Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Doubleday, c2010.
Description
"...now, from Mina's own pen, we discover that the story is vastly different when told from the female point of view." --inside front cover.
User reviews
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
I don't have anything against re-imaginings of other stories when they are done well (Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin - re-telling of Jekyll and Hyde - comes to mind). I'll admit being a bit wary of this one because I just don't want to continue to swim in the tepid sea of godawful vampire books, but
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I decided I'd give it a chance. This might be really good, but I was so turned off the opening scene of near-rape that appeared to serve no purpose beyond its shock value that I found it hard to continue. Add to this the stilted pseudo-Victorian writing style and I decided that I just didn't need this book in my life. Show Less
LibraryThing member karieh
This book was a very pleasant diversion over a weekend. Pleasant not so much because of the subject matter, but because I was drawn into the old fashioned style and setting. It caught my imagination – this vampire tale told from the point of view of one of his victims.
I haven’t read Bram
As always with vampires and with Count Dracula in particular, there is the seductive element…which in this book is fully fleshed out (sorry). Towards the end of the book, I did find myself skimming over some of the sex scenes, but it was interesting to see how these acts and others caused Mina to discover her power as a woman.
This book was a good read and easy to fall into for several hours, but after reading it, I don’t know how long the story will stay with me. It may be a bit like the exit taken by the Count himself, “Particle by particle, his shimmering essence transformed into the fine white mist that I had seen creep through the asylum window. Then, without a trace, he evaporated into the air, joining with some invisible web of things.”
I haven’t read Bram
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Stoker’s Dracula for decades…but I do remember the names from the book that have become part of our cultural imagination. Mina Harker, the main character of this book, takes the reader into her world of Victorian England and into the beginnings of the woman’s movement there.As always with vampires and with Count Dracula in particular, there is the seductive element…which in this book is fully fleshed out (sorry). Towards the end of the book, I did find myself skimming over some of the sex scenes, but it was interesting to see how these acts and others caused Mina to discover her power as a woman.
This book was a good read and easy to fall into for several hours, but after reading it, I don’t know how long the story will stay with me. It may be a bit like the exit taken by the Count himself, “Particle by particle, his shimmering essence transformed into the fine white mist that I had seen creep through the asylum window. Then, without a trace, he evaporated into the air, joining with some invisible web of things.”
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LibraryThing member MDobson84
Since I have read Bram Stoker's Dracula I thought I was familiar with the story of Mina Murray and her husband Johnathon Harker, and how the Count comes between them, but I was wrong. Dracula in Love is an amazing story from Mina's point of view.
Dracula in Love sets the record straight about Mina
I enjoyed the story about Mina's friend Lucy who was admitted to the asylum Dr. John Seward treats the insane. Lucy was admitted to the asylum for nymphomaniac. The letters that Lucy wrote to Mina about what horrific things she was forced to undergo, made Mina vow to find out what really happened to her friend by volunteering at the asylum.
But Mina soon finds herself in the same position as Lucy when her sanity is questioned and she becomes a patient in the asylum, subjected to imprisonment, drugs, and torture, all sanctioned by her now husband Jonathan who thinks it’s for her own benefit. After almost dying from the “water cure” Mina is rescued by the mysterious stranger from her dreams, who brings her into a world of magic, blood, and immortality.
As much as I enjoyed reading Dracula in Love I have to say I was disappointed with the ending. I don't want to give too much away, but I can't understand how Mina could make the choice that she made. It was a selfless and noble act, but it was unexpected.
Growing up I read Dracula more times then I can remember but reading Dracula in Love was a whole new, wonderful adventure. Mina's version was a fresh and unique take, yet dark and bewitching. Overall it was a great read and I enjoyed revisiting one of my favorite classic stories. Karen Essex gives new life to classic characters, with very imaginative back stories.
Dracula in Love sets the record straight about Mina
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and relives what really happened, starting with her engagement to Johnathon and going from there. I enjoyed the story about Mina's friend Lucy who was admitted to the asylum Dr. John Seward treats the insane. Lucy was admitted to the asylum for nymphomaniac. The letters that Lucy wrote to Mina about what horrific things she was forced to undergo, made Mina vow to find out what really happened to her friend by volunteering at the asylum.
But Mina soon finds herself in the same position as Lucy when her sanity is questioned and she becomes a patient in the asylum, subjected to imprisonment, drugs, and torture, all sanctioned by her now husband Jonathan who thinks it’s for her own benefit. After almost dying from the “water cure” Mina is rescued by the mysterious stranger from her dreams, who brings her into a world of magic, blood, and immortality.
As much as I enjoyed reading Dracula in Love I have to say I was disappointed with the ending. I don't want to give too much away, but I can't understand how Mina could make the choice that she made. It was a selfless and noble act, but it was unexpected.
Growing up I read Dracula more times then I can remember but reading Dracula in Love was a whole new, wonderful adventure. Mina's version was a fresh and unique take, yet dark and bewitching. Overall it was a great read and I enjoyed revisiting one of my favorite classic stories. Karen Essex gives new life to classic characters, with very imaginative back stories.
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LibraryThing member khager
This is a retelling of Dracula from Mina's perspective. It's not a secret that one interpretation of Dracula is "women wanting sex = bad! BAD!" and that's definitely played up here, too. (Only in this book, it shows how scary it is that women were tortured and placed in institutions for basically
This is definitely a fun addition to the vampire canon, although vampirism isn't really the point of the book. I don't think there's much hope for a sequel, but I would like to read more from Karen Essex.
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not hating sex.)This is definitely a fun addition to the vampire canon, although vampirism isn't really the point of the book. I don't think there's much hope for a sequel, but I would like to read more from Karen Essex.
