The BBRBF Book Club: Dracula

You may or may not have noticed that the BBRBF Book Club took a bit of a break. With everything going on in all of our lives, reading the set books sort of slid to a backburner and we collectively agreed that instead of monthly, we will be doing a book every three months. This makes it easier on those of us who only post once or twice a week, and also gives me ample time to get books from our local library.

This month, since it’s close to Halloween, we decided to kick off the new plan with Dracula!

Being the incredibly great planner that I am, I neglected to take any photos until today. When we chatted about reading Dracula, it was a month beforehand and I’ve already read the book, so I thought I had plenty of time. But life has a way of stealing time from you, doesn’t it? Before I knew it, this week had come and I had no idea what sort of outfit I would wear to pair with my beautiful leatherbound edition of Dracula. Enter this darling dress I found on Amazon that I had put in the back of my closet as it’s not my usual fit-and-flare style. A mesh of bright red and Wednesday Addams was born, and I love it!

Dracula is one of those old novels that truly stands the test of time. Though it’s written in a very distinctly 1800’s way, it holds many little tidbits that make it fascinating even today. The rich detail of the story is the kind you want to sink your teeth into and drain for every last drop of entertainment it provides. I often mention that my favorite novel is Jane Eyre, yet I am  not necessarily a classic fiction fan. I enjoy Pride and Prejudice, but find most of Jane Austen’s work to be a bit too slow for my taste. I love Gormenghast, but have yet to make it through the first tome. And there is a long, long list of classic novels I’ve never read. While I love historic fiction, I also love the somewhat faster pacing modern novelists give their stories, and, shamefully, get bored reading most classic fiction.  

But with Dracula, there’s something morbidly fascinating about watching this story unfold. Something menacing and spellbinding. Perhaps it’s reading one of the first iterations of vampires, and all of the archaic abilities they had that have now fallen by the wayside. Perhaps it’s the slow doom encroaching on Jonathan and Mina Harker’s lives. Perhaps it’s seeing the basis upon which so many modern horror stories have been built. 

Whatever the case, Dracula stands the test of time and the test of those who aren’t as fond of classic literature as they’d like to be, and it’s a book I recommend everyone add to their library for a good read on a dark and stormy night.

Be sure to check out Helene and Laci and Justyna’s blogs as they review Dracula! And stay tuned to hear which book we tackle next!

Dress, Amazon (here) | shoes, Chase & Chloe (here) | tights, old (similar) | Brooch, Spellbound Whimsy