Book Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker

(From my old blog, Book Central. )

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Genre: Gothic (period romance)
Pages: 400
First Published: 1897
Class: Man-o'-war

Favorite Line: "...you are too prejudiced. You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear, and that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you. Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are...?" - Professor Van Helsing, pg. 204

There are things in this world that just cannot be explained. In the modern world where science reigns and religion is mocked, things that cannot be reasoned away are given no credence whatsoever.

But the mysteries are still there.

In this amazing 19th century thriller, author Bram Stoker takes us through the debate between science and religion, reason and faith. Can only one be right? Can logic and reason rule in the same generation?

I was both surprised and disturbed at various times throughout this book. For one, I never realized that the vampire legends had such religious undercurrents. In today's fascination with Moonlight, Angel, and the book series, Twlight, vampires have become almost synonymous with the idea of being "cool." Everyone wants to read about and watch vampires. They're now considered the misunderstood cursed ones, the apologetic parasites of mankind.

That's not how they were meant to be portrayed. Dracula has the real - and right - view of vampires and their lust for blood: it's vile, and it's frightening.

Stoker shows the vileness of both Dracula and his vampire-brides, and how truly horrific they are. They serve the Devil and revile against God.

Not the steamy, sex-riddled stories of today.

The characters chasing the vampires aren't merely fighting to rid themselves of an enemy; they're fighting to protect the innocent, to protect the good, to defeat an enemy of God. It's the ultimate battle of good vs. evil, prominent in many other [Christian] sanctioned books like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.

Overall, I was challenged by Dracula: take evil for what it is. Don't try to put an emotional spin on it, don't indulge in evil to get a thrill or adrenaline rush from it. Remember what it is: the exact opposite of what God commands in His Word. You can't let it win.