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LibraryThing member skstiles612
The first words that come to mind as I read this book was sexual. The plot seemed to be lacking in many areas. I found little in the way of romance between Mina and Dracula. The sexual scenes were overdone and not in very good taste. I felt as if the author was trying to address too many issues in
Growing up Dracula was one of my favorite characters. The mix of evil seductive charm and charisma with the element of mystery is how I remembered him and this made me pick up this book. My earlier memories had no part in this book. He almost seemed wimpy when he made his appearances. I was very disappointed in this book. I felt it had so much promise.
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the name of history, such as, women's rights, psychiatry and asylums during the time period. It set Mina up as a prim, proper and almost prudish woman whose best friends almost flaunted their looseness in her face. I felt at times women were put down too much in the book. I am aware of events and lifestyles during the Victorian period. Growing up Dracula was one of my favorite characters. The mix of evil seductive charm and charisma with the element of mystery is how I remembered him and this made me pick up this book. My earlier memories had no part in this book. He almost seemed wimpy when he made his appearances. I was very disappointed in this book. I felt it had so much promise.
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LibraryThing member lifeafterjane
"Blood is the true love potion. Remember?" He twisted my long black hair around his hand, sweeping it from the curve of my neck, where he buried his face. His lips worked their way up to my ear. "There is no going back, Mina, not this time. I am answering your call. And you have answered
"No," I said. "No going back."
I knew what he was going to do because he had done it before. My body remembered the sensation of it, and my every nerve heightened with expectation. I knew the danger and the pleasure, but there was no turning back now."
You know the story of Dracula. The vicious blood-thirsty Count that lured good decent people to near ruin with his deceitfulness and mysterious abilities. He's painted as a villain, a great source of evil, something to fear. You might remember, Mina, the wife of the unfortunate Jonathan Harker, who became twisted up in Dracula's malevolent games, along with her hapless husband. Dracula, as revenge for Jonathan and Van Helsing and Co.'s plot against him, fed from Mina and in turn gave her his blood, intending to turn her into a vampire.
How terribly boring, and unromantic.
If blood could form such a bond between two beings that they remain fixedly connected across time and space, surely there must be more to the story. We've seen poor Mina as pure and perfect, as a victim, but have you ever stopped to imagine the tale and wonder she would have to impart, having experienced such a bond with someone? Wouldn't you wonder if she had really wanted it to be broken?
Dracula in Love is Mina's story.
Mina has begun sleep walking again. The mysterious, beguiling voice that haunted her youth has once again entered her dreams, and it calls to her, compelling her to answer it, to search for it. It awakens something in her, something ancient, and vivid and sensual, something that defies the sedate teachings and morality of her chaste life as a school mistress. She has pledged her love to Jonathan, who is essentially good, and genuinely loves her. He will be a dutiful husband, and she a proper wife and together, they will enjoy an uncomplicated life that will make them adequately happy.
But at night it is not visions of her fiance that invade her sleep, it is a much older, timeless, deeper vision that beckons her and not only is she powerless to deny it, she doesn't want to. It has called to her for hundreds of years and once a life time, she answers.
What I really want to do is just gush and slobber all over the place in response to this book. It's really difficult to come up with anything intelligent to say about it because I'm still dribbling over it like an idiot. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is sinful, and decadent and violently romantic- there were whole passages that I just want to dip in chocolate and eat. I imagine its calorie count to be very high. It's one of those absurdly romantic novels that are the bane of all men and as a woman I had to resist the urge to glare at my beloved and demand to know how come he can't be more like Dracula. We don't want just love, we want eternal love, lust and devotion and it helps if you're ridiculously rich and good looking. Like Dracula.
I'm also suddenly a bit crazy fan girl over Essex's writing, which makes this book almost more artistic than it does literary. Every page is a picture and yet there are no illustrations. The author used all the classic elements in Stoker's original with a few minor- ok, many, many luxurious upgrades. Where Stoker was trying to shock and depict the horror and terror that Dracula incited, Essex approached horror from a different angle and grappled instead with the horror of losing one's heart. The intensity of the story is still there, just with a much needed woman's touch, making it almost unbearably romantic and as an added bonus, tastefully erotic.
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mine.""No," I said. "No going back."
I knew what he was going to do because he had done it before. My body remembered the sensation of it, and my every nerve heightened with expectation. I knew the danger and the pleasure, but there was no turning back now."
You know the story of Dracula. The vicious blood-thirsty Count that lured good decent people to near ruin with his deceitfulness and mysterious abilities. He's painted as a villain, a great source of evil, something to fear. You might remember, Mina, the wife of the unfortunate Jonathan Harker, who became twisted up in Dracula's malevolent games, along with her hapless husband. Dracula, as revenge for Jonathan and Van Helsing and Co.'s plot against him, fed from Mina and in turn gave her his blood, intending to turn her into a vampire.
How terribly boring, and unromantic.
If blood could form such a bond between two beings that they remain fixedly connected across time and space, surely there must be more to the story. We've seen poor Mina as pure and perfect, as a victim, but have you ever stopped to imagine the tale and wonder she would have to impart, having experienced such a bond with someone? Wouldn't you wonder if she had really wanted it to be broken?
Dracula in Love is Mina's story.
Mina has begun sleep walking again. The mysterious, beguiling voice that haunted her youth has once again entered her dreams, and it calls to her, compelling her to answer it, to search for it. It awakens something in her, something ancient, and vivid and sensual, something that defies the sedate teachings and morality of her chaste life as a school mistress. She has pledged her love to Jonathan, who is essentially good, and genuinely loves her. He will be a dutiful husband, and she a proper wife and together, they will enjoy an uncomplicated life that will make them adequately happy.
But at night it is not visions of her fiance that invade her sleep, it is a much older, timeless, deeper vision that beckons her and not only is she powerless to deny it, she doesn't want to. It has called to her for hundreds of years and once a life time, she answers.
