Listen free for 30 days
-
Dracula
- Narrated by: Greg Wise
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £20.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula, H. G. Wells' The Invisible Man
- Classic Monster Novels Condensed
- By: Joseph Lanzara - adaptations, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and others
- Narrated by: Brad Wills
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
Three of the top horror novels of all time have been newly adapted into novellas, and are now side by side in this one audiobook. These world-famous monsters are familiar household names. These are the monsters that authors and filmmakers continue to draw from again and again. And these are stories that introduced them to the world over a century ago. So turn down the lights, and experience triple the action, suspense, chills, and thrills, as you listen to all three classic tales.
-
Dracula's Guest
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
Dracula’s Guest tells the story of an unnamed Englishman visiting Munich before departing for Transylvania. Ignoring the warning of his hotelier to return early, the Englishman ventures out to explore an abandoned village. In this village, during a raging storm, he encounters several otherworldly beings and is unsure of the exact events of the night.
-
Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Jamie Bell
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 78
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris and horror.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Modern Prometheus still has the power to shock
- By papapownall on 11-11-21
-
Frankenstein (Dramatized)
- By: Mary Shelley, Jonathan Barnes
- Narrated by: Arthur Darvill, Nicholas Briggs, Geoffrey Beevers, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
When the crew of the Oceanus rescued a man close to death, its captain could barely have guessed at the incredible story that man would come to share. This is the story of Victor Frankenstein: a man obsessed with discovering the secret of life and cheating death; a man who brings to life to a body built from corpses; and a man who rejects this would-be child.... Soon Victor and his creature are entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse across Europe. But who is truly the monster?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great Performance - but Unbalanced
- By Rachel Taylor on 28-06-17
-
The Monster Collection
- By: Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Dan Stevens, Greg Wise, and others
- Length: 30 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,236
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,003
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,000
Audible presents a special edition of three Gothic masterpieces: a brand-new Audible Exclusive recording of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Need to say which chapter = which book!!
- By Christopher on 06-03-20
-
Two Horror Classics: Frankenstein and Dracula
- By: Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 28 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
In Frankenstein, a classic tale of bio-engineering gone horribly wrong, Victor Frankenstein uses body parts of the dead to bring a creature to life. When Frankenstein abandons his experiment in horror, the Monster embarks on a quest that results in the ultimate revenge. In Dracula, a timeless gothic vampire romance, young solicitor Jonathan Harker must shield his fiancé, Mina, from the predations of the insatiable Count Dracula. Mysteriously drawn to the Count, Mina, however, struggles to break free from the psychic grip of the mysterious dark stranger from Transylvania.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
f and d
- By Amazon Customer on 04-02-21
-
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Bram Stoker's Dracula, H. G. Wells' The Invisible Man
- Classic Monster Novels Condensed
- By: Joseph Lanzara - adaptations, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and others
- Narrated by: Brad Wills
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
Three of the top horror novels of all time have been newly adapted into novellas, and are now side by side in this one audiobook. These world-famous monsters are familiar household names. These are the monsters that authors and filmmakers continue to draw from again and again. And these are stories that introduced them to the world over a century ago. So turn down the lights, and experience triple the action, suspense, chills, and thrills, as you listen to all three classic tales.
-
Dracula's Guest
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
Dracula’s Guest tells the story of an unnamed Englishman visiting Munich before departing for Transylvania. Ignoring the warning of his hotelier to return early, the Englishman ventures out to explore an abandoned village. In this village, during a raging storm, he encounters several otherworldly beings and is unsure of the exact events of the night.
