Tag: goodreads

• Book Review: “Changeling” by Philippa Gregory

  Posted at 9:45 pm by Laura, on June 10, 2012

  

  Changeling by Philippa Gregory

  Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

  Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

  Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

  Don’t let the summary fool you! This first book is more of an adventure than a love story. Two seemingly demon-related mysteries plague medieval Italy and Luca is on a mission to discover the truth and either rid the world of the Devil or find (early) scientific reason for the phenomena. Each character was distinctive and an absolute joy to read! Luca’s level-headed reason, Freize’s comical and loving commentary, Ishraq’s fierce and loyal defense, and Isolde’s quiet yet passionate demeanor.

  Luca and Isolde experience two adventures together in this first book: witchcraft mystery and accusations, and later a werewolf accusation in a nearby village. Nothing truly surprised me in this book, bits of it were predictable, but I thoroughly enjoyed the reasoning behind the justice and truth in the 1400s mindset. God is first for these people. He is their religion, their politics, their lifestyle. Any difference in beliefs or lifestyle calls into question heresy or, as the Pope is fearing, the end of the world, the coming of the Devil himself.

  Complete with chapter drawings and maps, this young adult adventure was a thrill to read and an absolute joy for my day!

  Rating: ★★★★ of 5
  Goodreads: 3.46 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: history, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Insurgent” by Veronica Roth

  Posted at 6:55 pm by Laura, on June 9, 2012

  

  Insurgent by Veronica Roth

  Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

  I really wanted to love this second installment of Roth’s “Divergent” trilogy, but I couldn’t. In fact, so much of the action and muddled motivations behind characters’ responses could have been cut from the story entirely. The end of the book — heck, the last ten pages — could have been placed in the first book!

  My initial reactions started on the very first page: Tris’s guilt over the death of Will. I could not for the life of me remember Will or his significance in Tris’s life. I remember Al and Christina because they had very distinct personalities and importance in the first book. Understandably, Tris is bothered by this “friend” she has killed, and her character seems to stumble along between stability and instability throughout the rest of the book. If Roth was shooting for PTSD or shock from war and gunshots, it was weak and poorly written. While Collins’s “Mockingjay” accurately portrayed PTSD and thoroughly explained the motivations and thought process behind Katniss’s decisions, not once did I see a good, plausible explanation for Tris. Her distrust of Tobias (and his with her) was weak, whiny, and difficult to understand. The things they fought over did not have any sort of basis — it was as if Roth wanted to create a tension between these two because it’s expected in a second installment of a trilogy.

  Which, truthfully, there doesn’t need to be tension between the romantic couple in second installments! Everything else that’s going on around them — politics, economics, familial issues — is enough to cause tension for the reader. I applaud Roth for not creating a love triangle, but I have to shake my head at the weak arguments between Tobias and Tris, the constant back-and-forth over extremely petty issues.

  Another bit that I was let down or bothered by was all the effort to kill others or protect others for a piece of information no one knew anything about! It was irksome to keep reading about how the characters don’t know “what’s beyond the fence” or why “Divergents are dangerous” or even what a Divergent was, but they were going to fight for or protect this mysterious information because it would either strengthen or destroy this society. I knew from the previous book that a Divergent is an individual whose test does not conclusively say in which faction they belong — that answers include two and sometimes three factions. To the reader, all I can think is pshh, big deal. Yet all the characters were nervous and never fully explained why it scared them. It wasn’t until the very end of this novel that we finally find out what is beyond the fence, why these people are contained within the fence, and what being a Divergent means.

  All of the alliance switches, unexplained actions, loads of violence, Tris’s “selfless” and “selfish” acts, indistinguishable characters that I lacked any sort of attachment to or could differentiate from, built up into this difficult and rather sloppy second book. I expected so much more from Roth, since I truly enjoyed Divergent. To have this dystopian universe and create characters that are distinguishable and meaningful to the main character and the reader, the author should spend more time developing the world and properly understanding her own characters and plotline. This felt like a writing exercise gone awry. The last few chapters should have belonged in the first book instead.

  I’m curious to see the third installment now.