What I really want to do is just gush and slobber all over the place in response to this book. It's really difficult to come up with anything intelligent to say about it because I'm still dribbling over it like an idiot. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is sinful, and decadent and violently romantic- there were whole passages that I just want to dip in chocolate and eat. I imagine its calorie count to be very high. It's one of those absurdly romantic novels that are the bane of all men and as a woman I had to resist the urge to glare at my beloved and demand to know how come he can't be more like Dracula. We don't want just love, we want eternal love, lust and devotion and it helps if you're ridiculously rich and good looking. Like Dracula.
I'm also suddenly a bit crazy fan girl over Essex's writing, which makes this book almost more artistic than it does literary. Every page is a picture and yet there are no illustrations. The author used all the classic elements in Stoker's original with a few minor- ok, many, many luxurious upgrades. Where Stoker was trying to shock and depict the horror and terror that Dracula incited, Essex approached horror from a different angle and grappled instead with the horror of losing one's heart. The intensity of the story is still there, just with a much needed woman's touch, making it almost unbearably romantic and as an added bonus, tastefully erotic.
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LibraryThing member pacey1927
The premise of this novel is that Brahm Stoker got a lot of his facts wrong in his classic tale of "Dracula". The count wasn't such a bad guy and he and Mina Harker were in love. I thought "Dracula in Love" the story from Mina Harker's point of view sounded unique and right along the lines of a
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book I would enjoy. (I thought this was unique until I stumbled across a novel called "Dracula, My Love" which is also wrote from Mina's perspective and due to be published on 7/20/10). I really enjoyed the first part of this story as Mina leaves the school where she has taught for years. She goes to stay with her friend Lucy for a time, and I also found this portion entertaining and fun to read. Occasionally Mina dreams of a supernatural lover and believes she has seen him occasionally throughout her life. When Mina reunites with her fiancée Jonathan Harker, the man is delirious and has been driven mad from his `famous' visit to the count's castle. Together the couple seek help from Dr Sewell and his colleague Van Helsinger in a mental hospital. This was, in my opinion, the best part of the book. Mina struggles to help her husband while trying to solve a few mysteries of her own. There is very little talk of vampires throughout the book other than discussions on whether such creatures really exist and discussions regarding the power of blood. Through this point I fairly enjoyed the book. I felt there was a good build up of tension and that feeling that something was going to happen soon...it was very suspenseful. The last fifth of the book is when Dracula really appears. The two engage in an odd relationship and this is at the point I became disappointed with the book. The story became very weird, and not in a vampire weird but it a reincarnation kinda sorta kind of weird. The suspenseful build up was totally anti-climactic and I felt like Mina ended the tale no better or worse off than she would have been had the events from the book not transpired at all. I personally feel like the story ended up being unworthy of the time I invested in reading it. Show Less
LibraryThing member tipsister
I'm sad to say that I am reviewing a book I didn't finish. That's a first for me. I was really looking forward to reading Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex. Unfortunately I've been trying to get through it for several weeks. I just can't seem to read more than a few pages before getting bored and
The novel is a re-telling of Dracula from Mina's point of view. I enjoyed bits and pieces of the book but it just seems to drag on. I read nearly two hundred pages and I find myself realizing that my time is to precious to continue. I'm sure others will find this interesting but it didn't fit for me.
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putting it down. It's just not worth my time anymore. The novel is a re-telling of Dracula from Mina's point of view. I enjoyed bits and pieces of the book but it just seems to drag on. I read nearly two hundred pages and I find myself realizing that my time is to precious to continue. I'm sure others will find this interesting but it didn't fit for me.
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LibraryThing member highvoltagegrrl
I love Bram Stoker’s Dracula and I loved this book from Mina’s point of view as well. There is some very clever workmanship on the author’s part. She was able to make the story coincide with the original story quite well. When I began reading the book, it didn’t read as much of a vampire
Characters like Lucy are written with such passion, it is easy to see that Essex loves the classic tale of Dracula as well. The “modern day” (for the time period within the novel) excuses for the way women behave have a scary-real feel to them as their treatment within mental institutions also coincides with reports at that time. This gothic vampire tale is sure to please those craving more classic vampire tellings.
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novel, I’ve gotten so used to the modern stories of vampires where authors dive right in to the supernatural. Instead it is drawn out as the story builds and builds, giving us a fully rounded life for Mina instead of focusing on what Dracula brings to the table. Characters like Lucy are written with such passion, it is easy to see that Essex loves the classic tale of Dracula as well. The “modern day” (for the time period within the novel) excuses for the way women behave have a scary-real feel to them as their treatment within mental institutions also coincides with reports at that time. This gothic vampire tale is sure to please those craving more classic vampire tellings.
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LibraryThing member TheCrowdedLeaf
The advertisement for Dracula in Love by Karen Essex said: “If you read only one more vampire novel, let it be this one.” That’s a pretty bold statement so I took the bait. Dracula as told by Mina? Sounds pretty tasty, right? I bit (pun intended) on the posting for an advance copy. In
While reading, I found myself comparing Essex’s retelling of Dracula with the original (how could I not?). It’s been several years since I read Stoker’s Dracula so I don’t remember all the details, but everyone knows the basic plot. Nearing the end of Dracula in Love I pondered the basic question any reader should think of when perusing a spin-off: Is the spin worthy of the original? I asked myself if Essex’s retelling was really anything new or original or markedly better. In the end I decided that Bram Stoker’s novel is a classic tragedy, making Karen Essex’s version a copy of a tragedy which came out underwhelming and fairly lifeless (which, although necessary for a vampire, is not so good for a novel). Her love scenes were hot and heavy, but her frequent use of the word “preternatural” annoyed me to no end. Knowing what happens in Dracula meant I knew what would happen in Dracula in Love, and although the story should to be in the telling, Essex didn’t inspire me with her version like good historical-fiction should.
