An unusual combination, a unique effect
As is well known, the novel Dracula was written by Irish writer Abraham Stoker in the 19th century. The book tells the story of the fight of a group of volunteers with the King of Darkness, Dracula. A patchy narrative, the then desired theme of the fight between good and evil, vampirism – these elements made the novel quickly gain readers and began to be translated into other languages. The National Library reports that Dracula has been translated into Polish seven times! The success of the book also influenced the world of film – numerous adaptations allowed to visualize the image of Dracula. In 2020, the novel Dracul discussed in this review was published by the Czarna Owca publishing house . The authors are JD Baker ( The Fourth Monkey ,Fifth Victim ) and Dacre Stoker (descendant of the famous Bram Stoker, filmmaker). Joining the forces of an ambitious writer and a relative of the Father Vampire is an explosive apartment. Dracul is a story bordering on thriller and horror – dark, claustrophobic, unpredictable. Woven from the notes of the famous Bram Stoker, it will surprise you with an aura of Victorian Gothic!
Bad beginnings – nice
Bram Stoker is (seemingly) ready to face the inhuman beast. He has crosses, holy water, weapons. It is surrounded by mirrors to prevent it from being surprised. This night extends forever. The hero of Draculawho we meet at the beginning of the novel is an extraordinary character. The reader has the opportunity to find out what events influenced the fact that in 1968 he competed with the Darkest of the Dark. Before we know the end of this story, however, we must go back to the beginning: find out the details of Stoker’s mysterious disease, find out who Ellen Crone was, and try to guess the mystery of unusual healings. In the background, we observe British society of the 19th century. The inhabitants of Dublin face hunger and disease (the so-called potato blight continues). The heroes share with the reader their fear, anxiety, delusion, which makes us even more involved in the plot.
Dracul (a) as it looks
The authors pay special attention to details. Descriptions can be lengthy, but not boring. The story is consistent and the tension is built from the very beginning. The creators made sure that the reader felt anxious, but there are moments in the novel that we smile involuntarily. A few fictional inaccuracies were not avoided, but during the reading they will not be so significant, I assure you! Comparing Dracula and Draculawe can notice minor differences in concepts (the authors are not willing to explain), but they also do not affect the perception of the content. The structure of the story is also not tiring, consisting of, among others, from excerpts from newspapers, diaries, testimonies of witnesses, letters. This combination allows you to look at the plot elements from different perspectives, which makes the reader even more involved. The authors pay a lot of attention to the Stokers family and the aforementioned Ellen, but less to Dracula. However, that doesn’t mean the Vampire King isn’t scary. On the contrary! Baker and Stoker made sure to show Dracula in an appropriately terrifying way. When it comes to publishing … I appreciate the author’s note at the end of the novel (it’s worth starting reading from there!), But I wish the book had been hardcovered. Such a piece deserves the best.
Summary
Dracul is a horror novel that reads really well. As I mentioned, this is a thriller and horror film mix, so readers craving full-blooded content may not be satisfied. Nevertheless, this prequel, which is by the way part of the original story, I can recommend to anyone who enjoys reading prose. If you are a Bram Stoker fan, go to the bookstore!
