In Print: Dracula by Bram Stoker

This was a book that I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it or not. After all, this is the book that spawned all those awful vampire movies over the years. If it seemed too much like the Bela Lugosi movies, I probably would've hated it.

Luckily, Bram Stoker's Dracula really isn't a whole hell of a lot like the old black and white movies or even the more recent one with Keannu Reeves.

The writing style was very compelling, it was supposed to be the journals and diaries of various characters in the story compiled to make sense of the events that unfolded. Absolutely brilliant writing. Wonderful character development. A thrilling story.

The book was fantastic, and if you ever wondered about it, don't. Just go and get a copy. I made the mistake of reading an "enriched classic" edition. That means some pseudo-intellectual already read it and has written down the observations lesser creatures might not have drawn on their own. I only checked some of those notes when it came to British slang from the 19th Century. I'm not really up on such things.

So, once again, I consider this a great tale, and one that must be enjoyed by readers of horror and those who are curious about the most famous take on the vampire mystique. Mr. Stoker didn't take the tales lightly, and made it terrifying in it's simplicity. The book is thoroughly enjoyable and written with such a style like nothing we're used to in this day and age of rehashed ideas. Read it. I know I'm glad I did.