Mina: A Heroine for the Ages

Insomnia is my thing lately. Don’t sleep; stay up forever. Might as well write, right? So here it is, a book review. I know you’ve been dying for it, and I gotta say, I’ve been dying to write it.

Dracula was one of those books that I pretended to read in high school and then glossed over in college. Horror isn’t really my thing (Although Stephen King is probably one of my favorite writers ever. His genre of choice is unfortunate). Recently, I decided that I wanted to read more classics and so I bought a few on Audible. Audible is the bomb.

They had an Audible Studios edition of Dracula narrated by a full cast and oh, my. It was perfection. Alan Cumming was Dr. Seward. Katherine Kellgren was Mina Harker, Simon Vance was Jonathan Harker, and Tim Curry was Dr. Van Helsing. The narration was spot on. The narrator who did the voice of Lucy was irritating (her name escapes me at the moment), so I found Lucy irritating, but I think I would have anyway. Audible did a terrific job producing this.

The story is told in a series of diary entries, letters, and telegrams (the official word for those are epistolary novels, fyi). I didn’t know that before, or I might have read it sooner. I have an affinity for stories told in this manner. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my favorites for that exact reason. It credibly shows what each character was thinking or feeling without putting the reader in the omniscient perspective. It was perfect for the chilling story which was told.

The plot differed widely from the Dracula I had come to know through popular culture. Dracula is truly creepy and super old. He’s not redeemable, not good, but pure evil. And ridiculously smart. This isn’t Frankenstein’s monster or some mindless Edward-like vamp. This is a genius who pits his wits against a motley crew of Britain’s finest.

Dr. Van Helsing is also brilliant, but definitely needs the help of his little band.

The story starts with Jonathan visiting Dracula’s castle and realizing what he is. It’s very creepy and I had to stop listening for a time so I could reasonably get over it. Then Lucy becomes a vampire and thus the Band of Awesome is born. That’s just the title I gave them in my head. You’ve got Arthur, Lucy’s former fiancé. He’s a bit squeamish, but willing to undergo any trial to pay Dracula back for changing his darling girl. Then there are her two other suitors who were rejected: Dr. Seward (my personal favorite), and Quincy. Seward runs an asylum and Quincy is an American Cowboy. I love that Americans are represented in this tale. Seward calls Van Helsing, who knows more about Lucy’s “disease”, to help heal her. However, they fail and she is transformed into a child-eating vamp. Then Jonathan and Mina join the group as they discover they have all endured similar circumstances and that a grave danger faces England should Dracula move to London, as is his intent.

I have to say, Bram Stoker wrote women rather well for a man of his time. Wilhelmina is no delicate flower in need of rescuing. She is rescued, but she’s strong and contributes to her salvation by keeping spirits high and organizing all the information and, in the end, going with Van Helsing to Transylvania. I admire her relationship with Jonathan so much. He trusts her to do her own thing and respects her strength, mentally, emotionally, and morally. And she loves and respects him and his passion for his work. She wants to be a part of his life and he wants to be a part of hers. It’s a really awesome relationship. They are basically the perfect couple and were it not for the pesky vampire they would have had a delightful life.

I don’t want to tell all that happens because I enjoyed listening to it so much. Even if you’ve read it before, the Audible version is golden; you should go listen to it. It’s intense and beautiful. It’s intensely beautiful. This book is definitely on my favorites list.

83 people found this helpful

Well Read, Throughly Enjoyable!

Would you consider the audio edition of Dracula to be better than the print version?

I feel the audio version makes the characters truly alive!!! When I read a book, I

What did you like best about this story?

Alan Cumming's Dr. Seward and Katherine Kellgren's portrayal of Mina Harker.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

They brought this characters to life. I felt I was experiencing the story first hand with all it's horror and nuances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I listen in my car because my commute is long. I had to force myself to turn off the car and get into work. I didn't want to stop listening!!!

55 people found this helpful

Not what i anticipated but great just the same.

