07-18-2016, 01:15 PM
I never read this, and since the character is so iconic, I thought I'd finally read it. It's a 19th century novel, so the language is sometimes a bit dense, and it often takes a long time for things to happen. Stoker also gives Van Helsing a ridiculous and exaggerated accent which was very annoying at times. This may put you off. The whole thing is told through letters and diary entries, although they tend to turn into straight narration of the events rather than the character's written recollections, which works well - it gives room for each character's thoughts/feelings/impressions first hand but also keeps a narrative thread. (I thought this was perhaps innovative, looking toward Modernism and multiple viewpoints, but I happened to read elsewhere that it was very popular in the 18th century earliest novels in English.) The first part, where Harker is in Transylvania, is particularly effective. And creepy. If you just want a taste of the book, just read that. Some later sections drag, but on the whole it's pretty good. The destruction of the Count is rather sudden though, considering everything leading up to it.
the hands that guide me are invisible