Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Dracula
Dracula. King of the Vampires. A cultural icon whose name I knew long before I read the novel from which he sprang. Which happened to be this past month. (The reading, not the springing.) It was a fun read, one I could easily recommend. I found it entertaining on many levels. First it was just a darn good story that caught my attention and made me want to keep turning pages. Secondly it was fun to delve into a Victorian story with all it's slightly alien mores and language. For example, when a character in the tale needs a blood transfusion, they don't just say, "Dude, roll up your sleeve!" Instead the doctor not only explains the procedure but also goes on to praise the donor and the quality of his blood. I don't know if I'd like to live in such a verbose society, but it certainly is fun to read. The final level of entertainment is the chance to sit down and experience a milestone in the development of the vampire as a fictional type. I'm not a big horror fan, so haven't read or seen many takes on vampire legends. However, it seems like the common view of the vampire seems to be one that is exotic and sexy--almost a creature to envy. In Dracula, he is anything but. Van Helsing and his companions see Count Dracula as a curse to be eliminated. Dangerous, certainly, but also a creature with distinct limitations and poor hygiene. (Okay, it was only one scene where they uncover one of his lairs and describe it as stinking to high heaven, but it made quite an impression on me. I mean, it got me thinking, "what would my breath be like if I had a diet of human blood.")(At least it wouldn't be garlicky.) I'm half tempted to go rent the Dracula movie from a few years back and see what they've done to the book. Anyway, if you haven't read the book, check it out.
Labels: CheckItOut
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