This isn't your average First Person or Third person novel. instead It takes the form of multiple different characters' journal entries. This could have been confusing in Audio-book form but Audible took care of that by bringing on a full cast of narrators. Now while that does make the separate journals easier to follow, it presents a problem. Occasionally, different characters (narrators) will quote different characters other than their own. (narrators will do impression of other characters.) at these times it becomes clear that the various narrators all recorded their lines separately. So it can become a little confusing early on when Person A and Person Bare both quoting Van Helsing, but sound nothing alike.

The book itself is very entertaining and can get plenty spooky. give it a shot.

10 people found this helpful

Back to basics

I am one of many who have only known the infamous Count through Hollywood productions. Horror has never been my favorite genre, and I found Bela Lugosi too campy, and Gary Oldman too bizarre for either to be very frightening. The only motivation I had to even select this book was my admiration of most of the fine cast and the rave reviews for a classic. A majority of reviewers have already praised the reading, and I will simply say that I concur.

What made this an outstanding story to me is that the count is NOT the central character. The mistake the films made was in making the best written characters mere supporting players to the count whom we see the least of. The power of Dracula is his lack of physical presence – half the thrill is the anticipation, and Stoker plays that card better than the film makers ever did. His tale is robust with the superstitions and beliefs of the day, whether religious, medical, psychological, criminal or supernatural, giving it a wonderful period feeling. There is enough detail to spark the imagination, and enough restraint to let the imagination provide the fear. By learning the story through the diaries and letters of the principal characters, we are intimately caught up in their horror, giving us someone and something to root for.

The writing is excellent and surprisingly moving, especially as the group of friends mourn the loss of a loved one and pledge their lives to banish the evil that caused such sorrow. There is plenty of adventure as the chase is on to end Dracula's reign of terror and free one of their own from his grasp. This could be a story about any group of everyday people finding the moral courage to fight any sort of evil and is a much more universal story than I had imagined. I loved this band of comrades, and I am so glad I took a chance on this classic.

70 people found this helpful

Gothic Horror Never Sounded So Good

This was well worth it. Alan Cumming is a favorite and so versatile. Tim Curry never disappoints. The only thing missing from Audible's production is a cast list. I recognized some narrators that I had listen to before, but think they all deserve credit for the job well done. Lucy's naivety, and Minna steadfast strength for instance deserve crediting. I was disappointed when this was not a part of the concluding credits.

If other reviewers could not be swept up in the production, perhaps it is due to a distaste for the genre. I like a good vampire tale as much as the next person, but this sheds so much light on how far we have come from the mother of all tales, where more is implied than exposed.

131 people found this helpful

The Curtain Falls...Applause, Applause, Bravo

Hearing the final words, "Audible hopes you enjoyed.." it's hard to resist vigorously clapping your hands together and jumping to your feet to whoop out a "Bravo!" While it looks like some reviewers are more familiar with the particulars of each narrator, I must be less fussy; I thought it was a perfect cast that produced a dark gothic atmosphere that Stoker would call worthy of this masterpiece.

The story is longer than I thought it would be, the flowery speech style of the Victorian era no doubt adding to the length of the journals/diaries of each articulate character, that comprise the tale -- a style that, if you are unprepared for, may be too verbose to your liking (but authentic to the time--think Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats). Where one during that period might say:
"Dear Madam, by God, your neck! May perhaps I suggest more wreaths of the garlic flowers to be festooned around your lovely neck to prohibit a further attack from this most vile blood-sucking fiendish creature of the night which has befallen upon you most unfairly, dear sweet lady?"
We today, 100 years later, might say:
"Huh, vampire bite. Want some garlic (was he sparkly)?"
You can see how this could take up some pages. But the profuse Victorian vernacular combined with the fine reading puts you in the necessary frame of mind -- where a dark red-eyed character in a cape could creep around a deteriorating castle, summon wolves from the fog, and morph into a bat flapping against a pane of glass. (It was a little amusing listening to the breathy and fragile Lucy and Mina...considering the time frame in which this was written. While Stoker had them helplessly swooning away, across the pond, Susan B. Anthony was gathering her own minions.)
Bram Stoker truly affected history with this book -- Audible's production was a great homage to a literary icon as well as a fun engaging production, well worth the purchase.

