By Joy Cassidy
Great Summer reads can have long-lasting memories, sitting in the sunshine, ice-cold drink by your side as kids play in the paddling pool.
But Bram Stoker’s Dracula is not something you would normally associate with this scene.
More a wintery day, wrapped up by a roaring fire with a hot cup of something to warm your wits that have been frozen scared by this classic horror.
Yet Dracula was the Nantwich Bookworms read for June – and it was met with mixed reviews.
Despite the incongruity of the novel to the season, Bram Stoker successfully transported the reader to the wild and dark landscape of Transylvania in the opening chapters of this 19th Century gothic classic, the dwelling place of the Count himself.
Written in the format of diary excerpts and letters from five main characters, we agreed the descriptive narrative was excellent, shrouded with mystery and intrigue as we read on with bated breath anticipating the next spook.
It was interesting to read the origin of where so many adaptations have stemmed and (despite it being written in 1897) the modern definition of the Vampire that existed in ancient folklore.
Adaptations from Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula to the ultra-modern Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, all contain the main themes that are prevalent in the novel, the main ones being the role of women and sexual conventions, and religion.
We decided the novel was interesting rather than particularly enjoyable, with some parts very long-winded, unlike the faster paces of more modern literature.
The dialogue, too, was uninspiring and tedious at times, which made this already long novel almost a chore to read.
Stated as one of “1,000 Books to Read Before You Die”, it feels good to be able to tick it off, and the scare-factor certainly stays with you as you expect to see the Count lurking in every dark corner, or tapping at your bedroom window in bat-form…or maybe that’s just us feeble women…
Nantwich Bookworms meets on the first Sunday of every month at the Black Lion pub in Welsh Row, Nantwich.
On August 4, the book reviewed is “The Red House” by Mark Haddon, and in September “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee
New members welcome. Email [email protected], or via Twitter @booknantwich or turn up to the friendly and informal meetings.
(Pic by Ben Templesmith, Flickr Creative Commons)
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