This is an old novel and mainly composed of journal entries and letters written by several narrators.The
tale begins
with Jonathan Harker and English solicitor, journeying by
train and carriage from England to Count Dracula’s crumbling
castle in
the Carpathian Mountains on the border of Transylvania and Moldavia.
The purpose of his mission is to provide legal support for Dracula for
a real estate transaction overseen by Harker’s employer, Peter Hawkins,
of Exeter in England. At first seduced by Dracula’s gracious manner,
Harker soon discovers that he has become a prisoner in the castle. He
also begins to see disquieting facets of Dracula’s nocturnal life. One
night while searching for a way out of the castle, and against
Dracula’s strict admonition not to rest outside his room at night
Harker falls under the spell of three wanton female vampires, the
Brides of Dracula. He saved at the last second by the Count, however,
who ostensibly wants to keep Harker alive just long enough because his
legal advice and teaching about England and London are needed by
Dracula. Harker barely escapes from the castle with his life.Not
long afterward, a Russian ship, The Demeter, having weighted anchor at
varna, runs aground on the shores of Whitby, England, during a fierce
tempest. All of the crew are missing and presumed dead, and only the
captains body is found tied up to the ship’s helm. The captain’s log is
recovered and tells of strange events led to the gradual disappearance
of the entire crew apparently owing to a malevolent presence on board
the ill-fated ship. An animal described as a big dog is seen on the
ship and leaping ashore. The ship’s cargo is described as silver sand
and boxes of mould from Transylvania.Soon Dracula is menacing
Harker’s devoted fiencee, Wlhelmina “Mina” Murray, and her vivacious
friend Lucy Westenra. Lucy receives three proposal ini one day from
Arthur Holmwood (later Lord Godalming), Quincey Morris and Dr. John
Seward. They are then to be unified by Van Helsing to fight against
Dracula and try to kill him (again).Lucy begins to waste away
suspiciously. Seward calls his old teacher Professor Abraham Van
Helsing from Amsterdam. Van Helsing immediately determines the cause of
Lucy’s condition but refuses to disclose it. He worried about Seward’s
faith will be shaken if he speaks of vampires. Van Helsing tries
blood transfusion 3 times from Arthur, Seward and at last Van Helsing
himself. One night when Van Helsing has to go back to Amsterdam, Lucy
and her mother was attacked by a wolf. Mrs Westenra (Lucy’s mother)
died because of her heart condition and Lucy died soon after.Lucy
is buried, but soon afterward the newspaper report a beautiful lady
stalking children in the night. Van Helsing knowing that means Lucy has
become a vampire. After confides in Seward, Arthur and Morris he stake
her heart and behead her.This scene have an interesting thing,
Van Helsing by his blood transfusion want to tell that he is a modern
and intelligent man and using extremely modern technologies (at that
time) like blood transfusions; but he is not so modern as to eschew the
idea that a demonic being could be causing Lucy''s illness: he spreads
garlic around the sashes and doors of her room and makes her wear a
garlic flower necklace.Around at the same time. Jonathan Harker arrives from Budapest after married with Mina. He and Mina then joint to the coalition.After
Dracula learns of Van Helsing and the others’ aginst him, he take
revenge by visiting and biting Mina. Dracula also feeds Mina with his
blood, creating a mental bond between them to control her. The only way
to break this bonding is only by killing him. Mina slowly succumbs to
the blood of the vampire that flows through her veins, switching back
and forth from a state of consciousness to a state of semi-trance
during which she is telepathically connected with Dracula. It is this
connection that they start to use to trk Dracula''s movements. It is
only possible to track Dracula''s movements when Mina is put under
hypnosis by Van Helsing. This ability is actually lost as the group
makes their way to Dracula''s castle.Dracula goes back to his
castle in Transylvania, followed by Van Helsing''s gang, who manage to
track him down just before sundown and destroy him by shearing "through
the throat" and stabbing him in the heart with a knife (known as Bowie
Knife). Dracula crumbles to dust, his spell is lifted and Mina is freed
from the marks. Quincey Morris is killed in the final battle, stabbed
by Gypsies who had been charged with returning Dracula to his castle;
the survivors return to England.The book closes with a note
about Mina''s and Jonathan''s married life and the birth of their
first-born son, who they name Quincey in remembrance of their American
friend.This novel tells too much about the Van Helsing’s gang
and too little about Dracula himself. The note or letter written by
Dracula makes me remember a book named My Name Is Red written by Orhan
Pamuk. He tells the story by telling the mind of the character in his
novel. The difference between those two books is reading Dracula is
easier then My Name Is Red. Maybe is because Orhan made the novel to be
like that, to make the reader use their brain to remember the story and
to think of what had happen. This will not see in Dracula. Dracula is a
light novel, could be read in every place and every time without make
us use our brain working hard.By the way this is a good book,
not mentioned how many books have been written after this and how many
films have been made inspired by this book.