Dracula

The irony of times leaves its mark on even the most prominent pieces of human intellect. Formerly it wasn't the great literary supremacy or the peculiar flavour that famed Dracula to unprecedented glory, rather it was seen as an obscure piece that was pushed deep into the well of oblivion. But the stroke of fate works in intangible ways. It was the NOSFERATU conspiracy that created the fertile soil for the character to become a sensation, and the spectacular performance by Bela Lugosi made the character eternal. Though a distorted, chastised version of Dracula appealed to the masses, his popularity later paved the way for the literary-acclaimed to take a dig at the original work of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Leading it to be regarded as one of the classics and a great addition to the genre of horror-fiction, rivaled only by Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.

The dark and vivid narrative tone throughout the novel perfectly implicates the grim, horrific and grotesque story and after reading the first few pages one is prepared for the pain and thrill that is followed. Set in the Victorian Era but not being definitive or expressive about it, I was puzzled with technological advancements in the story, yet the use of rudimentary science and superstitions reminds of the late Victorian Era. The musky, dim atmosphere of London fog, a whistle of the distant train, the howling of a faraway dog, a moon smiling between the clouds whose light fights to permeate the dense blanket of fog. Crude expressions are used to set the atmosphere and bring the reader face-to-face with our antagonist, leaving him terrified and in a state of upheaval.

A great literary tool, though used previously by numerous, left a deep impression on the narration of the story and in turn, created a masquerade to hide the true meaning until the point of inflection. The story is narrated in short extracts from the personal diaries of the characters. Every information that is provided to the reader is through these past reports that are like rays of sun filtered through the leaves of a vast tree and illuminating the ground. Each ray contributes a part to the path that lies ahead, but none can lighten it up whole. Albeit, an impending sense of doom and uncertainty gives rise to fear the author channels it beautifully to exert maximum impact.

All the characters are derived from a troupe of Victorian cliches and neither our protagonist nor his bandwagon of brave souls creates an aura of admiration. Abraham Van Helsing, a prestigious professor practicing occult magic sided with the poor victims of fate. He is a human but his knowledge, gained from extensive research renders him a despicable opponent. Extremely swift and lean-witted, he is faced with moral dilemmas such as taking an innocent life or letting one live and pushing other people to wither away. The core essence of such morals defines his character as a stern, authoritarian who values each life worthy of saving.