  Rating: ★★ of 5
  Goodreads: 4.39 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: dystopian, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Faithful Place” by Tana French

  Posted at 4:23 pm by Laura, on June 3, 2012

  

  Faithful Place by Tana French

  Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin’s inner city, and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and Rosie Daly were all ready to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.

  But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn’t show. Frank took it for granted that she’d dumped him-probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.

  Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie’s suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.

  Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community makes him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he’s a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly-and he’s willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.

  This third installment of the Dublin Murder series was better than the first book (In the Woods) and not as fantastic as the second book (The Likeness). It is a mixture of the two, with personal dilemmas like the first and loads of intrigue and mystery like the second. Faithful Place is first and foremost a love story, discovering the past and revealing mysterious incidents through vengeance. Frank Mackey is quite the charmer, and stops at nothing to discover what happened to his old girlfriend (and later, his brother).

  Rather than taking place in offices and solving the mystery through crime lab results and scientific data, Frank discovers everything “old school.” He’s always at the scene of the crime, back home, or visiting old friends’ places and having multiple conversations with others. At first the conversations seemed to drag – I wondered what the point was for all the dialogue – but once it seemed to be too much, Frank (and the reader) could immediately make connections to other conversations and incidents from the past. Tana French was very clever in her subtle hints and twists in the plot.

  What was incredibly fascinating was the internal switch in my mental accent. The voice reading in my head was no longer a midwestern American, but an Irish voice that I’m sure was a terrible mimicry of a true Dublin accent. The slang, phrasing, and deliberate misspellings in the dialogue begged to be read with the accent in mind! It certainly became entertaining, and easier to read once I got the hang of it.

  Filled with intrigue, old-fashioned word-of-mouth mystery-solving, folklore, and Irish homeliness, I would recommend this book to anyone who deeply enjoyed The Likeness (which Frank makes repeated appearances in) or wants a good heartbreaking love story that ended in murder. The relationships between the characters are entertaining, the conversations and class divides interesting, and the atmosphere intoxicating.

  Rating: ★★★★★
  Goodreads: 3.89 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: mystery, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Grave Mercy” by Robin LaFevers

  Posted at 6:12 pm by Laura, on May 12, 2012

  

  Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

  Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

  Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

  Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

  I should start this review by saying I was not expecting too much from this novel. I bought it on my Nook because I liked the cover and the idea of historical fantasy / assassin nuns. However, I expected it to be extremely silly and a young adult version of a trashy romance novel, while also tossing in some royal political Philippa Gregory-style intrigue.

  Admittedly, there are moments when it becomes borderline trashy romance, but so much of the novel is taken up with character development, plots, mysteries, schemes, and politics of medieval/Renaissance Brittany that this can be overlooked. Gavriel Duval, the character who has “stolen Ismae’s heart” is a wonderfully complex character without any of those typical brooding descriptions. Ismae is a hard nut to crack, firmly stubborn, sometimes blind, and wildly bitter — and rightfully so.

  The historical time frame is a bit hazy, but if I knew more about weapons and poisons and the political history of Brittany I could narrow it down pretty well. LaFevers does an excellent job of describing historical artifacts and the different tricks courtiers are notorious for (having read The Courtier and The Prince for a Renaissance history class, it is clear LaFevers has done her research). The drawback for me as a reader is my lack of knowledge of Brittany. If I had known more about this little duchy, the century would have become more clear. Because of this hindrance, I had to suspend any disbelief I may have held in regards to historical context.

  The fantasy, however, is fantastic (ha!). I love the idea of combining old religions with Christianity, masking them with different names. Apparently there were 9 gods that ruled Brittany, later renamed as saints for the sake of the Church. Ismae’s is the god of Death, and not Death as we would understand it. At first we find Ismae misunderstanding her tasks as missions of vengeance, but she soon grows to understand (and become blessed by Death) that her mission is one of mercy.

  I read through this novel as quickly as I could between job interviews and visits to the vet for my poor cat – I’m sure if I had a full day to sit and be alone, this would have been plowed through in a few hours. I was drawn to the tale, for that’s what it is. A really good story – not of literary merit or praise or any such thing as that, but a tale of faith, death, and love in a time of political turmoil.

  Rating: ★★★ of 5
  Goodreads: 4.09 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, ebooks, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins

  Posted at 8:52 am by Laura, on April 22, 2012

  

  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

  Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But she’s still not safe. A Revolution is unfolding, and everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans – everyone except Katniss.

