I’m ashamed to admit that in my youth and all during school I was not an avid reader. I was always more of a visual person; very much into films, video games, and so on. I read only when I had to and didn’t retain very much outside of vague plotlines. For example, I read Hamlet and all I remembered was that just about everyone died at the end and there was a ghost running around scaring the bejeezus out of everyone. I read Catcher in the Rye and couldn’t tell you a damn thing about it years later. You get the idea.So late in life, books have now become something I enjoy on a regular basis, though I still don’t really “love” to read. What I mean is I use books to pass the time. I have a fairly decent commute into New York every day so I read on the bus and the subway rides. When I go to the gym, I sit on the exercise bike and read. It’s reading for convenience, not really for fun, but I’m using that to my advantage and it’s a win-win scenario for me. I pass the time quickly and I get to catch up on tons of stuff I should have read as a youngster, plus read things I actually might want to read as well.
In any case, what I’ve been doing is going through classics and picking them up a few at a time, then reading them. I’ve read things like Dante’s Inferno trilogy, Stephen King pieces like ‘Salem’s Lot and The Dead Zone, 1984, Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes and Fahrenheit 451, a big Poe compilation, and more recently I picked up a great little Signet paperback that contains three classic horror tales: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I’ll read the last story soon but I wanted to discuss the first two, today being Halloween and all.
Frankenstein
Again, pardon my ignorance on this one but the book really threw me for a loop. Growing up a visual person, watching all the Frankenstein movies and what not, really reinforced a lot of notions in my mind as far as the story of Frankenstein goes. There was a “mad” scientist who came across his grandfather’s old notes about the possibility of reanimating dead human tissue and he locks himself in a castle with a hunchback named Ygor (or is it Eye-gore?) and there’s this big scene with lightning and a lot of shouting, resulting in the creation of a monster who has a few adventures of his own, etc. You know the story — but do you know the real story? I sure didn’t.
The book is told mostly in flashback as a world traveler, Captain Walton, comes across a maddened and near death Victor Frankenstein who is still in pursuit of the monster he once created, now ravaging the earth and running for his life from his maker. Victor is telling his story to Walton in the hopes that should he die, this man will take up the charge and rid the world of this monster forever. In essence, the whole story is told by Walton as relayed by Victor.
The book goes far back into Victor’s youth and follows him into his schooling years, meeting up with professors who realize his uncanny potential and either try to squash it or support it. Combining science with other philosophies, he comes upon a way to reanimate a human body and decides to make it happen. However, in the book, this is told in passing almost as an afterthought. The methods he used, the people involved, and all the dramatics you’re used to from the movies are almost completely non-existent. Due to the non-linear nature of the narrative, I kept thinking that at some point the author would go into detail about the actual creation of the monster but it never happens.
What we are treated to, however, is a different, but equally captivating story. Victor almost instantly regrets his decision to create life in the form of this monster, who escapes the lab and wanders off. From there a strange series of events takes place that involve murders, accusations, trials and more death - all stemming from this horrible night that Victor decided to make life from something dead. He struggles, mentally, throughout the remainder of his life, feeling extreme guilt and a desire to vanquish the monster.
I won’t go into too much detail but suffice it to say the monster tracks down his creator but in the process kills a few people (including Victor’s younger brother) and frames others for his actions. At one point, Victor runs away for a time to gather his thoughts and lo and behold, the monster follows him! By the time Victor goes off, it’s been a long time since the monster’s creation and the monster has educated himself by observing a family living in the country and living under their noses. The monster and Victor have a strange encounter that is confrontational at first but then they both agree that the monster’s sorrowful tale of where he has been all this time should at least be heard.
The monster is very child-like, almost a child in a human body. He spent a lot of time observing this family in the country, learning to speak, and even secretly helping the family with chores like chopping wood, albeit out of sight, all in the hopes of one day befriending them. Luckily the old man of the house is blind so one day the monster decides to talk to the old man when the rest of the family is out. However, the monster, while slightly educated now, is socially awkward and inexperienced, resulting in a terrible confrontation when he’s discovered by the returning family. Of course, the monster’s hideous appearance doesn’t help things. It’s at this point that the monster loses faith in humanity after humanity rejects him. All he wanted was to be accepted and loved, like anyone else. So where does one turn? Home. He tracks down his creator thinking that at least this one person would accept him.
No such luck.
