Dracula Diner Dash: Hold the Garlic, and the Steak:
Suspense in Bram Stoker's Dracula
(^Not even Dracula by the way, but it's from Noseferatu so it's still relevant).
Bram Stoker's Dracula employs many themes of suspense. For one, it's spooky and sinister, for example: Jonathan and Co. (the main characters) fear for that their allies are endanger. *suspense*. But on page 183, it states, "There was no need to think them [Westenra's Maids] dead, for their stertorous breathing and acrid smell of laudanum in the room left no doubt as to their condition". Scary right? Probably not, but it is later revealed that Westenra's maids were poisoned by the Count himself, DRACULA. After this horrid event, Van Helsing (You know, the guy played by Hugh Jackman in that one movie also called Van Helsing? No? Ok then...), Johnathan along with the other cahracters that no one absolutely cares about in the Dracula mythos choose to keep hush-hush on the issue.
What's more suspenseful is Lucy's (one of the Westenras) death. On page 198, Van Helsing states "It's all over [...] She is dead!". Van Helsing then follows with "We can do nothing as yet. Wait and see". I would tell what happens to Lucy, but that would ruin the experience.
On page 110, it says "Shortly before ten o'clock the stillness of the air grew quite oppressive, and the silence was so marked that the bleating of as heep inland or the barking of a dog in the town was distinctly heard, and the band on the pier, with its lively French air, was like a discord in the great harmony of nature's silence. A little after midnight came a strange sound from over the sea, and high overhead the air began to carry a strange, faint, hollow booming".
My face while reading:
On page 110, it says "Shortly before ten o'clock the stillness of the air grew quite oppressive, and the silence was so marked that the bleating of as heep inland or the barking of a dog in the town was distinctly heard, and the band on the pier, with its lively French air, was like a discord in the great harmony of nature's silence. A little after midnight came a strange sound from over the sea, and high overhead the air began to carry a strange, faint, hollow booming".
My face while reading:
Dracula isn't that scary today, but Stoker sure does get you stoked for the nest chapter (see what I did there). During this event, Dracula is 'rondevuing' a ship for his daily dose of Diet Blood. On page 112, it states soon after, "The searchlight followed her, and a shudder ran through all who saw her, for lashed to the helm was a corpse, with drooping head,swung horribly to and fro (old English), at each motion of the ship. No other form could be seen on the deck at all. A great awe came on all as they realized that the ship, as if by a miracle, had found the harbour, unsteered save by the hand of a dead man!"
My face after reading Page 112:
Dracula is sadistic yet relatable at the same time. He'll go to extreme lengths to pursue his goal while still maintain a humble personality, its almost terrify. Although I'm going out on a limb her, I enjoy Bram Stoker's Dracula over Frankenstein for three reasons: Dracula is straight to the point, builds suspense and has an admirable villain. Frankenstein on the other hand takes forever to build the plot and is more focused on Dr. Frankenstein and his monster's bromance. Stoker makes it clear: Dracula is a manipulative and sneaky. He has flight, shape-shifting and vampire whit. His main goal is the suck the blood out of innocent civilians and to rub Johnathan and Van Helsing's noses into the pavement (unlike Frankenstein's monster who is the equivalent of an angst filled teenager in junior high).
Also Twilight was a terrible movie (I can still hear Stoker turning over in his grave since 2008).
Dracula isn't that scary today, but Stoker sure does get you stoked for the nest chapter (see what I did there). During this event, Dracula is 'rondevuing' a ship for his daily dose of Diet Blood. On page 112, it states soon after, "The searchlight followed her, and a shudder ran through all who saw her, for lashed to the helm was a corpse, with drooping head,swung horribly to and fro (old English), at each motion of the ship. No other form could be seen on the deck at all. A great awe came on all as they realized that the ship, as if by a miracle, had found the harbour, unsteered save by the hand of a dead man!"
My face after reading Page 112:
Dracula is sadistic yet relatable at the same time. He'll go to extreme lengths to pursue his goal while still maintain a humble personality, its almost terrify. Although I'm going out on a limb her, I enjoy Bram Stoker's Dracula over Frankenstein for three reasons: Dracula is straight to the point, builds suspense and has an admirable villain. Frankenstein on the other hand takes forever to build the plot and is more focused on Dr. Frankenstein and his monster's bromance. Stoker makes it clear: Dracula is a manipulative and sneaky. He has flight, shape-shifting and vampire whit. His main goal is the suck the blood out of innocent civilians and to rub Johnathan and Van Helsing's noses into the pavement (unlike Frankenstein's monster who is the equivalent of an angst filled teenager in junior high).
Also Twilight was a terrible movie (I can still hear Stoker turning over in his grave since 2008).
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