  And yet she must play the most vital part in the final battle. Katniss must become their Mockingjay – the symbol of rebellion – no matter what the personal cost.

  Before I begin my review, I should warn any new readers to take this third book slowly. The first time I read it, it was finished in a day and I was left angry and riled up. The war, trauma, and conflicting emotions heighten the tension and despair. It’s vastly different from the previous two, and there’s a very good reason (which I’ll explain later). I read this again slowly, and found I enjoyed it much more and I was able to process everything much more easily.

  Spoilers ahead!

  Katniss and Peeta have been separated, and now it’s Gale’s time to shine. He’s very aggressive and forward in his decisions about the rebellion, which intimidates Katniss at first. In Chapter 7, when they visit District 8 and are attacked by the Capitol, Katniss has only one motivation for the rest of the story: to kill President Snow.

  She is traumatized and hospitalized more than I can count in this novel. With each visit, she deteriorates more and more. Most people have been bothered by the way the narrative changes with her mentality – but I will instead applaud Collins for accurately portraying a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is difficult for Katniss to function in “normal” society, but the second she enters combat she focuses on her motivation. Peeta experiences PTSD as well, and an advanced form of brainwashing. These two are stripped to their most basic personalities by the end of the novel – broken but attempting to heal, each helping the other to survive in a world without the Games.

  Beloved characters die, violence dominates the storyline, and political agendas twist the plot with each chapter. The readers experience every devastation with Katniss, who takes a speedy journey from a self-preserving teenager to a sacrificing, damaged adult.

  Rating: ★★★★ of 5
  Goodreads: 4.8 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: dystopian, genre: fiction, genre: young adult, goodreads

• Upcoming Books! [13]

  Posted at 7:19 pm by Laura, on April 15, 2012

  

  Title: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened
  Author: Jenny Lawson / The Bloggess
  Genre: nonfiction
  Publisher: Amy Einhorn Putnam
  Publishing Date: April 17
  Summary: For fans of Tina Fey and David Sedaris-Internet star Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, makes her literary debut.
  When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father (a professional taxidermist who created dead-animal hand puppets) and a childhood of wearing winter shoes made out of used bread sacks. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.
  Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter are the perfect comedic foils to her absurdities, and help her to uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments-the ones we want to pretend never happened-are the very same moments that make us the people we are today.

  ~

  Title: White Horse
  Author: Alex Adams
  Genre: fiction, post-apocalyptic
  Publisher: Atria / Emily Bestler Books
  Publishing Date: April17
  Summary: Thirty-year-old Zoe leads an ordinary life until the end of the world arrives. She is cleaning cages and floors at Pope Pharmaceuticals when the President of the United States announces that human beings are no longer a viable species. When Zoe realizes that everyone she loves is disappearing, she starts running. Scared and alone in a shockingly changed world, she embarks on a remarkable journey of survival and redemption. Along the way, Zoe comes to see that humans are not defined by their genetic code, but rather by their actions and choices. White Horse offers hope for a broken world, where love can lead to the most unexpected places.

  ~

  Title: The Innocent
  Author: David Baldacci
  Genre: mystery
  Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  Publishing Date: April 17
  Summary: It begins with a hit gone wrong. Robie is dispatched to eliminate a target unusually close to home in Washington, D.C. But something about this mission doesn’t seem right to Robie, and he does the unthinkable. He refuses to kill. Now, Robie becomes a target himself and must escape from his own people.
  Fleeing the scene, Robie crosses paths with a wayward teenage girl, a fourteen-year-old runaway from a foster home. But she isn’t an ordinary runaway-her parents were murdered, and her own life is in danger. Against all of his professional habits, Robie rescues her and finds he can’t walk away. He needs to help her.
  Even worse, the more Robie learns about the girl, the more he’s convinced she is at the center of a vast cover-up, one that may explain her parents’ deaths and stretch to unimaginable levels of power.
  Now, Robie may have to step out of the shadows in order to save this girl’s life . . . and perhaps his own.

  ~

  Remember to vote for me in the Independent Book Blogger Awards!