For those of you in search for the next vampire novel, sure, maybe you’ll enjoy Dracula in Love because it’s got vampires and they’re attractive and it’s got women taking control and all that good stuff. But for me, if a writer is going to tackle something as venerable as DRACULA, they had better do it well. In this case, the aim fell far from the mark and the resulting product was another paperback to add to the growing pile of fang-related books on the market these days. Sigh.
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hindsight, I should have probably just followed my gut telling me there’s too much vampire-fiction out there for all of it to be worthy of the hype.While reading, I found myself comparing Essex’s retelling of Dracula with the original (how could I not?). It’s been several years since I read Stoker’s Dracula so I don’t remember all the details, but everyone knows the basic plot. Nearing the end of Dracula in Love I pondered the basic question any reader should think of when perusing a spin-off: Is the spin worthy of the original? I asked myself if Essex’s retelling was really anything new or original or markedly better. In the end I decided that Bram Stoker’s novel is a classic tragedy, making Karen Essex’s version a copy of a tragedy which came out underwhelming and fairly lifeless (which, although necessary for a vampire, is not so good for a novel). Her love scenes were hot and heavy, but her frequent use of the word “preternatural” annoyed me to no end. Knowing what happens in Dracula meant I knew what would happen in Dracula in Love, and although the story should to be in the telling, Essex didn’t inspire me with her version like good historical-fiction should.
For those of you in search for the next vampire novel, sure, maybe you’ll enjoy Dracula in Love because it’s got vampires and they’re attractive and it’s got women taking control and all that good stuff. But for me, if a writer is going to tackle something as venerable as DRACULA, they had better do it well. In this case, the aim fell far from the mark and the resulting product was another paperback to add to the growing pile of fang-related books on the market these days. Sigh.
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LibraryThing member tanakainmaui
too slow for me. i didn't even finish the book.
LibraryThing member bookwormygirl
First things first, I must confess that I have never read Bram Stoker's Dracula, nor have I seen the movie. You must also know that I only know very little of who Mina Murray is. I know she and Dracula have always been linked together but as to the nature of their relationship - that was a mystery
Told through Mina's perspective, we learn of the dark stranger who has been a key figure in many of her dreams since childhood. We also get glimpses into Mina's upbringing and lifestyle now as a woman. Throughout the story you meet various characters - that while I'm not familiar with, I have come to learn that they are well-known within the classic vampire lore - Jonathan Harker, journalist Kate Reed, Lucy Westenra and even Dr. Seward and the infamous Dr. Von Helsinger who run a creepy asylum together. Count Vladimir Drakulya (a/k/a Dracula) is not as present as I would have liked. He does create great ambiance for the story though. He is a figure that although not physically present for much of the story, he is crucial to it and much of what shapes Mina's thoughts. If you've read Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, you'll be able to relate.
Some things you may or may not know about this book - Ms. Essex does a great job of describing the relationship between Mina and Dracula, you really get a grasp for the appeal she holds over him. Not to mention you can tell she did her homework with her details to the time frame the story is set in. Notwithstanding its Victorian setting, and although she does abide by the restraints woman had to adhere to at the time, Mina is a strong-willed woman, she's passionate and brave. I really liked that she was not fragile and delicate as some related stories may lead you to believe... a wilting flower, if you may. She stood her ground when it came to her beliefs. The more (ahem) sexual scenes were graphic and well ... on the passionate side (if you catch my drift). The scenes in the asylum were downright horrifying and even nightmare inducing. It's not that great of an idea to read this late into the night or while home alone. If you're like me you'll be scared out of your wits by anything that goes bump in the night.
I did have a few complaints though - I thought the first half of the book would never end. It dragged for me for a few hundred pages - luckily I did stick it out and it eventually picked up. I thought there were a lot of filler pages and even whole areas that could have just been edited out (that whole near-rape scene at the beginning - what was that about?) The parts that really kept me interested revolved around the asylum scenes - and I was mostly terrified reading these.
All in all, this will definitely appeal to historical fiction fans as well as to those who love classic Dracula lore... It is fast- paced (once you are half-way through), with many a twist and turn. Sadly, for me it just didn't work - and I'm truly saddened to say that because I really wanted to like it.
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to me... "was" being the key word since this book did clarify that.Told through Mina's perspective, we learn of the dark stranger who has been a key figure in many of her dreams since childhood. We also get glimpses into Mina's upbringing and lifestyle now as a woman. Throughout the story you meet various characters - that while I'm not familiar with, I have come to learn that they are well-known within the classic vampire lore - Jonathan Harker, journalist Kate Reed, Lucy Westenra and even Dr. Seward and the infamous Dr. Von Helsinger who run a creepy asylum together. Count Vladimir Drakulya (a/k/a Dracula) is not as present as I would have liked. He does create great ambiance for the story though. He is a figure that although not physically present for much of the story, he is crucial to it and much of what shapes Mina's thoughts. If you've read Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, you'll be able to relate.
Some things you may or may not know about this book - Ms. Essex does a great job of describing the relationship between Mina and Dracula, you really get a grasp for the appeal she holds over him. Not to mention you can tell she did her homework with her details to the time frame the story is set in. Notwithstanding its Victorian setting, and although she does abide by the restraints woman had to adhere to at the time, Mina is a strong-willed woman, she's passionate and brave. I really liked that she was not fragile and delicate as some related stories may lead you to believe... a wilting flower, if you may. She stood her ground when it came to her beliefs. The more (ahem) sexual scenes were graphic and well ... on the passionate side (if you catch my drift). The scenes in the asylum were downright horrifying and even nightmare inducing. It's not that great of an idea to read this late into the night or while home alone. If you're like me you'll be scared out of your wits by anything that goes bump in the night.
I did have a few complaints though - I thought the first half of the book would never end. It dragged for me for a few hundred pages - luckily I did stick it out and it eventually picked up. I thought there were a lot of filler pages and even whole areas that could have just been edited out (that whole near-rape scene at the beginning - what was that about?) The parts that really kept me interested revolved around the asylum scenes - and I was mostly terrified reading these.