-
Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Jamie Bell
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 78
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris and horror.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Modern Prometheus still has the power to shock
- By papapownall on 11-11-21
-
Frankenstein (Dramatized)
- By: Mary Shelley, Jonathan Barnes
- Narrated by: Arthur Darvill, Nicholas Briggs, Geoffrey Beevers, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
When the crew of the Oceanus rescued a man close to death, its captain could barely have guessed at the incredible story that man would come to share. This is the story of Victor Frankenstein: a man obsessed with discovering the secret of life and cheating death; a man who brings to life to a body built from corpses; and a man who rejects this would-be child.... Soon Victor and his creature are entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse across Europe. But who is truly the monster?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great Performance - but Unbalanced
- By Rachel Taylor on 28-06-17
-
The Monster Collection
- By: Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Dan Stevens, Greg Wise, and others
- Length: 30 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,236
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,003
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,000
Audible presents a special edition of three Gothic masterpieces: a brand-new Audible Exclusive recording of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Need to say which chapter = which book!!
- By Christopher on 06-03-20
-
Two Horror Classics: Frankenstein and Dracula
- By: Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 28 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
In Frankenstein, a classic tale of bio-engineering gone horribly wrong, Victor Frankenstein uses body parts of the dead to bring a creature to life. When Frankenstein abandons his experiment in horror, the Monster embarks on a quest that results in the ultimate revenge. In Dracula, a timeless gothic vampire romance, young solicitor Jonathan Harker must shield his fiancé, Mina, from the predations of the insatiable Count Dracula. Mysteriously drawn to the Count, Mina, however, struggles to break free from the psychic grip of the mysterious dark stranger from Transylvania.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
f and d
- By Amazon Customer on 04-02-21
-
Dracula
- Penguin Classics
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Mark Gatiss
- Length: 17 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 94
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 94
When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England: an apparently unmanned ship is wrecked off the coast of Whitby, a young woman discovers strange puncture marks on her neck and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the 'Master' and his imminent arrival.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant!
- By Anonymous User on 12-06-21
-
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Narrated by: Ian Holm
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ranks alongside Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula as one of the top horror stories to emerge from the late 19th Century. Film and stage adaptations have never been able to fully relate the agony and conflict that permeates the mind of Dr Jekyll, but the audio version read by Ian Holm adds an extra spine-chilling dimension to the original text by Robert Louis Stevenson.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great telling of a classic story.
- By Michael on 15-03-21
-
Classic BBC Radio Horror: Dracula
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Frederick Jaeger, Phyllis Logan, Bernard Holley
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
Frederick Jaeger stars in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the legend that has haunted the imagination of millions for over a hundred years! Summoned to the forbidden heart of the Carpathian mountains, in the depths of Transylvania, Jonathan Harker journeys to Castle Dracula. There he becomes the unwitting prisoner of the mysterious nobleman whom local legend insists is nosferatu, the vampire…
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
FANG-TASTIC
- By Richard on 13-10-10
-
Journey to the Center of the Earth: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
- By: Jules Verne
- Narrated by: Tim Curry
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 896
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 812
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 811
A Signature Performance: Tim Curry, the source of our inspiration, returns – this time, he captures the quirky enthusiasm of this goofily visionary adventure.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Classic science fiction
- By Squeaky Joe on 29-03-18
-
Lord of the Flies
- By: William Golding
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,805
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,365
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,358
A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. As the boys’ delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
There's a reason it's a classic
- By Ant on 12-12-13
-
Unmade Movies: Hammer Horror's The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula
- A BBC Radio 4 Adaptation of the Unproduced Screenplay
- By: Anthony Hinds
- Narrated by: Michael Sheen, Anna Madeley, Nikesh Patel, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
In The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula, one of seven 'unmade movies' available on audio, it is 1934, and young Englishwoman Penny is travelling by train across India in search of her missing sister. En route, she meets sibling artistes Prem and Lakshmi, who have been hired by a Maharajah and his wife, the Rani, to entertain their aristocratic European guest. But evil lurks in the hidden caverns beneath the ancient palace, where the acolytes of a fiendish blood cult await their next human sacrifice....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
fantastic oerformance
- By Mr Zed on 13-05-22
-
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- By: Arthur Conan Doyle
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Eleven stories including “The Speckled Band”, “The Man with the Twisted Lip” and “The Blue Carbuncle.”