At first Victor, perhaps out of fear, agrees to the monster’s one and only plea - to create for him a female companion. Someone he knows without a doubt will accept him as he is for she would be the same as he. Even if Victor cannot accept or forgive the monster, at least this new creation would and they could move far away from humans and live happy lives. Victor falls for this initially but then starts to think about the possibilities of this evil multiplying and eventually taking over the world, so he trashes the “bride” before she’s completed, which as you can guess extremely upsets the monster who upbraids and threatens Victor, basically telling him to watch his back from here on in - especially on his wedding night.
Needless to say that they night he marries his lovely Elizabeth, here comes the monster who promptly slays her. Clerval, Victor’s best friend, is also killed in revenge for not finishing what Victor started. Victor’s father dies out of grief and old age, most likely.
Surrounded by pain and death, Victor is not only mad but determined to eradicate this thing and the rest of the book consists mainly of a grand hunt which brings us, eventually, right back to the beginning of the book again with Victor telling his tale to Walton on a ship in the Arctic Circle. Victor came close to catching up with his creation a few times but ultimately ends up dying in Walton’s company but not before begging him to take on the hunt. The monster visits the dead body of his creator in a sad scene that Captain Walton witnesses just before the monster heads back out the window and into the wild, promising to commit suicide. It’s not told if he ever does this.
All in all, Frankenstein was a pleasant surprise even though it doesn’t move very quickly and feels a bit bloated at times. I liked how the whole “bride” concept was introduced here. It’s never seen to completion in the book but as you know, the films took the concept and ran with it. It also blew my mind that the monster actually spoke in the book. We’re so used to that big, flat topped, bolt-necked, grunting freak - but here he is in the book, speaking like a Harvard graduate. It’s actually quite chilling.
I probably won’t read it again because it’s not a very “fun” read, but I’m glad I read it and know the real story. Now when I see any Frankenstein films, I can keep an eye out for differences. In fact, I have Kenneth Branagh’s version on my DVR, ready to watch for it’s supposed to be somewhat faithful to the book.
So, while it wasn’t what I was expecting, I have to say that it’s a very good and well-written story about the dangers of playing God, but very far from the tales that have been integrated into pop culture. But you can’t blame Shelley for that. Blame Hollywood.
PS - Remember kiddies, Victor Frankenstein is the man who created the monster, not the monster itself! It’s become a pet peeve of mine how people refer to the monster as Frankenstein. At least call him “Frankenstein’s Monster” instead.
Dracula
The tale of Dracula is another one that was taken by Hollywood long ago and branched into so many directions that the original novel became lost in translation, so to speak. It wasn’t until the early 90’s when Francis Ford Coppola took it back to its roots that we got a more faithful adaptation of the classic horror story - and this one truly is a grand tale of horror, but also of hope, determination, and eventual triumph over the darkness of evil.
Bram Stoker’s story of the tail end of the reign of the Vampire named Dracula wastes no time. From page one, you’re dropped into the aura of the book and you’ll find it hard to put it down. The tale of Dracula is actually quite simple when you boil it down. An immortal vampire living in a remote area of the Carpathian mountains in Transylvania has been plotting a move to the London area for some time, probably more years than you think. Remember, he’s immortal - he’s got nothing BUT time - so he’s patient and calculating. There’s no rush.
This lackadaisical and sort of carefree attitude is ultimately his downfall. He believes himself more powerful than he actually is and gets sloppy. His plans are therefore revealed by a select few who drive him away and back to his homeland, resulting in a final confrontation for the ages.
That’s really oversimplifying this excellent book, however.
One of the things I really enjoyed about it is the way it’s told. It is relayed almost entirely through journal and diary entries as if someone (Bram Stoker) somehow discovered this bundle of written (and recorded) material and thought it best to share it with the world. It doesn’t read like a work of fiction. It feels like a warning: evil does exist and no matter what the consequences, it must be defeated.
The Count himself is just creepy in the book. He’s more creepy than perhaps any film can convey. He can appear old or young, he can scale a wall like a lizard, he can turn to mist and travel on the wind, he can take the form of an animal like a bat or a wolf, and so much more. He’s cold, cunning, diabolical and never, ever, rushes into anything. Like I said, he’s got time to spare.