All in all, this will definitely appeal to historical fiction fans as well as to those who love classic Dracula lore... It is fast- paced (once you are half-way through), with many a twist and turn. Sadly, for me it just didn't work - and I'm truly saddened to say that because I really wanted to like it.
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LibraryThing member Twink
There's lots of vampire fiction out there to choose from and I am rather picky on which ones I sink my teeth into. (Sorry couldn't resist) Dracula in Love by Karen Essex appealed to me as it is written from Mina's point of view. Mina, of course was at the centre of Bram Stoker's classic novel
Essex cleverly uses many of the characters from Stoker's novel and completely retells the tale with Dracula not as a monster, but as a protector and lover of Mina.
I enjoyed the historical detail of the time and period. Essex has done a great job with bringing 1890 to life. Her descriptions of the asylums and 'modern' psychiatric methods in women's care were chilling, even more so as they are fact based. This theme is in direct contrast to Mina's awakening sexuality and plays a pivotal role in Essex's re imagined Dracula. The sex scenes read as very mild erotica.
I was completely caught up in this altered tale and actually liked Dracula, hoping he and Mina would finally end up together. But Dracula is not the focal point of Essex's novel. Rather it is Mina and Lucy who take centre stage. The depictions of all characters were strong though and fairly leapt off the page.
Essex has taken great pains to research eternal life through the ages with an eye to explaining the presence of vampires in the world. It's very well done, but I found myself glossing over a bit during these pages. I was in a rush to see what the final outcome would be.
Not your usual vampire fare - instead an intriguing mix of history, romance and the paranormal that combines for a pleasurable read.
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Dracula. Mina acknowleges that another novel has been written about what transpired, but it is false and she wants to tell the true story.Essex cleverly uses many of the characters from Stoker's novel and completely retells the tale with Dracula not as a monster, but as a protector and lover of Mina.
I enjoyed the historical detail of the time and period. Essex has done a great job with bringing 1890 to life. Her descriptions of the asylums and 'modern' psychiatric methods in women's care were chilling, even more so as they are fact based. This theme is in direct contrast to Mina's awakening sexuality and plays a pivotal role in Essex's re imagined Dracula. The sex scenes read as very mild erotica.
I was completely caught up in this altered tale and actually liked Dracula, hoping he and Mina would finally end up together. But Dracula is not the focal point of Essex's novel. Rather it is Mina and Lucy who take centre stage. The depictions of all characters were strong though and fairly leapt off the page.
Essex has taken great pains to research eternal life through the ages with an eye to explaining the presence of vampires in the world. It's very well done, but I found myself glossing over a bit during these pages. I was in a rush to see what the final outcome would be.
Not your usual vampire fare - instead an intriguing mix of history, romance and the paranormal that combines for a pleasurable read.
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LibraryThing member justabookreader
I’ll be upfront, I read a few early reviews and wasn’t so sure this book was for me. I decided that I still needed to give it a chance though. After reading it, I decided that it wasn’t the book for me and I like vampire stories and have a very deep affection for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This
Mina Murray is teaching and happily waiting to become Mrs. Jonathan Harker and begin her married life. Wanting to be prepared for their future together, Jonathan takes a short sojourn working for a foreign count to help their finances and further his career. While Jonathan is away, Mina visits her friend Lucy Westenra and becomes involved in her friend’s love affairs. She also starts having odd dreams and feelings that she can’t share with anyone. When she gets a letter telling her that Jonathan is gravely ill, she rushes to his side to nurse him back to health. In the coming weeks, Mina’s strange dreams start to become her reality, her husband confesses an affair, her friend dies, and somehow she ends up in an insane asylum. It is then that her dream lover comes to her rescue.
Several of the reviews I read noted the amount of sex; some found it too much, others didn’t seem to think anything of it. The story takes place in Victorian England so sex, while deeply thought about, wasn’t much talked about, and yes, that is a big part of the story here as it was in the original as well. The sex, amount of or lack of depending on how feel about these things, didn’t bother me but the silly references about it were annoying and slightly cumbersome in places.
While most of the same characters appear (Dr. Seward, Arthur Holmwood, Jonathan Harker, Dr.Van Helsing, Lucy Westenra) they have been changed slightly and some have become so maddening that I wanted to slap a few --- Seward in particular who seemed to diagnose each and every woman he met with some sex related disease of the mind. What I found annoying about this was that I felt I was once again being reminded about the Victorian sex mindset and I didn’t need that.
The last 100 pages of this book were much better than the 267 preceding pages. And though I won’t mention it here, Mina’s character is given a new, life shall we say, that adds an interesting, if somewhat strange twist, to the story. It didn’t work for me, but as long as you’re not a purist, it probably won’t provide the “really?” moment for you as it did for me.
If you’re looking for a vampire/Dracula story with a little different take, this one might be for you. I found it a bit sluggish but a relatively fast read for a weekend.
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book followed the same epistolary style but was told from Mina Murray’s point of view. Mina is a character that I happen to like from the original and that was the reason for my deciding to give it a go.Mina Murray is teaching and happily waiting to become Mrs. Jonathan Harker and begin her married life. Wanting to be prepared for their future together, Jonathan takes a short sojourn working for a foreign count to help their finances and further his career. While Jonathan is away, Mina visits her friend Lucy Westenra and becomes involved in her friend’s love affairs. She also starts having odd dreams and feelings that she can’t share with anyone. When she gets a letter telling her that Jonathan is gravely ill, she rushes to his side to nurse him back to health. In the coming weeks, Mina’s strange dreams start to become her reality, her husband confesses an affair, her friend dies, and somehow she ends up in an insane asylum. It is then that her dream lover comes to her rescue.
