The terrifying story of the most famous vampire of all time, and the
most representative work of Dark literature. Dracula tells us about
the macabre intentions of the Count to hold Mina prisoner and keep her for his own at any
price; and the obstinate struggle undertaken by Jonathan (Mina’s fiancé and
later husband) and his friends to take her away and save her from a demonic existence.
Written by Irish Bram Stoker in 1897, this is a new edition of 2012.
The novel of which many movies have been based on and so many other
stories have been inspired by; has won us all over with its style for decades. The plot sparked my curiosity and I wanted to read the original work and
get to know in what terms and manner was written by the author.
No doubt the book was beautifully written and the author spares no
epithets to describe every scene and the surrounding events. The temper of each character is clearly defined and the plot introduces
the European Society of XIX century, its manners and customs. Take it
literally, because... before starting this enterprise it’s necessary to keep in mind
these characteristics and consider that the story was written for 1800s
audience. Hence, some major changes have been carried out when portraying our
desirable vampire on the screen, with the purpose of adapting the argument and plot to the new
generations’ expectations.
I think it is important to clear this up because it was pretty much that
what happened to me while reading this book. Being as influenced as I am by my
own generation with vampires such as Lestat and Louis (of Anne Rice’s stories) for instance, I simply screwed the whole thing up in my mind.
Vampires as we know them today are well-groomed
individuals with dark hair, fair skin and red lips. Plus the irresistible charm
that they exert on their victims who readily agree to accompany them wherever
they go; it frankly turns them into fascinating chavaliers errants.
And this was exactly what I expected to find in the original work of Bram
Stoker, some kind of Interview with the Vampire type of
thing.
But, guess what... nothing could have been further
from that idyllic concept than this. Mr. Stoker in his work introduces a very different character that
actually has little or nothing to do with the role played by Gary Oldman sort
of vampire; instead we find a character that completely lacks the power of captivating
his preys and make them obediently cooperate with his devilish demands. Here
we have a nasty man with a very poor appearance, like the prominent bird profile, and above all, stinky breath coming
out of his mouth (yuck!). Consequently he has no other option than obliging his
victims and take them by force since they are not naturally whatsoever
willing to be taken away. Such a disappointment from my point of view.
In the encounter with Mina, or should I say the
assault to Mina, such a brutal attack is described, that can only be compared
to a sexual assault. Where is that internal struggle the victim is usually subjected to and aware of the fact that they shouldn’t give in they actually want
it?
Regarding the discourse, it could sound rather over
affected and exaggerated nowadays; in fact, it reminded me of the formality
that is obstinately resorted to in Romeo and Juliet. The excessive diplomacy characters habitually address one another, turns the dialogue into an artificial dissertation
lacking the spontaneity we’re used to.
On the other hand though, I found Beatriz Martín Vidal’s illustrations
quite impressive. In my opinion, the pictures constitute the most catching
element of this edition. Gothic drawings in which red and black (and some
sepphia) predominate; they fully harmonize with the ordinary perception we have
of vampires today.
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