Book #6 - Dracula

Another assigned book, but one that is also on my list of books to read before I die, so I'm happy to kill two birds with one stone here. Going into it, I really didn't know very much about the book itself. Of course I knew the basic story and had seen the movie from a few years back (which is pretty but OMG a _horrible_ digression from canon), but I didn't know anything about the underlying themes and the context of Victorian society in which it was written, or the importance of the fact its author was Irish. _Lots_ of Irish vs. English undercurrents, which I admit would have completely passed me by had they not been pointed out in footnotes. Also it's written in the form of journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, which I hadn't expected but eventually got used to, and by the end I understood _why_ Stoker had done so.

Oh, and an interesting little note: I don't think Van Helsing's hat is ever specifically described in the book, but the one Anthony Hopkins wears in the movie is the same style as Hugh Jackman wears in Van Helsing. Nice. Also regarding Van Helsing, I'm sure much can be made of the fact that Stoker named this character after himself ("Bram" is a way cooler nickname for Abraham than "Abe").

And how much of a game geek am I that as the characters were bewildered by Dracula's oogy powers, my brain was screaming Obfuscate! Protean! Dominate! Srsly this guy is Cain himself and has _everything_. Except apparently the ability (or inclination) to lick his wounds closed. Tsk tsk. Must be Sabbat, with that kind of disregard for the Masquerade.

Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Pages: 450

6 / 24 books. 25% done! And of course this ticker has to be blood red.

Book #6 - Dracula

Another assigned book, but one that is also on my list of books to read before I die, so I'm happy to kill two birds with one stone here. Going into it, I really didn't know very much about the book itself. Of course I knew the basic story and had seen the movie from a few years back (which is pretty but OMG a _horrible_ digression from canon), but I didn't know anything about the underlying themes and the context of Victorian society in which it was written, or the importance of the fact its author was Irish. _Lots_ of Irish vs. English undercurrents, which I admit would have completely passed me by had they not been pointed out in footnotes. Also it's written in the form of journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, which I hadn't expected but eventually got used to, and by the end I understood _why_ Stoker had done so.

Oh, and an interesting little note: I don't think Van Helsing's hat is ever specifically described in the book, but the one Anthony Hopkins wears in the movie is the same style as Hugh Jackman wears in Van Helsing. Nice. Also regarding Van Helsing, I'm sure much can be made of the fact that Stoker named this character after himself ("Bram" is a way cooler nickname for Abraham than "Abe").

And how much of a game geek am I that as the characters were bewildered by Dracula's oogy powers, my brain was screaming Obfuscate! Protean! Dominate! Srsly this guy is Cain himself and has _everything_. Except apparently the ability (or inclination) to lick his wounds closed. Tsk tsk. Must be Sabbat, with that kind of disregard for the Masquerade.

Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Pages: 450

6 / 24 books. 25% done! And of course this ticker has to be blood red.