Several of the reviews I read noted the amount of sex; some found it too much, others didn’t seem to think anything of it. The story takes place in Victorian England so sex, while deeply thought about, wasn’t much talked about, and yes, that is a big part of the story here as it was in the original as well. The sex, amount of or lack of depending on how feel about these things, didn’t bother me but the silly references about it were annoying and slightly cumbersome in places.
While most of the same characters appear (Dr. Seward, Arthur Holmwood, Jonathan Harker, Dr.Van Helsing, Lucy Westenra) they have been changed slightly and some have become so maddening that I wanted to slap a few --- Seward in particular who seemed to diagnose each and every woman he met with some sex related disease of the mind. What I found annoying about this was that I felt I was once again being reminded about the Victorian sex mindset and I didn’t need that.
The last 100 pages of this book were much better than the 267 preceding pages. And though I won’t mention it here, Mina’s character is given a new, life shall we say, that adds an interesting, if somewhat strange twist, to the story. It didn’t work for me, but as long as you’re not a purist, it probably won’t provide the “really?” moment for you as it did for me.
If you’re looking for a vampire/Dracula story with a little different take, this one might be for you. I found it a bit sluggish but a relatively fast read for a weekend.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
When revamping an extremely well-known and beloved classic novel, liberties must be taken. Ms. Essex does this with her re-creation of Dracula, but these changes add a certain mystique and realism to the story - removing the horror from the Count and adding it to the vastly more realistic men of
In Dracula in Love, Ms. Essex gives readers a chance to finally get into the mind of Mina. Intelligent, immensely resourceful, and extremely compassionate, Mina is ever a traditional heroine; all the men swear to protect her, and all the women cannot help but be her best friend. Yet, Ms. Essex challenges Bram Stoker's portrayal of the women by delving into Mina's minds, unencumbered by her diary entries, which must be edited by the mere fact that Mina always intends for them to be read by others. Mina, and Lucy, are highly empowered women who are shackled by society's values and, more importantly, by the men in their expectations of proper womanly behavior. Dr. Seward's mental hospital is understandably more frightening than Count Dracula, and all of the men's callous disregard for either woman's rights and feelings displace the horror surrounding Dracula and moves it to the more mundane Dr. Seward, Arthur, Quince, and Jonathan. The shock and confusion felt by Mina as she makes these discoveries is echoed by the reader at the injustice of her situation.
If Mina stood out in Dracula, she absolutely shines in Dracula in Love, as she realizes the dangers of the blood transfusions, the mental hospital and the idea the men may not always know best. Her willingness to stand up to these scenarios and fight for her rights fleshes out the strength of character only hinted at by Stoker.
Mythology has always been a huge part of any vampire story; Ms. Essex does not hide behind the one myth and includes all of them that have ever influenced any vampire story - Sidhe, faeries, and many others. Not only that, but Ms. Essex does a great nod to Mr. Stoker's own research and influence on the vampire myth. By including the red-headed Irishman in the background, it adds a tongue-in-cheek touch of realism to the story. This also means that Dracula himself is more honorable, more sensual and ultimately more romantic.
Read right after Dracula, Dracula in Love provides an intriguing fleshing out of each character's back story. In addition, it provides the reader the opportunity to read between the lines of the various journal entries and letters that make up the original story. While it doesn't outshine said original, it does add a very enjoyable, very interesting addition to the vampire genre.
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the novel. The result is a story that is both familiar and unique, creative in its use of other mythical beings to enhance the vampiric myth but chilling in its accurate depiction of women and men in Victorian England.In Dracula in Love, Ms. Essex gives readers a chance to finally get into the mind of Mina. Intelligent, immensely resourceful, and extremely compassionate, Mina is ever a traditional heroine; all the men swear to protect her, and all the women cannot help but be her best friend. Yet, Ms. Essex challenges Bram Stoker's portrayal of the women by delving into Mina's minds, unencumbered by her diary entries, which must be edited by the mere fact that Mina always intends for them to be read by others. Mina, and Lucy, are highly empowered women who are shackled by society's values and, more importantly, by the men in their expectations of proper womanly behavior. Dr. Seward's mental hospital is understandably more frightening than Count Dracula, and all of the men's callous disregard for either woman's rights and feelings displace the horror surrounding Dracula and moves it to the more mundane Dr. Seward, Arthur, Quince, and Jonathan. The shock and confusion felt by Mina as she makes these discoveries is echoed by the reader at the injustice of her situation.
If Mina stood out in Dracula, she absolutely shines in Dracula in Love, as she realizes the dangers of the blood transfusions, the mental hospital and the idea the men may not always know best. Her willingness to stand up to these scenarios and fight for her rights fleshes out the strength of character only hinted at by Stoker.
Mythology has always been a huge part of any vampire story; Ms. Essex does not hide behind the one myth and includes all of them that have ever influenced any vampire story - Sidhe, faeries, and many others. Not only that, but Ms. Essex does a great nod to Mr. Stoker's own research and influence on the vampire myth. By including the red-headed Irishman in the background, it adds a tongue-in-cheek touch of realism to the story. This also means that Dracula himself is more honorable, more sensual and ultimately more romantic.
Read right after Dracula, Dracula in Love provides an intriguing fleshing out of each character's back story. In addition, it provides the reader the opportunity to read between the lines of the various journal entries and letters that make up the original story. While it doesn't outshine said original, it does add a very enjoyable, very interesting addition to the vampire genre.