-
The Picture of Dorian Gray
- By: Oscar Wilde
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 945
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 832
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 827
The Picture of Dorian Gray is the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth. As Basil Hallward, an aspiring artist, puts a few touches on a portrait of his handsome young friend Dorian Gray, Gray wishes that the portrait might grow old while he remains forever young. While Dorian Gray spends his life pursuing fresh experiences and new sensations, his looks do not change. However, the portrait, secretly hidden in the attic of his residence and with which he has grown increasingly obsessed, does.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Abridged version!!
- By Elle on 08-01-19
-
H.G. Wells: The Science Fiction Collection
- By: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Hugh Bonneville, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Okonedo, and others
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,271
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,883
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,870
Known as ‘The Father of Science Fiction’, Herbert George Wells’ writing career spanned over 60 years. He was a writer of novels, short stories, nonfiction books and articles. As a young man, Wells won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London, sparking his infamous vocation as a science fiction writer. Introduced by film director and H. G. Wells fanboy Eli Roth, this collection features unabridged recordings of the novels performed by Hugh Bonneville, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Okonedo, David Tennant and Alexander Vlahos.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
I got lost
- By robert on 20-11-19
-
Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh
- By: Joseph Conrad
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh
- Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,996
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,769
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,762
A Signature Performance: Kenneth Branagh plays this like a campfire ghost story, told by a haunted, slightly insane Marlow.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Haunting and beautiful
- By S. Goodyear on 13-04-16
-
The Sandman: Act II
- By: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman, James McAvoy, Emma Corrin, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,314
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,985
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,970
In the absolutely packed Act II, the dark fantasy resumes and the Sandman expands into the French Revolution, ancient Rome, 19th-century San Francisco, eighth-century Baghdad, and beyond. New and familiar characters abound, voiced by a bright mix of performers, including Kat Dennings, Regé-Jean Page, Emma Corrin, Michael Sheen, Kristen Schaal, Brian Cox, John Lithgow, Jeffrey Wright, and so many more, including fan-favorite narrators Simon Vance and Ray Porter.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable but not sandman 1
- By Jakki B. on 30-09-21
-
Dracula's Guest
- A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories
- By: Michael Sims - editor
- Narrated by: Elijah Alexander
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1
Before Twilight and True Blood, even before Buffy and Anne Rice and Bela Lugosi, vampires haunted the 19th century, when brilliant writers everywhere indulged their bloodthirsty imaginations, culminating in Bram Stoker's legendary 1897 novel, Dracula. Michael Sims brings together the very best vampire stories of the Victorian era - from England, America, France, Germany, Transylvania, and even Japan - into a unique collection that highlights their cultural variety.
Summary
More from the same
What listeners say about Dracula
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Phil
- 26-01-11
The original vampire story is still the best.
I can remember reading Dracula for the first time when I was fourteen and it really scared me. This audio version also had the capability to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. Greg Wise's narration is excellent, bringing the characters to life and judging the pace to perfection. If you enjoy the Dracula story, this is a terrific version of the classic tale. But be warned - you may not be able to stop listening!
20 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Solaire
- 22-12-18
Very good narration but....
I'd forgotten how baggy the second half of the novel is, so little happens compared to a very good and atmospheric first half.
Impressive narration, both have consistent pacing and tone for each character so switches between the two are seamless. I thought they did an excellent job.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Karen
- 04-02-09
Excellent narration
Superb interpretation of the classic novel. Both narrators manage to convey the various personalities in the book extremely well.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Antti
- 16-04-14
Mesmerizing
Knowing the book by its reputation only as the vampire story that defined and started it all, after finally listened to it I realized how little my expectations actually prepared for the wonderful story and above all, its sophisticated narrative structure. It’s devised to present the story as a collection of documents, all with their own points of view, from which the “author” weaves, in the guise of an editor, the narrative for us to experience.
What rocks my world is the acute subjectivity this method emphasizes, although the author-editor, in the beginning, goes to great lengths to assure us that ”all needless matters have been eliminated, so that a history almost at variance with the possibilities of latter-day belief may stand forth as simple fact. There is no statement of past things wherein memory may err, for all the records chosen are exactly contemporary, given from the standpoints and within the range of knowledge of those who made them."