  Anyone getting ready to pick up their World Book Night books? I’m looking forward to the event!

  Happy reading!

  Posted in Upcoming Books | 0 Comments | Tagged awards, books, genre: fiction, genre: mystery, genre: nonfiction, goodreads, upcoming books, world book night

• Book Review: “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins

  Posted at 3:39 pm by Laura, on April 8, 2012

  

  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

  Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are still alive. Katniss should be relieved, but now there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

  As the nation watches Katniss and Peeta, the stakes are higher than ever. One false move and the consequences will be unimaginable.

  Spoilers ahead.

  I have heard and read many reviews about the second book accusing it be a “repeat” of book one, or “duller in comparison,” and even the worst, “falls into the second-of-every-trilogy-sucks category.”

  Let me just say that I completely disagree. The seconds in trilogies, I’ve noticed, build tension and anticipation, leaving the reader hanging at the end, anxiously awaiting the next and final installment. As I type this, I would much rather begin Mockingjay than wait till tomorrow when the book is in my presence! So as far as an unresolved plot, as many suggest, yes it’s there but we should keep in mind this is a trilogy, not a stand-alone.

  Also, it most certainly is not a repeat. If anything, the only concept that’s a repeat is that Peeta and Katniss are back in the Games. We’re introduced to the day-to-day life after the first Games, the suffering that comes with the success within a starving District. In Hunger Games, the brief glimpse of District 12 life is enough for us to sympathize and root for Katniss to win. Changes occur, rebellions begin, knowing who to trust and who to talk to (and where!) threatens Katniss’s life.

  The Games are entirely different as well – new characters (among them is a favorite of mine, Finnick Odair) bond with Katniss and Peeta and form alliances that have never happened before. The second book truly reveals the heightened sensations of rebellion, anger, madness, struggle, love, and hate – each a step up from the game of survival that encompassed the first book.

  Rating: ★★★★★
  Goodreads: 4.38 of 5

  Posted in Reviews 2012 | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: dystopian, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

  Posted at 7:29 am by Laura, on April 4, 2012

  

  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

  In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

  When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

  I had read this last June – the entire trilogy in four days – and after I saw the movie I had to re-read it. I wanted to absorb the book once more, and at a slower pace. This way, I could appreciate the story more and focus less on how tense and anxious I felt while reading the thriller.

  What makes Hunger Games so successful as a young adult novel is its first person, present tense narrative. The immediacy of the plot and the obsessive thoughts bring the reader straight into the moment, down to every single decision Katniss makes in the Games. Her honest mental contemplations, straight-forward descriptions, and skepticism in trusting others is refreshing. Sometimes, this sort of writing lacks in literature. There can be an overabundance of descriptions but little development of character. Other times, there is no sustenance of much of anything.

  The characters – most especially Katniss and Peeta – are well-rounded as well as flawed. Katniss has strength, survival instincts, and unconditional love for her family. She’s a fighter. However, she is blind to true kindness, and at times can be cruel to others due to this weakness. Peeta is the opposite: he’s open and honest, wears his heart on his sleeve, and while he lacks survival instincts, he is honorable and understanding. The problem, though, is that he is rather naive, and too trusting of others’ intentions. These characteristics will play out across the trilogy, but I just want to point out that while both characters are flawed and may not be the absolute best of role models, we must keep in mind that the situations they are in and the fully developed attributes lend to excellently formed personalities to which a reader can relate.

  This dystopian narrative also lends itself to the possibility of where this country (and even this world) may be headed. Like Brave New World, 1984, and Lord of the Flies, these scenarios could actually happen. Consider society’s obsession with reality TV. I’m not just speaking of “Jersey Shore” and “Housewives of ___” but also “Survivor” and “American Idol.” Shows that follow real people around in a game, where the winner gets money, fame, and recognition, even if only temporarily. Toss in our political unrest domestically and internationally, and we’ve the perfect recipe for Hunger Games.

  Back to the book – I would highly recommend this for everyone, especially new readers. The immediacy of the narrative easily prevents the reader from putting the book down, flipping page after page, soaking up the story, begging for more.

  Rating: ★★★★★
  Goodreads: 4.54 of 5

  Posted in Reviews 2012 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: dystopian, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield

  Posted at 4:39 pm by Laura, on March 28, 2012

  

  The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

  Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise–she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.

