Dracula by Bram Stoker

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My Rating: 5 Stars

This book is definitely the gem of Gothic horror and one of my favourites. I won't say it's an easy novel to get into but it's definitely worth every effort in getting through the first chapters. 

The atmosphere of this novel is, since the very beginning, very dark and gloomy. The descriptions gave me goosebumps. It only gets worse when Stoker describes the erotic scenes that were a scandal for the 19th-century gentleman and gentle-ladies. The shifting of perspectives along the novel gives the perfect depth into each character and the story-line. 

What I noticed though is that the main characters like Jonathan Hacker and Mina are very logical characters, trying to find a perfectly reasonable explanation for supernatural events without the exaltation of emotions that was expecting from the Gothic era. Both characters are the perfect representation of the Victorian society, following the rules of that society and its traditions. Dracula appears has the representation of hidden desires, the will to break the stereotypes, the unconscious and the unknown. For me, I found that Dracula was more human than any other character since he shows more emotion than any other.

An absolute must-read for the fans of Horror, the first vampire story that became the basis for all the other vampire stories that came later. This particular edition makes the story even more unique with its beautiful illustrations that bring out the atmosphere of the novel.

An amazing dark Gothic novel to read and re-read!

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