Book Club
by Elena Black
When we hear the word 'Halloween', what are some of the first things that come to your mind? Some people say 'witches/wizards flying through the sky on a broomstick' while others may think about black cats, the candy they gain from Trick-or-Treating, or even costumes. But ah, there is another term that definitely comes to my mind and, is in fact, tied in with the costumes. Can you guess? No?!
Well, the answer is simple. It's 'monsters'.
Many Muggles tend to dress up as vampires, ghosts, Frankenstein, and even Death itself.
For this month's Book Club article, I wanted to focus on that 'monster' aspect by talking about a particular novel. That book is Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Most of everyone knows it is about the very famous - and first - vampire of all time, Dracula himself. But do any of you know the actual tale and everything that actually happened? If not, allow me to fill you in. If you do .. well ... you may either read on and enjoy it anyway or not. It's completely up to you.
While the novel Dracula does mention said count quite often, he is not the protagonist of the book. That role belongs to Mr. Jonathan Harker. Harker travels to Transylvania as a solicitor who intends to provide legal support for a real estate transaction. He does indeed arrive at Dracula's castle and is actually welcomed inside. The Count could have easily refused for Harker to be allowed access. Yet for a good while, we see that Dracula has a rather good set of manners, something that isn't usually associated with vampires - especially around men - as they tend to use their charm on women. What starts out as a business visit steadily begins to alter and before Mr. Harker can turn the tables around, he realizes he is now a prisoner of Dracula.
The vampire lord temporarily leaves Harker and his castle. Jonathan, in the mean time, encounters the "the sisters", which is the term used to refer to the three brides of Dracula. Despite the close calls and encounters Harker has with these femme fatales, he manages to escape the castle alive.
Our focus then shifts to the other characters.
Oh come now, you didn't think only Dracula, his brides, and Mr. Harker were in this, now did you?
Anyway, we then move on to our main female characters, Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray and Lucy Westerna. Lucy has been proposed to. One would think this is great news, correct? Well .. yes and no. It's also a bit awkward. Why? Because she didn't catch the attention of only one man. In fact, she got the attention of three gentlemen; Dr. John Seward, Quincey Morris, and Arthur Holmwood. So who does Lucy accept?
I'll leave that answer to be unanswered, giving you all a mystery of sorts.
... What? My job here is to summarize books and give my opinions on them, not spoil every single little thing.
Besides, it doesn't really matter. Why not? Because Lucy ends up being turned into a vampiress. This, in turn, leads to her former suitors plus Abraham Van Helsing - a doctor and former pupil of Jack Seward - tracking her down, staking her heart, beheading her, then filling her mouth with garlic.
So where does this leave Mina? How does she fit into this novel you may be wondering?
Alas, poor Mina is a victim who is attacked and forced to drink some of Dracula's own blood. This process leads to her being used and manipulated by the vampire lord himself, mainly as a means to try to keep himself safe.
Throughout the book, Seward, Holmwood, Morris, Harker, and Van Helsing have figured out Dracula was the source of Lucy's turning and abrupt illness. They thus joined forces, aiming to get rid of the vampire once and for all. But by controlling Mina, Dracula was able to find out about this plan.
So, how does it end you wonder? Do they succeed and best the vampire? Or does he get away, forever keeping himself concealed?
That, my dear readers, is yet another mystery for you all to uncover by reading the book.
So, what do I personally enjoy about Dracula?
There's the obvious tale about it being focused upon the vampire lord himself, yes. But I also enjoyed that this wasn't just written in the more typical formats. Dracula is actually recorded in the epistolary style, as a series of letters, diary entries, and ships' log entries. With this approach, I - personally - was able to establish a deeper and more meaningful connection with the characters, especially Mr. Harker himself. This is something that is not always easily accomplished in books and it was nice to see and experience through Dracula.
But what perhaps impresses me even more than that is the historical background connected to it.
You see, the name Dracula is linked back to an actual person, Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia or - as he is better known as - Vlad the Impaler.
For years, I didn't even know about this link, not until a little owl told me. So when I found out that this monster novel revolved around an actual person, it genuinely intrigued me. The interest only strengthened upon hearing the popular myth that soon after Vlad the Impaler was buried, his corpse vanished, thus labeling him as a vampire and unnatural being who made himself do the impossible by cheating death.
When all is said and done, I absolutely recommend giving the novel Dracula a shot. There is much more to the story than telling about the mere existence of the vampire lord. The plot is written out very nicely and manages to avoid any unnecessary confusion, something that is common to find in many books these days. If you were interested on the historical part of this article, I especially suggest - and even encourage - for you to look up more details about Vlad the Impaler himself.
Until next time, I bid you all farewell.
Sincerely,
Elena Black