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LibraryThing member dcoward
I think this was supposed to be a feminist take on Dracula, but I didn't find it very empowering. The women are brutalized by men, Dracula is bossy, many of the men are evil, Lucy is unpleasant, and Mina seems to gain power only from Dracula. Not sure how this equals a feminist take, and I'm not
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sure what the point of this retelling was. Show Less
LibraryThing member mt256
This book was not as I expected. I admit, I had some preconceived notions before reading this novel. The story of Dracula is fairly well known so it's was hard not to already have certain expectations. I'm a huge fan of Dracula stories and was intrigued by this one. First, I love the cover. It's
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dark, gothic feel invites you to dive into this book. As I said before, the storyline was not what I expected. Karen Essex took the tale we are all familiar with and mixed it with Irish folk/faerie tales. This made for an interesting story. The plot is mysterious and very sensual. The story is told from Mina's point of view, some of which is in diary entries. The only part of the story line that drove me crazy *SPOILER ALERT* was several mentions of how feeble and weak women are. I'm not a feminist but I did want to beat some of the characters over the head with my copy of this book. According to Karen Essex, this came from actual physicians notes. I am glad that I was born in this time period because they would have definitely locked me up! *SPOILER OVER* Karen uses many of the same characters we have all come to know but also introduces us to some new ones. I really like Kate, she has lots of gumption. I am sad to say, I didn't really care for Jonathan. To be honest I was pulling for Dracula the whole time. Overall I liked the story. It was a compelling read. This was the first novel I have read by Karen Essex. I definitely want to check out more of her work. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookmagic
Dracula in Love by Karen Essex
This a a re-telling of the classic from the view of Mina. Now I haven't actually read the original Dracula, just seen movies, so I can't be sure of all the deviations and I really can't compare to the original. But I did like this well enough. It was spooky and
my rating 3.5/5
This a a re-telling of the classic from the view of Mina. Now I haven't actually read the original Dracula, just seen movies, so I can't be sure of all the deviations and I really can't compare to the original. But I did like this well enough. It was spooky and
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atmospheric. Some reviews have complained that Dracula showed too late in the book but he didn't really. He was there all along, Mina just didn't know it. Dracula has been waiting for centuries and several lives of Mina for her to join him as an undead. It is part romantic love story, part Gothic thriller. And I am definitely going to read the original.my rating 3.5/5
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LibraryThing member Yestergirl
Karen Essex has written a darkly hypnotic love story, taking the characters we all know from Bram Stoker's Dracula and developed them into something so much more. The prose is luscious and seductive, and I could not put this book down, especially when Mina finally give's in to Count Dracula's
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advances as he literally saves her. Dracula in Love is the love story of Count Dracula and Mina told from her perspective. We learn of the love that has existed between Count Dracula and Mina for centuries, the folklore behind the creatures we know as vampires, and the life that existed in victorian England at the end of the 19th century. Fans of Victorian literature with a good helping of vampires will love this. The scenery is so well written you can feel the dampness in the air as you walk the streets of London with Mina. It's not your teenagers brand of "Twilight" vampire story though, this is really an adult "Twilight" as author Michelle Moran is quoted on the front cover of the ARC. There is plenty of sensuality & seduction that would be shocking to a victorian sensibility, and younger eyes Show Less
LibraryThing member lizard_698959
I absolutely loved this new take on the old Dracula tale. It had been so long since I read the original and I didn’t quite remember everything in it. But I like the way that Karen Essex put a whole new spin on the book. She too what was already a great supernatural book changed the POV and took
I will admit that in the first hundred pages I was not sure that she was going to pull off a very good book. It was written very slow and not much had really happened. Mina had experience a few weird sleepwalking episode but other that there had just been background story development. It was not a bad story up to here but it was slow. So if you don’t like slow beginnings I wouldn’t suggest this book for you.
If however you love a great overall book this is for you. Somewhere around page 120 I started to get engrossed in the book and couldn’t put it down until I found out how Mina knew the Count. If she would really marry John Harker and what was going to happen to the beautiful Lucy. While poor Lucy’s story is not a happy one I feel that the story as a whole had a happy ending. You are left with the upbeat hopeful need to believe that eventually all wrongs were righted.
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it even more into the supernatural world. I will admit that in the first hundred pages I was not sure that she was going to pull off a very good book. It was written very slow and not much had really happened. Mina had experience a few weird sleepwalking episode but other that there had just been background story development. It was not a bad story up to here but it was slow. So if you don’t like slow beginnings I wouldn’t suggest this book for you.
If however you love a great overall book this is for you. Somewhere around page 120 I started to get engrossed in the book and couldn’t put it down until I found out how Mina knew the Count. If she would really marry John Harker and what was going to happen to the beautiful Lucy. While poor Lucy’s story is not a happy one I feel that the story as a whole had a happy ending. You are left with the upbeat hopeful need to believe that eventually all wrongs were righted.
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LibraryThing member elbakerone
The idea that a well known story is not the way things really happened is not a new concept for a book, but in Dracula in Love Karen Essex manages to make the idea seem quite fresh and creative. Retelling Stoker's classic from Mina Murray Harker's perspective, Essex reveals a Count Dracula who is
Mina herself is entirely reinvented from the original book. She is not the helpless victim of a terrifying fiend but rather a strong willed woman with unexplained and somewhat mystical secrets from her childhood. Dracula is not out to destroy her but rather to awaken her own supernatural side. He is her soul mate, who has sought her through multiple lifetimes, rather than a predator intent on her demise. All of the details of Stoker's work fit within the context of Dracula in Love but the expansion and explanations of these details - especially Lucy Westenra's tragic role in the story - provide a thoroughly engaging new perspective on the well known events.
Equal parts chilling and romantic, this is definitely a book for fans of the original, and especially for fans of the original who thought Stoker's female characters needed a bit more moxie.
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perhaps more akin to Shakespeare's Puck than Bela Lugosi's movie monster stereotype. Mina herself is entirely reinvented from the original book. She is not the helpless victim of a terrifying fiend but rather a strong willed woman with unexplained and somewhat mystical secrets from her childhood. Dracula is not out to destroy her but rather to awaken her own supernatural side. He is her soul mate, who has sought her through multiple lifetimes, rather than a predator intent on her demise. All of the details of Stoker's work fit within the context of Dracula in Love but the expansion and explanations of these details - especially Lucy Westenra's tragic role in the story - provide a thoroughly engaging new perspective on the well known events.
