David Barry: Response
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!! Key parts of the novel may be revealed below!
Though I do not usually read or enjoy horror novels, I truly enjoyed Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Stoker managed to always keep the novel interesting, and he almost never stalled the plot or suspense. The main plot and thrilling nature of the novel started almost instantly, and did not end until the last page. Stoker was immensely skilled at simply keeping readers interested as they read along. I was able to relate to the characters, and I wanted to know what happened to them. Overall, I would definitely recommend this novel due to its thrilling nature, unique structure, and significant characters.
Firstly, Dracula is suspenseful and thrilling for almost the entire novel. Whether the scene is specifically horrific or simply following the suspense of the novel, Stoker never loses his reader's interest. For example, the log of the Demeter, early in the novel, was horrifying, but it stuck in my mind throughout the entire novel. The passage made me want to keep reading to discover exactly what happened on the Demeter, and if Dracula was involved. A less intense passage, however, such as when the group is planning their attack against Dracula, is still fascinating. Though it is not necessarily thrilling, I was still interested because Stoker truly made me want to know how to defeat Dracula.
The novel was also written in a very unique structure; rather than telling the story as a narrative, letters and journal entries from various characters are used. Though this periodically got confusing when attempting to understand the chronology of events, it was well worth it. By reading each characters thoughts from a first person perspective, it was much easier to relate with each and every character and his or her decisions. This style of writing was especially useful because Stoker was a good enough writer to truly give a different voice and tone for each character. This made it much simpler to discover each character's personality and basic character traits.
Lastly, the characters in this book truly made me enjoy it. My favorite character, by far, was Jonathan Harker. I will admit, I was annoyed with him throughout the first few chapters, but as he showed his bravery, I began to respect and like him. I was hoping for his redemption throughout the entire novel, and I was beyond happy with the ending. Jonathan Harker truly deserved to be the one who finally killed Dracula by cutting off his head. After spending months imprisoned by Dracula and having his wife attacked and almost stolen, Jonathan Harker seemed to have the largest reasons to kill Dracula. He showed sincere bravery throughout the entire novel, and though he was at times rash or hotheaded, Jonathan Harker was still my personal favorite character.
So, I would recommend this book to everyone who is old enough to read it. If a reader likes horror novels, then they will definitely like Dracula, but even if they do not, they may still like this novel. Personally, I never read or liked horror novels such as Dracula, but because of the intense suspense, unique structure, and memorable characters, I grew to love the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker.
Firstly, Dracula is suspenseful and thrilling for almost the entire novel. Whether the scene is specifically horrific or simply following the suspense of the novel, Stoker never loses his reader's interest. For example, the log of the Demeter, early in the novel, was horrifying, but it stuck in my mind throughout the entire novel. The passage made me want to keep reading to discover exactly what happened on the Demeter, and if Dracula was involved. A less intense passage, however, such as when the group is planning their attack against Dracula, is still fascinating. Though it is not necessarily thrilling, I was still interested because Stoker truly made me want to know how to defeat Dracula.
The novel was also written in a very unique structure; rather than telling the story as a narrative, letters and journal entries from various characters are used. Though this periodically got confusing when attempting to understand the chronology of events, it was well worth it. By reading each characters thoughts from a first person perspective, it was much easier to relate with each and every character and his or her decisions. This style of writing was especially useful because Stoker was a good enough writer to truly give a different voice and tone for each character. This made it much simpler to discover each character's personality and basic character traits.
Lastly, the characters in this book truly made me enjoy it. My favorite character, by far, was Jonathan Harker. I will admit, I was annoyed with him throughout the first few chapters, but as he showed his bravery, I began to respect and like him. I was hoping for his redemption throughout the entire novel, and I was beyond happy with the ending. Jonathan Harker truly deserved to be the one who finally killed Dracula by cutting off his head. After spending months imprisoned by Dracula and having his wife attacked and almost stolen, Jonathan Harker seemed to have the largest reasons to kill Dracula. He showed sincere bravery throughout the entire novel, and though he was at times rash or hotheaded, Jonathan Harker was still my personal favorite character.
So, I would recommend this book to everyone who is old enough to read it. If a reader likes horror novels, then they will definitely like Dracula, but even if they do not, they may still like this novel. Personally, I never read or liked horror novels such as Dracula, but because of the intense suspense, unique structure, and memorable characters, I grew to love the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker.