Book Report - "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
I figured Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” would be fitting as the first reoccurring Book Report post, being the first book that I’ve read (listened to) in a long time. Considering this single novel is the basis and origin of most modern vampire lore, I’ve always been interested it. I remember playing Castlevania as a kid, even though I knew nothing of the novel then. Basically any modern representation of vampires uses Stoker’s work in some form or another as reference material.
My first exposure to the actual text of “Dracula” was in a “Topics in Language and Literature” class at Upstate. The class was a neat fusion of literature and technology, and easily the most interesting English class I’ve ever taken. For one assignment, we had to “not read” a Victorian novel. In short, it was an exploration to learn about a novel of our choice without actually reading it. For the assignment, all we had to actually read was the first chapter, and I didn’t get any further than that, even though I did genuinely want to read it. I did, however, have a .txt file of the entire novel, were I to ever find the time.
Some years later, I got “Dracula” in the form of an audiobook on CD as read by John Lee from the public library. As much as I can remember, I don’t think I actually went out of my way to get it. I was probably just perusing their selection of video games, movies, and music CDs, when I noticed that they also had audiobooks and picked it up.
In any case, I ripped all 12 discs and mostly forgot about it. Every now and then, I would hear a track while shuffling my music. Catching part of a book in the middle of the sentence, coming from the end of a song, can be extremely jarring. Every time this happened, I would consider that I should eventually listen to the actual book, but then continue listening to music.
Finally, on 5 September, I heard another track from “Dracula” while shuffling music and decided that I would start from the beginning of the book and actually listen to it for once. In no time at all, I learned just how magical audiobooks are. John Lee’s voice is absolutely captivating, expressing emotion in a way that only the best storytellers are capable of. He uses a unique voice for each character, giving them an accent and personality that I wouldn’t have gotten from reading the book on my own. I was hooked.
I listened to all 15 hours of the audiobook in just a few days. When I imagined listening to an audiobook, I figured it would be dry and boring. I like reading, but waiting for someone else to read to me would probably be frustrating. Instead, it was like hearing a story while gathered around a campfire. Except I was sitting in front of my computer. And it was a 15 hour long story. But the sentiment remains, listening to an audiobook was way better than I expected it to be.
Stoker’s imagery with Lee’s voice was just an amazing combination. The amount of detail is perfect for the work. Stoker gives just the right information to paint a beautiful mental image, without overwhelming the reader (listener) with every single minute detail. There is a stark contrast between the bleakness of death and the vividness of the undead. Even outside the description of scenes and characters, Stoker has a way with words that simultaneously relatable and artistic. In a dialogue between Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing, Stoker composes the following quote that resonated deeply with me.
"There, you know now why I love him so. And yet when he say things that touch my husband-heart to the quick, and make my father-heart yearn to him as to no other man, not even you, friend John, for we are more level in experiences than father and son, yet even at such a moment King Laugh he come to me and shout and bellow in my ear, 'Here I am! Here I am!' till the blood come dance back and bring some of the sunshine that he carry with him to my cheek. Oh, friend John, it is a strange world, a sad world, a world full of miseries, and woes, and troubles. And yet when King Laugh come, he make them all dance to the tune he play. Bleeding hearts, and dry bones of the churchyard, and tears that burn as they fall, all dance together to the music that he make with that smileless mouth of him. And believe me, friend John, that he is good to come, and kind. Ah, we men and women are like ropes drawn tight with strain that pull us different ways. Then tears come, and like the rain on the ropes, they brace us up, until perhaps the strain become too great, and we break. But King Laugh he come like the sunshine, and he ease off the strain again, and we bear to go on with our labor, what it may be."
I considered how often I, too, have been stricken with laughter when I am otherwise at a loss for words or actions. When life is overwhelming, I laugh and laugh, and yet I can’t say why. And suddenly, the laughter is gone as quickly as it came on. Perhaps it is a coping mechanism of the human psyche, but I was amazed at how accurately Stoker managed to describe a sensation that I have experienced, some hundred plus years after he wrote “Dracula.”
SPOILER WARNING
Modes of Persuasion
I noticed a consistent theme in “Dracula” of characters representing the modes of persuasion of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Dr. Seward is the logos representative. He approaches problems with the logical discipline of a physician. Each new scenario is a puzzle that he must solve. His diaries contain his own suppositions about the events that have transpired, and his ideas about what the resolution might be. He initially rejects the idea that Dracula is a vampire, since the very notion of vampires is illogical. What he does accept, he must see with his own eyes before he believes.
