By Bram Stoker
was a very.... interesting read. I finally got to it after its collecting dust upon my shelf for some years. I have a curious disease. Its called buymanymanybooksatonegoandnotreadthemtillafewyearslater. whew.
it was less creepy in the japanese-horror-movie way than I expected, but it did manage go instill in me a sense of gothic dread... but then again, it was all the rage in london at stokers time, so I imagine they all had a ball of a time with yet another horror novel.
the thing which set me off a little was how in-your-face the book was. Like, if the situation appears to be thus so, then it is, in fiction, so. Which made the plot just a little predictable and boring, and the characters a little too one dimensional.
This isn't to say it wasn't a good book, evidently stokers talent in writing lay elsewhere. His story telling and descriptive skill and character portrayal is quite good.
But the character I liked best was Renfield, the zoophagus. He must have been the most elusive, yet three dimensional character in the book. Three dimensional because he had the most variety of different moods and feelings, times of strength and weakness, swinging in a self struggle between good and evil, and elusive because, as he was a madman, I may never know when he was really being mad or when he was being sane. But nevertheless I found his conversation entertaining (good-bye my dear, I pray god I may never see your sweet face again. may he bless and keep you!) and his ways so absurd( His method of tidying(his room) was peculiar; he simply swallowed all the flies and spiders (his pets) in the boxes before I could stop him. It was quite evident that he feared, or was jealous of, some interference. when he had gone through this disgusting task, he said cheerfully, let the lady come in!)that I always found myself laughing aloud(receiving curious/annoyed stares from my parents!)
Alas, he died in the end, killed by the Count. My only solace was that he died a good man. I liked him very well.
"Don't be scared, I'm a friendly man; I joke about sex because its funny when you're frightened"
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