In this respect the novel feels freshly relevant in how it constructs its world based on not only one standpoint, but many. Sure, the narrative that is thus created makes sense singularly, but how the cogs turn is still refreshing.
Another aspect of the novel that I have very great respect for is its mastery of characterization. Especially the female characters are, in my mind, exceptionally well-written, and rise above the stereotype of sidekicks and victimized blank pages and are actually the most interesting characters in the book, followed by the Count. Some exchanges might seem vacuous, but it’s merely Stoker’s sensitivity for the social decorum. Each conversation has its set roles for each participants, just as in all social contexts.
In short, this is a highly entertaining novel, and far surpassed my expectations. Some descriptions of the social aspects of the novel might be too long-winded for my taste, but on the other hand they emphasize the sense of devastation and loss at the face of death.
As for the reading, both Greg Wise and Saskia Reeves (the latter not credited on Audible at this writing. Huh?) give excellent performances, Wise’s voice reaching a kind of dream state that’s hard to resist. The only moments when the shift in narrator caused any need for ”readjusting" oneself was when Reeves arrived at the Van Helsing parts in her narrative, since by then the lion’s share of Van Helsing’s dialogue has been read by Wise. Not that Reeves does a bad characterization, they’re merely so different characters by then. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- essjaybella
- 27-01-15
Absolutely magnificent...
What did you like most about Dracula?
This was one of the most beautifully crafted pieces of narrative that I've ever read! So gripping and intense! I was just hooked from the outset. Using the format of journals was very effective and the characters were entirely believable. Van Helsing was spectacular and it was so refreshing to encounter a strong woman among the characters. Greg Wise's and Saskia Reeves's performances were breathtaking, they brought the whole story to life! Highly recommended! Enjoy!
What other book might you compare Dracula to, and why?
The Woman in White for it's suspense and sensationalism.
What about Greg Wise’s performance did you like?
The characterisations and intense delivery of the narrative! His intonation and diction was faultless!
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Intrigue, suspense and horror weaved in the most magnificent way to reach every sense by opening the imagination to make fantasy become reality.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- B. Murphy
- 21-11-18
Superb narration, terrific story
I want Greg Wise to read all my books to me. His narration is sublime. Saskia Reeves is also wonderful but for me there’s nothing like a beautiful male speaking voice. Cracking story too, no movie has ever come close to conveying the delicious creepiness of it.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Neil
- 04-12-16
Amazing genuine horror!
loved this from start to finish. genuine horror and a superb reading. Flawless. would recommend to anyone.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Nadia
- 12-04-09
Dracula
If The Lord Of The Rings is considered the forerunner of modern fantasy novels, then Dracula has to be the inspiration for all subsequent vampire fiction. Dracula is a deeply atmospheric novel told in the form of letters and journals from the view points of many of the characters. The plot is skillfully constructed and cleverly revealed in teasing chunks that all come together smoothly to form a fascinating and highly enjoyable book.
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
- Ms. Tracey J. Oakley
- 04-09-19
Thoroughly enjoyable listen
I really enjoyed listening to this. The only downside was the female narrator's extremely poor accent for Van Helsing
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- The Picklepea
- 16-12-14
An oldy but a goody!
Where does Dracula rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
A true classic I read may years ago and was keen to listen to again after thinking is was far more a romance novel than horror but I feel recent movies may have warped my memory!
Great narration and not bad on the accents to be fair...great pace and suspense and a good listen for my long car journeys..
What did you like best about this story?
Its a classic horror tale from a bygone era..and made even better after my trip to Whitby this year..i could picture myself up near the abbey on the rocky shore on a bench with Mina and Lucy :)
This tale tells of a vampire than has no romance about him..he is cold and evil..not a dishy 80s actor or a Christopher Lee...think more Nosferatu
Which scene did you most enjoy?
I love the switch between diaries and memoires..flowed really nicely and was great to have everyones tale to tell..