Quincy Morris is the ethos figure. His actions are driven by what is right and wrong. His sacrifice in protecting Mina is noble, and he accepts it with grace because it is the proper thing to do. Morris understands his ignorance on the topic of vampires and accepts Dr. Van Helsing’s instruction without question.
Arthur Holmwood embodies pathos. His actions are driven by emotion. After Lucy’s death, Lord Godalming is stricken with grief. When Van Helsing suggests that they might open Lucy’s coffin, Arthur responds with great rage. Upon accepting Lucy’s fate and agreeing that her head must be severed from her body, he exhibits a lugubrious sorrow. (As a side note, I did learn the word “lugubrious” from the novel, and have made a point to incorporate it into my vernacular.)
Last, but perhaps greatest, Dr. Van Helsing represents the big-T Truth. What he knows and perceives is the most accurate representation of events, without bias or filter. Like a wise sage, he is almost always correct in his diagnosis of situations. He is slow to make assumptions, and gives ample time to study every scenario that he encounters through the work. Still, he understands that the other members of the cadre do have bias, and he accommodates for those appropriately. As the only participant that has seen vampires before, Van Helsing is the foremost expert on the matter and speaks with authority.
“Dracula” versus “Final Fantasy X”
Interestingly, I thought “Dracula” paralleled “Final Fantasy X” in numerous ways. Truly, I expect a number of modern works pull from “Dracula” in one way or another, but “Final Fantasy X” is one that I am quite familiar with.
The first similarity that I noticed was how Auron mirrors Dr. Van Helsing. Both share a vast wealth of knowledge, and speak with certainty that no other characters seem to manage. Furthermore, they each share a connection with another character that dates back prior to where the story begins. Both Tidus and Yuna knew Auron from his journey with Jecht. Similarly, Van Helsing enters the story of “Dracula” on the request of his old friend Dr. Seward. When under duress, both Auron and Van Helsing take action and lead their respective parties.
Beyond the parallel of Auron and Van Helsing, I began to note how Tidus and Jonathan Harker seem alike. Both narrate their respective stories, up until a pivotal point. Tidus recounts the pilgrimage of Yuna and how they came to meet, until summoner and her guardians rest before visiting Lady Yunalesca. Jonathan solely tells of his voyage to meet Count Dracula until he moves to escape the castle, at which point other characters begin to narrate.
Tidus and Jonathan share a cursed love, evident in similarities between Yuna and Mina. Both are plagued by a destiny that Jonathan and Tidus vow to prevent. Despite these fates, both women accept their impending doom with unprecedented grace under pressure. Furthermore, each seeks to aid their companions along the way, with Mina’s willingness to aggregate the journals of each character into a single volume, and Yuna’s fighting alongside the rest of the party. Mina’s eventual vampirism is thwarted by Jonathan and others’ defeat of Dracula. Yuna’s expected death during the final summoning is rejected by Tidus, in favor of the seemingly impossible task that they might defeat Sin without the aid of the Final Aeon. Ultimately, both men triumph in their task, curing Mina of her vampirism and ensuring that Yuna lives to see the Eternal Calm.
Several other characters of each work parallel as a sort of collective. Notably, Lulu and Wakka reflect similarities with Lucy’s suitors of Dr. Seward, Quincy Morris, and Arthur Holmwood. Specifically, each of these characters is bound to one another by their connection with a deceased comrade. Chappu, as the brother of Wakka and romantic interest of Lulu, serves as a common tie beyond their role as guardians of Yuna. Similarly, Lucy’s death eliminates any sort of competition between Dr. Seward, Quincy, and Arthur, and solidifies their resolve to aid in the quest to conquer Count Dracula. Furthermore, each character has a unique reaction and approach to the problems they encounter. Consequently, this often puts the characters at odds in stressful situations.
Finally, Dracula himself manifests as a sort of spiritual successor within Sin. Both are a looming and eternal evil, with Dracula having plagued his home region for centuries, and Sin returning after each Calm. Both figures are feared greatly by everyone around, but little understood. Part of this fear is due to the fact that each can be warded off temporarily, but apparently impossible to defeat entirely. Dracula is unable to enter homes without the permission of the resident, and cannot pass barriers treated with garlic. Sin, likewise, remains dormant for a period known as the Calm after it is defeated, but inevitably returns as the harbinger of destruction. Ultimately, each of these abominations is permanently vanquished by the determination of the party.
 |
| Source: https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/dracula.aspx |
My first exposure to the actual text of “Dracula” was in a “Topics in Language and Literature” class at Upstate. The class was a neat fusion of literature and technology, and easily the most interesting English class I’ve ever taken. For one assignment, we had to “not read” a Victorian novel. In short, it was an exploration to learn about a novel of our choice without actually reading it. For the assignment, all we had to actually read was the first chapter, and I didn’t get any further than that, even though I did genuinely want to read it. I did, however, have a .txt file of the entire novel, were I to ever find the time.
