review :: The Historian

The Historian

Elizabeth Kostova

Intriguing. Compelling. Intricate. All three words describe The Historian. Elizabeth Kostova has created a fascinating blend of fact and fantasy, weaving the (true) historical roots of the living, breathing Vlad Dracula and the mythical persistent existence of the vampire legend.

There were some telling indications that this was a debut novel. I thought there were a few character flaws where some of the characters made some choices or actions that didn't quite seem to match up with who they really were. For example, the main female character, Helen, is a stiff, aloof, austere Eastern European. It seemed her warming up to Paul (the main male character), her receipt of his affections, and the return of her own was a bit abrupt for her reserved personality.

That aside, the complexity of the story was impressive. This is good storytelling, and it goes deep, layer after layer. I was interested to see how Kostova would draft a modern vampire story, and she did it well. It is not quite terrifying and graphic like Dracula, but nor is it trite, and there are definite moments to make one hold their breath.

Kostova packed this full-length novel with an amazing trail of history and travel across Eastern Europe, and she pulls it off without being too academic.

Overall, a great read, especially for anyone who finds the Dracula legend interesting. There were moments in the writing that I felt a real kinship with Kostova; I think our styles are similar, and that makes me want to read more of her. I'll definitely be picking up a copy of The Swan Thieves at some point in the near future.

currently reading :: The Historian

The Historian


Elizabeth Kostova

When The Historian first was published in 2005, I purchased it as a birthday gift for one of my college roommates. She shared my love for reading, and she was a history major. It was only appropriate. She ended up loving the book, and so have many other acquaintances of mine who have read it. Ever since I read Dracula on the Kindle (more on that here and here) and thoroughly enjoyed it, I have wanted to pick up The Historian and read this modern vampire tale.

Summary: When a teenage girl discovers a medieval book in her diplomat father's library, he reluctantly confesses an unsettling story: his involvement, 20 years earlier, in a search for his mentor, who disappeared from his office only moments after confiding his certainty that Dracula--Vlad the Impaler--was still alive.


The search for truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking us from monasteries and dusty libraries to the capitals of Eastern Europe--in a feat of storytelling so rich, so hypnotic, so exciting that it has enthralled readers around the world.
Summary from www.borders.com and the book jacket.

review :: Dracula

Dracula

Bram Stoker 

One of the most interesting things about Dracula is that the word "vampire" is not used in regard to humans--or what Dr. Van Helsing refers to as the Undead-- until nearly the end of the book. The only mention of it until then is in reference to vampire bats.  I found this most intriguing. It really added to the sense of mystery and dark dread surrounding the fearsome creature.

The entire story is told through letters, journal entries from the various points of view of the protagonists, and a few newspaper clippings. This was done very well; seamlessly, in fact. I sometimes have a difficult time reading the diary or journal entry portions of novels, but the prose Stoker created reads story-like throughout.

From the beginning, I was a very curious how this tale would play out. The first quarter of the book consists of Jonathan Harker's travel to Castle Dracula on business and his slow discovery of who Count Dracula is and of his own imprisonment in the castle. His experiences are ghastly. When the story moves from Harker's journal to his fiancee's letters to a friend, I wondered where it was going, or how the letters and the fate of Jonathan Harker would tie together. One thing you never find out in the story is how Jonathan Harker escapes Count Dracula and his castle in the first place...I do wish that had been included. I thought he was a goner.

This gothic novel is scary as all get out! I have already admitted that I had to stop reading it before going to sleep at night--which is when I do most of my reading. I definitely had a few disturbing nights of rest, thanks to Stoker's gruesome tale. The plot kept me breathless at moments with its intensity.

While its main theme is horror, I found that Dracula is also a love story. Woven into the plot are threads of love--both requited and un--sacrifice, and bereavement for what (and who) is lost. And no vampire is any match for those fighting for redemption and release of those they hold dearest.

So much has been written or made into film on the vampire theme since Dracula was released in 1897. Today's vampire has been hugely romanticized. I have to say, there is nothing appealing, romantic, or sexy about Count Dracula.

See what I mean?

Not having read the Twilight Series, or seen either of the movies, or watched any of the vampire-related shows on television (The Vampire Diaries or True Blood), I cannot offer any true insight. All I can say is that we have come a long way from our introduction to the vampire as a mythological being who feeds on life essence.

Would I recommend Dracula? Yes...but it is not for the faint of heart!

the kindle

My publishing company is the proud (AKA: skeptical) owner of an Amazon Kindle. We are taking turns in the office handling the Kindle, reading books, downloading books, and studying layout formats as we prepare for our first forage into the realm of e-publishing.

It is my turn with the Kindle. I downloaded (for free) Dracula by Bram Stoker. Dracula is the novel that truly introduced the vampire to the literary world. While not the first novel to to showcase a vampire, it is inarguably the most readily identified classic in the vampire "genre." I wonder if Bram Stoker had any idea how hot this topic would be over a hundred years later.

Thoughts on the Kindle so far:

Pros:                                                                                     
-Many classic novels are free to download.
-When the Kindle is turned off, the screen displays an image (a different one each time), so it looks kind of like a book.                             
-The Kindle remembers where you left off in a book and goes straight to that page when you turn it back on.


Cons:
-It feels awkward to hold--not like a book at all--but this may be something that just takes some getting used to.
-The "pages" are small, so you need to move to the next page frequently.
-It is NOT a book!


I have no problem with the influx of e-readers becoming available, especially if it means more people are reading more books, because they find this format and process convenient and enjoyable. I, for one, will always love my real books. I like to see them on my bookshelf. I like to hold them and smell them and throw them in my oversize purse when I'm heading out the door. So long as e-publishing and e-readers and e-books do not obliterate regular books, bring on the technology.