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No emotion..no real horror or suspense..just great story telling..
Any additional comments?
A classic for all horror lovers..!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Doug D. Eigsti
- 08-05-13
My Horses are Svvift. The Quinary Count No. 3
I recently undertook the personal challenge to listen to five different versions of DRACULA because listening to Bram Stoker’s classic years ago made me a fan of audiobooks. I enjoyed that experience so much that I decided to try to determine if I had just gotten lucky or if there was an even better version available. Besides, I wanted to listen to it again. With most books I feel fortunate to have just one audio version available, but with DRACULA there are so many versions offered that listening to them all is not practical. I first figured that I could handle maybe three different versions but then discovered two more that I thought deserved attention. The Audible list had these five that I thought might be contenders:
Listed in my order of listening preference:
1) Susan Adams & Alexander Spencer (Recorded Books 1980)
2) Peter Sciarrio & Kris Faulkner & a FULL CAST, (Books in Motion 2008)
3) Greg Wise & Saskia Reeves (BBC Audiobooks 2008)
4) Robert Whitfield (aka Simon Vance), (Blackstone edition 1998)
5) Alan Cumming & Tim Curry & cast (Audible edition 2011)
Review of this version:
3) Greg Wise (m) Saskia Reeves (f), BBC Audiobooks 2008 [run time 18:24],
Of all the actors displaying their talents in narrating DRACULA, Greg Wise is the best single overall performer. At times his well-modulated voice fooled me into thinking that I was hearing several actors doing the different character voices. He has more range than any other single actor and more variety in his one voice box than the entire male cast of the Audible edition.
One of my favorite scenes came early in the novel. It was when Jonathan Harker is riding in a coach that is overtaken by another coach driven by Count Dracula himself. Greg Wise delivers the line, “My horses are swift,” as if the word was “svvift.” This was my first indication that Wise was going to be great. In chapter 18, Wise doing Renfield is amazing! He brings out his intellectual craziness!
Had Wise's partner, Saskia Reeves, been more exuberant, this would have been the best overall version. Sadly Reeves gave a less than energetic performance in places and caused me to give this Wise & Reeves version a third place ranking. Reeves chose to play Mina Harker with a touch of warm lethargy that never seems to match the dialog or the image one gets of an energetic, and even high-strung, brilliant young woman, depicted in the text.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Chapter stops every 102-116 minutes do not match book chapters.
No text duplications or omissions!
Very good sound quality. High production values.
12:16:20 Mispronunciation of “sentience.” (as SEN-t-ence)
Follows the text of THE ANNOTATED DRACULA (TAD)
Examples:
1:43:24 “Occupied in bygone days,” (TAD p. 38.1)
2:28:59 “To-morrow night, to-morrow night is yours.” (TAD p. 53.5)
39 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jefferson
- 23-09-12
A Mesmerizing and Appalling Audiobook Dracula
Despite the many film adaptations of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) and the many movies and TV shows influenced by it, I found the original novel to be surprisingly absorbing, suspenseful, frightening, and even moving. One of the many interesting points about the book is the way in which Stoker tells the story through a series of "real" letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, memoranda, and telegrams written, dictated, and compiled by the main eyewitness characters (except for the Count). Stoker's novel provides thought-provoking perspectives on marriage, gender, sexuality, class, community, culture, and religion. And it established numerous Vampire genre rules, like aristocratic lineage, lack of reflections, superhuman strength and speed, undead immortality, shapeshifting and beast manipulating, intimidating cunning and cruelty mitigated by criminal "child brain," and charismatic sensuality.
The readers of the audiobook, Greg Wise and Saskia Reeves, add so much to Dracula. Wise reads the documents "written" by men, Reeves those by women. Both Wise and Reeves have appealing educated British accents for their base narrators (Jonathan Harker, Mina Harker John Seward), and are adept at changing their voices to suit the various people of different ages, regions, and countries whom the narrators quote in their letters and diaries. This means that one moment we are hearing a man, Wise, reading things that Mina says in Jonathan's journal and the next a woman, Reeves, reading things that Jonathan says in Mina's. But so skilled, sensitive, and restrained are Wise and Reeves that hearing them both doing, say, Dr. Van Helsing's thick Dutch accent enhanced the pleasure of the audiobook.