Some years later, I got “Dracula” in the form of an audiobook on CD as read by John Lee from the public library. As much as I can remember, I don’t think I actually went out of my way to get it. I was probably just perusing their selection of video games, movies, and music CDs, when I noticed that they also had audiobooks and picked it up.
In any case, I ripped all 12 discs and mostly forgot about it. Every now and then, I would hear a track while shuffling my music. Catching part of a book in the middle of the sentence, coming from the end of a song, can be extremely jarring. Every time this happened, I would consider that I should eventually listen to the actual book, but then continue listening to music.
Finally, on 5 September, I heard another track from “Dracula” while shuffling music and decided that I would start from the beginning of the book and actually listen to it for once. In no time at all, I learned just how magical audiobooks are. John Lee’s voice is absolutely captivating, expressing emotion in a way that only the best storytellers are capable of. He uses a unique voice for each character, giving them an accent and personality that I wouldn’t have gotten from reading the book on my own. I was hooked.
I listened to all 15 hours of the audiobook in just a few days. When I imagined listening to an audiobook, I figured it would be dry and boring. I like reading, but waiting for someone else to read to me would probably be frustrating. Instead, it was like hearing a story while gathered around a campfire. Except I was sitting in front of my computer. And it was a 15 hour long story. But the sentiment remains, listening to an audiobook was way better than I expected it to be.
Stoker’s imagery with Lee’s voice was just an amazing combination. The amount of detail is perfect for the work. Stoker gives just the right information to paint a beautiful mental image, without overwhelming the reader (listener) with every single minute detail. There is a stark contrast between the bleakness of death and the vividness of the undead. Even outside the description of scenes and characters, Stoker has a way with words that simultaneously relatable and artistic. In a dialogue between Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing, Stoker composes the following quote that resonated deeply with me.
"There, you know now why I love him so. And yet when he say things that touch my husband-heart to the quick, and make my father-heart yearn to him as to no other man, not even you, friend John, for we are more level in experiences than father and son, yet even at such a moment King Laugh he come to me and shout and bellow in my ear, 'Here I am! Here I am!' till the blood come dance back and bring some of the sunshine that he carry with him to my cheek. Oh, friend John, it is a strange world, a sad world, a world full of miseries, and woes, and troubles. And yet when King Laugh come, he make them all dance to the tune he play. Bleeding hearts, and dry bones of the churchyard, and tears that burn as they fall, all dance together to the music that he make with that smileless mouth of him. And believe me, friend John, that he is good to come, and kind. Ah, we men and women are like ropes drawn tight with strain that pull us different ways. Then tears come, and like the rain on the ropes, they brace us up, until perhaps the strain become too great, and we break. But King Laugh he come like the sunshine, and he ease off the strain again, and we bear to go on with our labor, what it may be."
I considered how often I, too, have been stricken with laughter when I am otherwise at a loss for words or actions. When life is overwhelming, I laugh and laugh, and yet I can’t say why. And suddenly, the laughter is gone as quickly as it came on. Perhaps it is a coping mechanism of the human psyche, but I was amazed at how accurately Stoker managed to describe a sensation that I have experienced, some hundred plus years after he wrote “Dracula.”
SPOILER WARNING
Modes of Persuasion
I noticed a consistent theme in “Dracula” of characters representing the modes of persuasion of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Dr. Seward is the logos representative. He approaches problems with the logical discipline of a physician. Each new scenario is a puzzle that he must solve. His diaries contain his own suppositions about the events that have transpired, and his ideas about what the resolution might be. He initially rejects the idea that Dracula is a vampire, since the very notion of vampires is illogical. What he does accept, he must see with his own eyes before he believes.
Quincy Morris is the ethos figure. His actions are driven by what is right and wrong. His sacrifice in protecting Mina is noble, and he accepts it with grace because it is the proper thing to do. Morris understands his ignorance on the topic of vampires and accepts Dr. Van Helsing’s instruction without question.
Arthur Holmwood embodies pathos. His actions are driven by emotion. After Lucy’s death, Lord Godalming is stricken with grief. When Van Helsing suggests that they might open Lucy’s coffin, Arthur responds with great rage. Upon accepting Lucy’s fate and agreeing that her head must be severed from her body, he exhibits a lugubrious sorrow. (As a side note, I did learn the word “lugubrious” from the novel, and have made a point to incorporate it into my vernacular.)
