'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, Book Review

Dracula Book Cover. (n.d.). [image] Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Other-Horror-Classics-Stoker/dp/1435142810 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2016].

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dracula. Although at times I felt that the storyline was slow moving and had a lot of intervals about random scenarios that often felt unrelated to the progression of the storyline (although I am sure that it unknowingly enhanced it for me), I found that for the most part it was captivating. In the book, the character I 'picked up' and interested me in the book was Lucy Westenra. Due to the way in which the book was written, although the title suggests that the main character is Dracula himself, he was in fact part of a small few main characters who's perspective was shown. In the later half of the book, Lucy was certainly a main character for a while, as her becoming 'ill' was very prolonged and was the main topic of the thoughts of other significant characters.

As like most people, I knew roughly of Dracula storyline and knew that it is the basis for the majority of later Vampire representations in modern films, books and Tv shows. Despite this, I found the story to be far more complex and interesting than I had expected and that it covered a lot of deeper topics in terms of dramatics, love, lust and even jealousy. For the time in which it was written and the time it was set, I am very aware of the risque effect it would have had on those reading it and feel that my character of choice will reflect this perfectly as she is a perfect representation of these messages. Despite these things being present, they are not explicitly used within the story line but more suggested as such topics wouldn't be risen in the way in which we would today. 

For me, the most compelling part of the story line is when my chosen character, Lucy Westenra, has turned into a vampire and is seen in such form for the first time. Compared to the rest of the story line, this is the moment that when a lot of the questions that have been risen in the book and now answered, and the real monster is seen. Therefore, it is likely that is the moment I am choosing to recreate in my make-up I will be designing for.