  Late one night while pondering whether to accept the task of recording Miss Winter’s personal story, Margaret begins to read her father’s rare copy of Miss Winter’s Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. She is spellbound by the stories and confused when she realizes the book only contains twelve stories. Where is the thirteenth tale? Intrigued, Margaret agrees to meet Miss Winter and act as her biographer.

  As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story. In the end, both women have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets. As well as the ghosts that haunt them still.

  I read this book a few years ago and was absolutely in love with it. This is a novel for bibliophiles and neo-gothic lovers! The narrator, Margaret, is constantly lost in books and stories, and is more interested in fictional or dead lives than those of living, breathing humans. So when she accepts Miss Winter’s request, little did she know that she would come to care more and more for human companionship and stories outside of bound pages.

  There are so many elements of gothic literature within this work. Even though Miss Winter and Margaret blatantly state and share passions for Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Woman in White, The Turn of the Screw, and Dickens and Austen, each of these novels come into play within this book. I read this novel before I’d read Woman in White or Turn of the Screw, and I could still follow along just fine – there is nothing to fear! But after having read all the novels referenced, I had an uncanny feeling every time I noticed the parallels and similarities. It’s shocking, and so subtle that it is woven into the text brilliantly.

  The great thing about returning to this novel after a few years was that, once again, I was sucked into the mystery. I could not remember what the explosive ending was. I remembered twins and burning libraries and haunted governesses, and that the author really had something to say and needed to say it before her death. I remembered that Margaret experience episodes similar to that of Victorian women, and that the doctor politely laughed during her condition. And, of course, I remembered all the book love. Everything that is said about books, I wholeheartedly relate to. I’m sure other bookworms can, too.

  But the ending! Oh, all the tension and build-up was worth it! To experience that same shock and horror and heartbreak was wonderful. (Can you really say that?)

  Rating: ★★★★

  Goodreads: 3.9 of 5

   

  Posted in Reviews 2012 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Dracula” by Bram Stoker

  Posted at 3:14 pm by Laura, on March 25, 2012

  

  Dracula by Bram Stoker

  Count Dracula has inspired countless movies, books, and plays. But few, if any, have been fully faithful to Bram Stoker’s original, best-selling novel of mystery and horror, love and death, sin and redemption. Dracula chronicles the vampire’s journey from Transylvania to the nighttime streets of London. There, he searches for the blood of strong men and beautiful women while his enemies plot to rid the world of his frightful power.

  Today’s critics see Dracula as a virtual textbook on Victorian repression of the erotic and fear of female sexuality. In it, Stoker created a new word for terror, a new myth to feed our nightmares, and a character who will outlive us all.

  Nothing like I thought it would be! I was expecting endless detail of blood and murder and a stalking vampire, enough to frighten me in my dreams and turn them into nightmares!

  However, I am not saying that this novel was not chilling. There were moments of pure terror that I had to put the book down for a few minutes and turn on lights. Everything about this novel involves repression – of sexuality, sensuality, religion, science – and I can certainly say the some of the most terrifying images involved these repressions. Take blood transfusions: we do this all the time in order to test for disease, disorders, and give blood to another to save lives. However, in 1897, this was extremely new and controversial; blood types were not yet discovered, and one false transfusion would involve death! Luckily this did not happen in the novel, but I was intensely fearful that the act of transferring blood from one person to another would lead to a vicious death. Another image was also extremely erotic and dually disgusting: Dracula’s act of ripping off his shirt so that Mina would suck the blood from his chest. While an extremely sensual image – and well-acted in various plays when the Dracula character is played by an attractive young man – it is also revolting, for Dracula is an old, withering, smelly aristocrat with hairy palms.

  This is quite the adventure novel, as well! Old World meets New World, science meets religion, the most advanced technology of the time (phonographs to record diary entries, women learning to type, blood transfusions) meets folklore – it’s all here. This novel can easily be adapted to modern times, and I think this is why our fascination with vampires (particularly Dracula) continues today.

  Rating: ★★★★

  Goodreads: 3.87 of 5

  Posted in Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, genre: classics, genre: fiction, genre: gothic, goodreads, review

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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