Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Publication date: 1897
Print length: 454 pages
Audio length: 15 hours, 27 minutes
Rating:

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries in his client’s castle. Soon afterwards, disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman’s neck; and a lunatic asylum inmate raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘Master’. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing into questions of identity, sanity and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

Details on the Audible edition:

Because of the widespread awareness of the story of the evil Transylvanian count and the success of numerous film adaptations that have been created over the years, the modern audience hasn’t had a chance to truly appreciate the unknowing dread that readers would have felt when reading Bram Stoker’s original 1897 manuscript. Most modern productions employ campiness or sound effects to try to bring back that gothic tension, but we’ve tried something different. By returning to Stoker’s original storytelling structure – a series of letters and journal entries voiced by Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, and other characters – with an all-star cast of narrators, we’ve sought to recapture its originally intended horror and power.

This production of Dracula is presented by what is possibly the best assemblage of narrating talent ever for one audiobook: Emmy Award nominees Alan Cumming and Tim Curry plus an all-star cast of Audie award-winners Simon Vance (The Millenium Trilogy), Katherine Kellgren (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), Susan Duerden (The Tiger’s Wife), John Lee (Supergods) and customer favorites Graeme Malcolm (Skippy Dies), Steven Crossley (The Oxford Time Travel series), Simon Prebble (The Baroque Cycle), James Adams (Letters to a Young Contrarian), Nicola Barber (The Rose Garden), Victor Villar-Hauser (Fun Inc.), and Marc Vietor (1Q84). These stellar narrators have been cast as follows:

Alan Cumming as Dr. Seward
Simon Vance as Jonathan Harker
Katy Kellgren as Mina Murray/Harker
Susan Duerden as Lucy Westenra
Tim Curry as Van Helsing
Graeme Malcolm as Dailygraph correspondent
Steven Crossley as Zookeeper’s account and reporter
Simon Prebble as Varna
James Adams as Patrick Hennessey
Nicola Barber as Sister Agatha
Victor Villar-Hauser as Arthur Holmwood
Marc Vietor as Quincey Morris
John Lee as Introductory paragraph, various letters

Once again, I’m thrilled with the results of my Classics Club Spin!

I first read Dracula decades ago, at some point during my high school or college years — but after so much time, my memory of the book had become fuzzy. At the same time, it’s impossible not to be familiar with the general story of Dracula — and in some ways, even more so with all the interpretations, adaptations, and parodies that are associated with the story.

What a treat to go back to the original! I’d forgotten just how brilliantly written this story is. From the terror conveyed via Jonathan Harker’s diary, to the innocent joy of Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra’s friendship, to the unraveling of the mystery by Doctors Seward and Van Helsing, to the breathtaking chase scenes that form the climax of the story — it’s all conveyed with masterful storytelling, sharply building suspense, and beautiful character development.

As for the audiobook version, it was an absolute delight. This full cast, unabridged recording features the talents of Tim Curry, Alan Cumming, Simon Vance, and more. The narrators brings the characters to life, and while this is a long audiobook, it never feels too long — it’s a pleasure to listen to, from start to finish.

Dracula is, of course, the most influential of all vampire books, and there are countless books that are spin-offs, retellings, or inspired by the original. Some recent reimaginings have caught my eye, and I’d like to check them out — ideally at least one this year. They are:

• Lucy Undying by Kiersten White (published 2024)
• Dracul by Dacre Stoker (Bram Stoker’s great-grand-nephew) and J. D. Barker (published 2018)
• A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson (published 2022)

Have you read any of these? Do you have any other Dracula retellings to recommend?

Amazon purchase links: 
Dracula audiobook – Lucy Undying – Dracul – A Dowry of Blood 
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