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Author Topic: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker  (Read 5901 times)

soundchaser

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2022, 11:42:15 PM »
For late Victorian and early Edwardian culture the vampire was a sadistic sex fiend. Note that the neck of the lady was typically the only exposed skin in the era when feminine skin was to be covered. In some ways the monster is a metaphor for the subversive repression of eros that brewed below the surface and found release in murder, rape, and other violent mayhem against women (and men).

cavalier973

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #16 on: February 05, 2022, 07:27:19 AM »
For late Victorian and early Edwardian culture the vampire was a sadistic sex fiend. Note that the neck of the lady was typically the only exposed skin in the era when feminine skin was to be covered. In some ways the monster is a metaphor for the subversive repression of eros that brewed below the surface and found release in murder, rape, and other violent mayhem against women (and men).

At one point, Mina dips her bare feet in mud, in hopes that anyone who might glance at her wouldn’t realize her feet were nekkid.

cavalier973

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2022, 07:31:57 AM »
As an aside, this game has gotten me to fire back up the old game “Baldur’s Gate”.

I remember playing “Baldur’s Gate 2” years ago and running up against a passel of vampires, and having a troublesome time with them, until eventually I had Anomen turn undead. I was expecting the vampires to run away, so that I could deal with them one by  one, but Anomen must’ve been fairly high level, because he was making them pop like soap bubbles.

cavalier973

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #18 on: February 05, 2022, 08:37:17 AM »
Reading Dracula makes me want to kill vampires. Is the board game “Castle Ravenloft” any good?

Edit: what about the 1e adventure “Ravenloft”? Is it worthy?
« Last Edit: February 05, 2022, 09:58:05 AM by cavalier973 »

cavalier973

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #19 on: February 05, 2022, 08:43:08 AM »
For late Victorian and early Edwardian culture the vampire was a sadistic sex fiend. Note that the neck of the lady was typically the only exposed skin in the era when feminine skin was to be covered. In some ways the monster is a metaphor for the subversive repression of eros that brewed below the surface and found release in murder, rape, and other violent mayhem against women (and men).

Are you suggesting that a Victorian era male would flip through “Dracula”, and then announce that he would be in his bunk?

As an aside, the book has one male vampire (Dracula, of course) one male who is possibly a vampire spawn, possibly just a crazy person, four genuine female vampires, and one female almost vampire. Neither of the women who were infected with Coronavamp 19 enjoyed the experience.

soundchaser

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #20 on: February 05, 2022, 11:35:25 AM »
For late Victorian and early Edwardian culture the vampire was a sadistic sex fiend. Note that the neck of the lady was typically the only exposed skin in the era when feminine skin was to be covered. In some ways the monster is a metaphor for the subversive repression of eros that brewed below the surface and found release in murder, rape, and other violent mayhem against women (and men).
Since I am not a male of the era, I have no idea. My point is that a predator that sinks the teeth into the delicate and exposed feminine neck region would be considered a monster of terrible proportions. The issue relates to ways our culture seems to train us to not see the theme in a manner that is sort of extreme in that way. Maybe not though?

Are you suggesting that a Victorian era male would flip through “Dracula”, and then announce that he would be in his bunk?

As an aside, the book has one male vampire (Dracula, of course) one male who is possibly a vampire spawn, possibly just a crazy person, four genuine female vampires, and one female almost vampire. Neither of the women who were infected with Coronavamp 19 enjoyed the experience.

Omega

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #21 on: February 05, 2022, 07:57:04 PM »
I always meant to get to this novel, but it's never been at the top of my list. I did get through another "Gothic" novel a while ago: Phantom of the Opera. I wonder if they are comparable in style.

That's interesting info on the cameras.

I've read both and past the narrative style. They are different in tone and progression. The phantom plays out like a sort of supervillain. Whereas Dracula plays out as a more straightup supernatural tale. In between is say a book like Frankenstein.

Omega

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #22 on: February 05, 2022, 08:04:09 PM »
Reading Dracula makes me want to kill vampires. Is the board game “Castle Ravenloft” any good?

Edit: what about the 1e adventure “Ravenloft”? Is it worthy?

The 1e module Ravenloft is pretty solid if fairly simple at its basics. Its driven mostly by the trip and atmosphere of the cursed land and the problem with Strahd.

The board game is an odd one. Its a co-op adventure against the game and has a sort of ongoing story you can advance through. It is nowhere near as involved as say Descent or especiallyt Mice & Mystics which has a pretty good story that unfolds across the 3 sets and spills over into the aerial wargame that came last. Same for Shadows of Brimstone which does really well as a co-op. Though expensive and some expansions are nigh impossible to get.