Equal parts chilling and romantic, this is definitely a book for fans of the original, and especially for fans of the original who thought Stoker's female characters needed a bit more moxie.
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LibraryThing member allisonmacias
I must confess, I have never read Stoker's Dracula. Never. I know I should have, but somehow, I never have. So, this is my first foray into the infamous legend. Now that I think about it, I've never really even heard the story. As a result, I was amazed by this story.
This book is delicious. Love,
Let me say, I read this book in two days. Two. That should be enough said.
In the end, I found myself wanting Mina to be her old self, her super old self.
This book is delicious. Love,
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ahem, abounds. And this love that I speak of is very detailed. Not for the faint of heart. The Characters are well drawn.Let me say, I read this book in two days. Two. That should be enough said.
In the end, I found myself wanting Mina to be her old self, her super old self.
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LibraryThing member LarissaBookGirl
Mina is a woman on the verge of obtaining all that she has ever wanted. Soon to be married, she and her fiancé Jonathan have already planed out how their future lives together will be, where they will marry, the location of their first home and even the names of their children. Everything was
Meanwhile, Jonathan is called away on business and in his absence Mina begins to see all her dreams of a future with him crumble. Slowly, as her dream world collides with reality, Mina begins to see a different future, one that spans not only her present life but stretches into forever. But that is a future not with her fiancé but with another man, a man who had always been with her in one way or another. Mina must discover who she is and what she wants as she descends down a path that will either bring her closer to her hearts desire or to a life unfulfilled.
Dracula in Love from its first pages presents you with a story that promises to be something extraordinary. A story of a woman faced with an ageless love and an inhibiting social conscious, told in a time where woman are seen as either delicate angels or seductive villainesses. Here the supernatural and demonic Dracula is retold in a more realistic but no less fantastic version where the real monsters are not those demonic creatures of the night but the very men who claim heroism through brutal means. Murder, betrayal, scandal and desire all play a role but at its heart this is a story of eternal love.
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perfect, then the dreams began. But these were no ordinary dreams being as vivid as waking life and Mina begins to question not only her life but also her sanity.Meanwhile, Jonathan is called away on business and in his absence Mina begins to see all her dreams of a future with him crumble. Slowly, as her dream world collides with reality, Mina begins to see a different future, one that spans not only her present life but stretches into forever. But that is a future not with her fiancé but with another man, a man who had always been with her in one way or another. Mina must discover who she is and what she wants as she descends down a path that will either bring her closer to her hearts desire or to a life unfulfilled.
Dracula in Love from its first pages presents you with a story that promises to be something extraordinary. A story of a woman faced with an ageless love and an inhibiting social conscious, told in a time where woman are seen as either delicate angels or seductive villainesses. Here the supernatural and demonic Dracula is retold in a more realistic but no less fantastic version where the real monsters are not those demonic creatures of the night but the very men who claim heroism through brutal means. Murder, betrayal, scandal and desire all play a role but at its heart this is a story of eternal love.
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LibraryThing member BooksCooksLooks
While this book is called Dracula in Love it is really Mina's tale. I read Bram Stoker's classic book, Dracula, several years ago and while not necessary to enjoy Ms. Essex's delightful tale I do believe it helped me understand it on a different level than if I had not read it.
Dracula in Love sets
The book is a marvel of weaving Stoker's Dracula - a book so full of obnoxious, overbearing men - with a woman's strength and control. Instead of this being a tale of an evil, blood sucking monster it becomes a story of an eternal love and a woman's power to choose.
I found myself lost in that mystical fog throughout the book, angry when Mina was mistreated at the hands of men who in the supposed guise of helping her were only trying to control her and cheering when she took control of her strength and power. The women certainly triumph in this tale; living and dead.
Dracula in Love sets
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a mood from the very first page. As a reader you feel immersed almost in a mystical fog that pulls you along. Mina Murray is a child of Irish descent currently teaching in a very proper school for young ladies. She is very controlled as is desired for women of the Victorian era. She is engaged to Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor. She has been having disturbing dreams, dreams she doesn't understand and dreams she cannot tell anyone about for fear of being deemed insane. What she doesn't understand is that she is more than she thinks she is and older than time.The book is a marvel of weaving Stoker's Dracula - a book so full of obnoxious, overbearing men - with a woman's strength and control. Instead of this being a tale of an evil, blood sucking monster it becomes a story of an eternal love and a woman's power to choose.
I found myself lost in that mystical fog throughout the book, angry when Mina was mistreated at the hands of men who in the supposed guise of helping her were only trying to control her and cheering when she took control of her strength and power. The women certainly triumph in this tale; living and dead.
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LibraryThing member starlitehouse
Dracula in Love by Karen Essex
Until now we have never been told the trueth about the woman who awoke the deepest depths of Dracul’a passion. Every story has two sides and finally Nina’s story is told.
Karen Essex draws you into the life of Nina with a gentle hand bringing you into her world
Unlike many other aurthors who try to write books on vampires but end up only regurgitating the same story over and over again, Essex takes the classic points and shines them under a new light.
If you are going to read anything this year add this book to your must have’s and keep an eye out for more from Karen Essex.
Until now we have never been told the trueth about the woman who awoke the deepest depths of Dracul’a passion. Every story has two sides and finally Nina’s story is told.
Karen Essex draws you into the life of Nina with a gentle hand bringing you into her world
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with words that paint the picture of her life. Essex’s characters are written in exquiset detail, from the main characters to the “supporting actor’s” like the old fisherman who brings Nina to tears. Unlike many other aurthors who try to write books on vampires but end up only regurgitating the same story over and over again, Essex takes the classic points and shines them under a new light.
If you are going to read anything this year add this book to your must have’s and keep an eye out for more from Karen Essex.
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Language
Original publication date
2010
ISBN
0385528914 / 9780385528917
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