for. That humanity would shake off the tyranny of the callous, and stand as fragile beings, unafraid of our vulnerability, and knowing that our capacity to mourn the dead will be what strengthens our resolve against more traditionally potent archetypes of strength and power. It is this hope, shining in the darkness, that has kept this work of dark and violent horror relevant to generations of fans. 

Happy reading, all.