I'm reading The Historian right now, by Elizabeth Kostova, and because Dracula plays such an important part, I've been thinking it might be time to reread Stoker's book. By the way, I'm only in the beginning of The Historian, so I can't say how much I like it, but so far I'm enjoying it.
Anyway, it's been a very long time time since I read Dracula. And at the time...I really, really didn't like it. I was bored and having read a lot of Anne Rice, all I can say is that Dracula is definitely no Lestat. I prefer the handsome vampires...not the literal living dead ones. So why bother to reread it? I remember what happens and I remember the trials of getting through it (my apologies, Bram). But I have to wonder if maybe I'll like it now.
Around the same time that I first read Dracula, I also read Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. I thought I would happy to never have to read another Hemingway in my life. I wasn't a fan of his short, staccatoesque sentences, and I definitely was not a fan in his portrayal of women. His women, I felt, needed a backbone. Of course, this was all formed after one book, but at the time...it was enough.
Then, years later, we read For Whom the Bell Tolls in AP English. And here's the strange thing. I dreaded having to read it, but as it turned out, I loved it. I wondered how on earth I had come into the English assignment with such dread. Anyone who's since seen my bookshelves will see quite a few Hemingway titles. He's now one of my favorite writers, and I've read The Sun Also Rises many times over.
So what's my point? My point is that our tastes change. Maybe getting older and having other reading experiences enabled me to enjoy Hemingway more. I'm sure there are others I've read and then later reread and enjoyed that much more, but Hemingway is the best example that I can think of. So maybe I'll enjoy Bram Stoker more, and be able to look past the physical flaws of the main character (reminding myself, again, that he probably looks pretty good for a centuries old walking corpse).
Maybe I will. I'm sure I kept my copy, though it's probably with the rest of my books...in storage under the stairs in Texas. If I think of it, I'll have to look through them next time I'm there. And speaking of Dracula, maybe I missed something. One quick note, this next comment is going to appear rather random.
I remember being pleasantly surprised by the movie League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I think the main reason is because I wasn't expecting much from it at all after hearing the reviews. And secondly...it was really kind of a cool idea about having all those characters together. But here's what bothered me...a lot. There's one scene where they're outside on the deck of the sub, and guess who's standing there talking without affect. Mina Harker.
Will someone correct me on this? And again, it's been many years and my mind has since been filled with other pieces of information from other books, but I didn't think Dracula could be out in sunlight. I understand that other vampire authors may allow their creatures to do so, but I didn't think Dracula could. Which would mean Mina wouldn't be able to be in sunlight then either. Laugh all you want, but it bothered me.
Maybe it was just poetic license by the screenwriters, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Dracula did walk in sunlight. Anyone remember?
I warned you that last comment was random. But if I ever get back to Dracula, I'll let you know if my opinions on it have changed. In the meantime, read some Hemingway.
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