101 people found this helpful

IS THAT NOT SO?

THAT'S SO
Let me start with the performance. All of the narrators are professionals, not a amateur in that batch. The add very much to the book. If you by chance have never read it, this would be the edition to listen to.

THE WOMEN LOOKED PRETTY EXCEPT WHEN YOU GOT NEAR THEM
I really debated on how to rate this book. If it was not for Stoker, we would not have all the movies, books and TV shows that have followed it. No Buffy the Vampire Slayer, no Hammersmith movies, no Count Dracula cereal etc...It is all here along with many things you may have forgotten. I had forgotten the part where Dracula climbed head first down a castle wall. Did you know Dracula had hairy palms? So, this gets five stars for creating such a great character. I gave the story three stars, as I was thinking about Today's Reader. The book is made up of letters and journals and almost everything is something that has already happened and your getting a personal account of it. This was popular during Stoker's time, but it is rarely done today. For today's reader it is way too long. A lot of it reads like a soap opera. I was sick of Lucy, hours before she was finally done in. I was ready to cut her head off myself.

I LOVE YOU, YOU LOVE ME
This is a must read or listen due to the historical aspect. It also has great language. I love listening to how people talked during this time. I loved the manners used in speaking, it is lovingly written. I was also amazed in how often the word love and lover were used.

I KNOW NOT WHY

172 people found this helpful

Wonderful, accurate performance of Stoker's novel

Would you consider the audio edition of Dracula to be better than the print version?

I love this edition for many reasons, but mainly because it is an accurate rendition of Stoker's novel. Every film version changes the story somewhat, and this edition does not. Readers get the treat of the accurate story along with great narration.

What did you like best about this story?

I love Tim Curry's voice, and think he does an excellent job.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Reading the book deprives you of the emotional range the human voice is capable of that add so much detail and color to the story.

47 people found this helpful

The Best Dracula Audiobook Ever!

What made the experience of listening to Dracula the most enjoyable?

All the seasoned actors and narrators.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Anyone Tim Curry plays will always be my favorite character. All the narrators do an excellent job.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

That they are all such season actors that listening to them makes you feels as though you are really there.

If you could take any character from Dracula out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Tim Curry. Does one need a reason?

Any additional comments?

You can't go wrong with this audiobook. Simon Vance, Simon Prebble, Alan Cumming....honestly, could a book get any better than this. This is well worth the credit!

55 people found this helpful

As it was meant to be

This truly is a revelation. I had read the book many years before, of course, but I had never really appreciated the way the story was told in correspondence. I suspect that lack of appreciation is a testament to Bram Stocker's skills as a storyteller and to my lack of acuity. Whatever the reason, hearing the tale told through the words of the correspondents makes it so much more intimate and exciting. It puts the Twilight Saga and True Blood in their place as pieces for their time and generations, but confirms the traditional view of Dracula, van Helsing and Transalvania as everlasting pieces of literature for all time and a mature audience. In the parlance of the present cinema, it's M15+ verging on R, but not for the sensuality (although that is there) or the viloence (of which there is an abundance), but for the themes.
As for the production, it is first class. For me it was Simon Vance and Katy Kellgren who shone; more so even than the named principals. Alan Cumming was as good as ever. Tim Curry really didn't have enough of a part to make a real impression, more's the pity. Van Helsing is really seen through others' eyes. So the Harkers stole the show. In retrospect, that's not suprising, but I had (wrongly) expected more from the principals. I also missed a voice for Dracula (because he is not a correspondent, of course). I thought Vance captured his intonation beautifully when he recounted the conversations between the Count and Harker, but with Borsi Karlof, Frank Langella and others in mind, it would have been nice to hear him speak. Alas, that was a legitimate sacrifice for the lierarary device that Stoker adopted and which this production brings to life.
Highly recommended.

40 people found this helpful