Having experienced many of the plethora of vampire-themed works of popular culture, I did at times hear the joints of their granddaddy creak. I sometimes found myself muttering, "Pay attention to the peasants, Harker!" Or "Quincey Morris is a little too 'American.'" Or "Come on guys--you know that Dracula's been setting up housekeeping right next door and that Mina's at least as intelligent and brave as a man and yet to spare her from trauma you exclude her from your counsels and leave her alone at night without placing any garlic flowers or crosses around her bed?"
But more often I thought things like, "Gee, I want one of those twelve inch, nail studded, Slovak leather belts," or "Hey, that's a great description of the gloomy mountains at sunset," or "Yow, Dracula's brides are kinda sexy," or "The count crawling head first down his castle wall like a lizard is sure creepy," or "Wow--Renfield is morbidly unforgettable," or "If Arthur is married 'in the sight of God' to Lucy by giving his blood to her, what is Dracula to Lucy after drinking her blood?" or "This climax in the snow-swirling, wolf-howling, gypsy-fleeing, party-converging mountains is exciting!"
So if you like the vampire or supernatural romance or fantastic adventure genres, it would be worth your while to read this imaginative and well-written novel.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- GChanMan
- 08-02-10
Outstanding Production
This is a wonderful rendition of Stoker's classic. No mood music or sound effects, but these are unnecessary thanks to brilliant narration by Saskia Reeves and Greg Wise. Reeves is fantastic -- the best female narrator I've ever heard on an audiobook -- and especially adept at the male-character impersonations. Such range, pace and inflection was an absolute delight.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Tracey
- 23-02-10
A Spectacular Performance!
Bram Stoker's Dracula is the work of an old master - his detail and suspensful timing is superb. The narraters are wonderful, and especially Greg Wise - whose scary inflections, when in the voice of Dracula, send chills up and down the spine! A haunting tale and mesmorizing portrayal of a timeless classic. THIS IS THE ONE TO CHOOSE OVER ALL THE REST!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Gabe
- 13-01-10
great rendition
male and female voices adds to realism
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Kathy
- 25-12-09
Loved it.
I loved listening to this book. Greg Wise is a great narrator.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nirdesha
- 23-07-18
Voice impressions ruined the story
Audio books should NOT do voice impressions on the characters in the books. Period! In this one, Dracular's character was completely ruined by the voice of an old, frail man! It was hard to listen to.
It's okay to bring in a little vocal variety but doing drastic impressions can ruin the substance of a character. I buy an audiobook because I'm too lazy to read, not because I want a cinematic vocal on it.
The reader should just read the story and let the listener create the character that they like in their minds according to the specifics the book's author has given.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- J
- 05-06-09
amazing!
The narrator did an amazing job at bringing the story to life and keeping it engaging. The story itself is also amazing. This was the first time I have read Dracula, and I can see why it is such a classic. I listen to audiobooks when I go running, and this week I've been looking for excuses to work out!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- B
- 14-07-20
The Best Rendition of All Dracula Audiobooks I’ve Ever Listened To
This audiobook is the only best that I’ve ever listened to. Others were boring. Greg Wise delivered a rather intense and sophisticated performance. I would buy another audiobook only read by him. He made the characters come alive and quite interesting and real that it was hard for me to stop listening to his style of storytelling.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sassafras
- 30-07-19
Excellent,
I love reading the Classic novels, especially those considered gothic horror stories. Not only does reading such novels give one a glimpse into history, one’s imagination becomes thoroughly intrigued by each character and the relationships forged under adverse circumstances.
Perhaps the one thing I like about the ‘original’ novels is that they often are not at all how Hollywood has depicted them. It’s an awakening of sorts.
Highly recommend.
1 person found this helpful