Last, but perhaps greatest, Dr. Van Helsing represents the big-T Truth. What he knows and perceives is the most accurate representation of events, without bias or filter. Like a wise sage, he is almost always correct in his diagnosis of situations. He is slow to make assumptions, and gives ample time to study every scenario that he encounters through the work. Still, he understands that the other members of the cadre do have bias, and he accommodates for those appropriately. As the only participant that has seen vampires before, Van Helsing is the foremost expert on the matter and speaks with authority.
“Dracula” versus “Final Fantasy X”
Interestingly, I thought “Dracula” paralleled “Final Fantasy X” in numerous ways. Truly, I expect a number of modern works pull from “Dracula” in one way or another, but “Final Fantasy X” is one that I am quite familiar with.
The first similarity that I noticed was how Auron mirrors Dr. Van Helsing. Both share a vast wealth of knowledge, and speak with certainty that no other characters seem to manage. Furthermore, they each share a connection with another character that dates back prior to where the story begins. Both Tidus and Yuna knew Auron from his journey with Jecht. Similarly, Van Helsing enters the story of “Dracula” on the request of his old friend Dr. Seward. When under duress, both Auron and Van Helsing take action and lead their respective parties.
Beyond the parallel of Auron and Van Helsing, I began to note how Tidus and Jonathan Harker seem alike. Both narrate their respective stories, up until a pivotal point. Tidus recounts the pilgrimage of Yuna and how they came to meet, until summoner and her guardians rest before visiting Lady Yunalesca. Jonathan solely tells of his voyage to meet Count Dracula until he moves to escape the castle, at which point other characters begin to narrate.
Tidus and Jonathan share a cursed love, evident in similarities between Yuna and Mina. Both are plagued by a destiny that Jonathan and Tidus vow to prevent. Despite these fates, both women accept their impending doom with unprecedented grace under pressure. Furthermore, each seeks to aid their companions along the way, with Mina’s willingness to aggregate the journals of each character into a single volume, and Yuna’s fighting alongside the rest of the party. Mina’s eventual vampirism is thwarted by Jonathan and others’ defeat of Dracula. Yuna’s expected death during the final summoning is rejected by Tidus, in favor of the seemingly impossible task that they might defeat Sin without the aid of the Final Aeon. Ultimately, both men triumph in their task, curing Mina of her vampirism and ensuring that Yuna lives to see the Eternal Calm.
Several other characters of each work parallel as a sort of collective. Notably, Lulu and Wakka reflect similarities with Lucy’s suitors of Dr. Seward, Quincy Morris, and Arthur Holmwood. Specifically, each of these characters is bound to one another by their connection with a deceased comrade. Chappu, as the brother of Wakka and romantic interest of Lulu, serves as a common tie beyond their role as guardians of Yuna. Similarly, Lucy’s death eliminates any sort of competition between Dr. Seward, Quincy, and Arthur, and solidifies their resolve to aid in the quest to conquer Count Dracula. Furthermore, each character has a unique reaction and approach to the problems they encounter. Consequently, this often puts the characters at odds in stressful situations.
Finally, Dracula himself manifests as a sort of spiritual successor within Sin. Both are a looming and eternal evil, with Dracula having plagued his home region for centuries, and Sin returning after each Calm. Both figures are feared greatly by everyone around, but little understood. Part of this fear is due to the fact that each can be warded off temporarily, but apparently impossible to defeat entirely. Dracula is unable to enter homes without the permission of the resident, and cannot pass barriers treated with garlic. Sin, likewise, remains dormant for a period known as the Calm after it is defeated, but inevitably returns as the harbinger of destruction. Ultimately, each of these abominations is permanently vanquished by the determination of the party.
Opinion
All in all, “Dracula” was an incredible book, and I regret not having read it earlier. It is so rich with archetypes and material that numerous other pieces have made allusion to. This one novel is essentially responsible for all modern vampire lore, scattered across more than a century since its release. If you have any interest at all in gothic literature, or just want to hear a really entertaining story, I highly recommend checking out Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Resources:
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Narrated by John Lee, Tantor, 2008. Audiobook, 12 compact discs.
Final Fantasy X. PlayStation 2, Square, 2001.
All in all, “Dracula” was an incredible book, and I regret not having read it earlier. It is so rich with archetypes and material that numerous other pieces have made allusion to. This one novel is essentially responsible for all modern vampire lore, scattered across more than a century since its release. If you have any interest at all in gothic literature, or just want to hear a really entertaining story, I highly recommend checking out Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Resources:
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. Narrated by John Lee, Tantor, 2008. Audiobook, 12 compact discs.
Final Fantasy X. PlayStation 2, Square, 2001.
Comments
Post a Comment