For me at least the board game feels a bit too simplistic. YMMV n that. Theres plenty of reviews and example pics and plsythrough vids over on BGG.

mudbanks

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #23 on: February 19, 2022, 10:09:09 AM »
The original story by Stoker was great. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, finishing it in two to three sittings. I actually do like some of the expressions and figures of speech used by the characters; they were uncanny but I thought that lent the story more charm.

Come to think about it, this was the only novel by Stoker that I'd read. I should check out his other novels too. His short stories were pretty entertaining, but nowhere near as good as Dracula.

SPOILERS AHEAD
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I'm disappointed there hasn't been a worthy Dracula series. I saw the Bela Lugosi one and hated it; it strayed too far from the source material, downplaying Lucy's death for instance. I had higher hopes for FFC's version, but the overtly portrayed romance between Dracula (who, besides being a supernatural psychopath, was also a hell of a strategist in the original book) and Mina Harker killed it for me. I haven't seen Christopher Lee's version but I probably should one day. Can't be bothered with the BBC version unless someone can convince me otherwise.

EDIT: Vampire fans should also check out Sheridan le Fanu's Carmilla. I loved it. Short but sweet. Not a fan of emo goth vampires (sparkle or no sparkle). Psychopathic, manipulative ones who induce nightmarish symptoms in their victims? Hell yeah sign me up!
« Last Edit: February 19, 2022, 10:13:29 AM by mudbanks »

Ruprecht

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #24 on: April 17, 2022, 07:07:05 PM »
Even more modern books like Harry Potter have been edited for US readers because they are apparently too stupid to understand some word differences or what a Philosophers Stone is.
It was the American Publishers low expectation of American readers that caused that change, not the readers themselves.
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. ~Robert E. Howard

Omega

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2022, 06:57:25 AM »
Even more modern books like Harry Potter have been edited for US readers because they are apparently too stupid to understand some word differences or what a Philosophers Stone is.
It was the American Publishers low expectation of American readers that caused that change, not the readers themselves.

Thats what I said.

David Johansen

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #26 on: May 01, 2022, 09:03:23 PM »
Stoker's novel is a good read but as others have noted it does suffer from some of the self indulgent wankery of Victorian fiction.  Not so badly as say, Alice In Wonderland but I'm pretty sure this is the dreadful type of thing Twain mocks with the school presentation in Tom Sawyer.  The Victorians loved their sentimentality it seems, even Dickens falls for it here and there even when he's tripping over his feet trying not to outright say "prostitute."
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Battlemaster
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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #27 on: June 13, 2022, 07:04:19 PM »
Well, what made Dracula a figure of horror in ''Olde England'' was the fact he was a foreigner, an eastern European foreigner,  which automatically triggered a certain xenophobic reaction in ye olde English of the day.

The real horror was that he was an aristocrat who perpetuated himself literally sucking the  life out of people around him and turning them into his slaves, and in that time and place many saw that as essentially a real thing.

The story became legendary because it tapped into certain fears of the day it was written in.  It's evolved over time and the character has changed, becoming more of a tragic ir romantic figure to appeal to certain audiences,  but at first he was a figure of horror based on the fears of the day.

It's like why 'invasion of the body snatchers' and 'the blob' were so popular in the 50's,  they tapped the commie scare of the day.

Now that you've read Dracula, try Carmilla,  a contemporary vampire story that was even more salacious in it's time for it's lesbian theme.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2022, 07:06:18 PM by Battlemaster »
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hedgehobbit

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #28 on: June 22, 2022, 06:55:32 PM »
Reading Dracula makes me want to kill vampires. Is the board game “Castle Ravenloft” any good?

I've had fun with FFG's Fury of Dracula. It is based on the novel but is focused on the vampire hunters tracking Dracula. One player plays Dracula who moves around a map of Europe secretly, while the other players play Van Helsin, Harker, etc and try to find him. The game is fun and there is just enough chrome to evoke the feel but I wish there were more narrative games focused on Dracula.

rgalex

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Re: Just finished the novel “Dracula” by Stoker
« Reply #29 on: July 01, 2022, 10:31:56 AM »
If anyone is interested, there is a Dracula graphic novel up on IGG atm, written by a descendent of Stoker.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/clint-stoker-s-dracula/x/18550526#/

It's got 4 days left and he's calling it "an ode to the classic".

The Story: In modern America, new lawyer, Jon Harker celebrates his engagement when he is contacted by his soon-to-be brother-in-law, who has witnessed something truly horrific while working for Dracula’s empire. When Harker agrees to help, he is pulled into the strange and secretive world of the most powerful man nobody knows - Dracula.