Dracula [Audible Edition]

Very disappointed with this version of Dracula; I was looking to spend a credit wisely, but was regretting it within 30 mins. What could possibly go wrong? A stellar cast, the promised restitution of the horror and power missing in so many other productions, and all the 'campiness' and creepy music erased. For me, however, much of the narration seems decidedly lacklustre, rather careless even, lacking the much vaunted drive and tension in numerous sections: in short it seems to lack direction. To me, it seems not to have been directed at all but 'divvied up' and then reassembled. One of the female characters speaks throughout in the same simpering and numbing three-note cadence, while one character accent, from the North East of England sounds suspiciously as if modelled on Daphne out of 'Frasier'. Editing choices militate against any build in tension: pauses are chopped out, sentences butt up against each other as if there was a shortage of 'tape'. Wish I'd gone for one of the single narrator versions or the BBC dramatized version.

The first part of the book was really good and engaging all about the man staying at Dracula's house and discovering who or what dracula was. And then just as it got juicy, it switched narrator's voice to a lady in England, who has a REALLY annoying voice. This unfortunately is as far as I got. Her voice is really whiny and I am SO confused as what is going on. Don't bother, read the book.

I have to agree with Greg. I found this dragged on and i struggled to finish it. thought with the cast it had, it would of been alot better than it was. Tim Curry was hardly in it which was what i was looking forward to but was disappointed.

I love Bram Stokers "Dracula" of which I have many audiobook versions. Personally I find the multiple cast members bring a whole new world to the characters and story pace, rather than a lone narrator. Some of the accents and pronunciations are a little off, but I like the quirkiness and professionalism of this audiobook.

The basic story of Dracula is probably familiar to most, but it is the central concept that stays longest in the mind after reading/listening. To be fair the plot loses steam at various moments and the characters are fairly flat, but the vampire and Transylvania as a setting have had so much impact on Twentieth Century culture that this book needs to read by everyone at least once just to see where it all came from. And I can't think of a better way to do that than listening to this audio-book. The book is narrated by various voices, so likewise this audio-book is read by a different narrator for each character, such as Alan Cumming for Seward and Time Curry as Van Helsing. This works very well, the multiple voices really adding something extra to sustain interest - this really is one of the most enjoyable audio-books I have listened to: A massively influential book read very well - highly recommended.

I am about to finish this book yet. Once Abraham approaches the adulthood and journey round the south of USA the story somehow slows down and I lost interest. I liked the narration and beginning and middle section of the book especially story told by Abraham's new friend and coach were entertaining. For me the book became boring later on as from pure fiction and adventure vampire line it switches to sort of autobiography of a main character. Sort of genre mix up.

I know it's a classic, but I just couldn't enjoy it. Before you read further: the narration was perfectly fine, the review is of the book itself.



I only gave it 3 stars because of the good narration and the fact that it's a classic. As a story I was disappointed. Sexist and overly Christian (which I could forgive because of its age) but there's no good plot behind it. I only persevered because it's a classic. Maybe I've been spoiled by more recent stories but it struck me as completely one-dimensional and predictable.

As preparation for a project set in Whitby I downloaded Bram's Stoker's classic "Dracula' to as useful way of getting a feel for the place. This is a very unnerving story and rather than providing me with local colour on Whitby, the novel kept me awake for 3 nights as I became fixated with the plot and characters. It does not matter how many second rate horror movies have been made of this story, the original does not fail to chill. Stoker's detail and multi-vocal perspective seems innovative and designed to entrap the reader. Read with restraint and precision by an able cast, this is a must listen.