The Count is interested in London-area realty and decides some purchases are in order. This would require legal assistance, since the Count lives out in the sticks and knows nothing of modern laws. Enter Jonathan Harker, a relatively new Solicitor. His boss sends him out to stay with the count for a bit and advise him. Harker realizes that he’s been made a prisoner in the castle, however, and barely escapes after a time but not without witnessing a few strange and disturbing events including a meeting of Dracula’s three “brides” who almost dine on him, the Count scaling the wall outside his room ala Spider-Man, the “brides” snacking on an infant stolen by the Count on a recent trip, the Count’s lack of reflection and hatred of mirrors, the fact that he never sees him eat, and a host of other odd things. After taking a few risks, Harker escapes the castle within an inch of his life.
Dracula arrives in a box of dirt along with a bunch of other boxes of dirt that land in a few different places and he soon begins to dine on a woman named Lucy Westerna, a good friend of Mina Murray, soon to be Mina Harker. Lucy starts to act strange and begins sleepwalking and looking pale all the time. Around this time a horde of men all propose to her at once which is odd. The men, however, play key roles in the story. Dr. Seward, Quincey Morris, and Arthur Holmwood make up half of the team that eventually hunts down and kills the Count. The other three are Mina, Jonathan, and everyone’s favorite man from Amsterdam - Abraham Van Helsing who is called in by Seward to help diagnose Lucy.
Diagnose Lucy, he does, but keeps the conclusion to himself so as not to lose the respect of his peers. He only alludes and gives vague clues as to what he thinks, speaking in riddles and putting off further discussion by distracting Seward and others with orders and double-talk. Van Helsing is a great character and my favorite of the novel. He’s open minded and no nonsense; confident in his conclusions and careful in how to go about his plans without arousing suspicion or malice directed towards him. He’s the star of the book in my eyes, even more so than the Count himself.
Eventually Lucy (and her mother) dies but, as Van Helsing knew, she starts to appear as a ghost in town, nibbling on the necks of small children. Van Helsing takes this opportunity to prove his theory to Seward and they visit the tomb of Lucy a few times. She’s not there at least once and Seward slowly comes to the grim realization that Van Helsing has a diagnosis he is not going to like. He soon becomes a believer and they use another trip to the tomb to convince Arthur and Quincey that Lucy is now of the Undead. When they see her, she awakens and tries to fool Arthur (whom she was going to marry) into kissing her but Van Helsing intervenes and they proceed to drive a stake through her heart and behead her - the only way to put her to a proper rest. Pretty grim stuff.
Mina and Jonathan, who is nursed back to health in Budapest - and marries Mina while there, return and join the cause, learning of the awful truth of Lucy’s demise. The next thing you know, Mina is the one that’s under the Count’s spell while the men are busy trying to figure out a way to trap the demon and kill him.
These scenes are all interwoven with the story of an insane man named Renfield who is a patient of Dr. Seward. Renfield is an amusing character who has obviously been visited by the Count numerous times and promised some rewards by the Count in exchange for his devotion. Renfield, though no one knew it at the time, gave very important clues as to the whereabouts of Dracula. Seward and the others didn’t realize it until too late, however. It turned out that the Count was actually living next door to Seward at the asylum.
Dracula’s cockiness leads to his having to flee town after learning that the band of men (along with Mina) are on to him. He’s not a person who likes to take chances it seems. Before he goes, however, he visits Mina in her sleep many times and feeds on her. One disturbing night, however, the men burst into her room to find the Mina actually feeding on the Count’s blood. It’s a gruesome scene and you understand soon thereafter that Mina is now “unclean” and infected with the blood of the Undead. That’s not all, however. She now has a sort of psychic connection with the Count so that when hypnotized by Van Helsing, they can get clues to his whereabouts. This proves helpful but diminishes with time. Mina soon starts to change. She becomes more pale, her teeth slowly change, and an unholy scar on her forehead becomes more pronounced. Once the devil is vanquished, the scar will go away, or so believes Van Helsing.
That’s a truism, for after the Count flees, his hunters track him back to his home, catch him outdoors just before sunset, fight off a band of gypsies carrying his coffin, open it up and slay Dracula in his slumber just before he can awaken completely. After this, the scar on Mina’s forehead goes away and she is freed. Quincey suffers a fatal knife wound but everyone else survives. Mina and Jonathan go on to have a baby boy they name after Quincey.
Once again, the Hollywood versions of this film, minus Coppola’s masterpiece, all seem to deviate somewhat from the novel, though Coppola does take some liberties as well. Characters are omitted or combined with others. Story arcs are altered and all the usual things you find with a movie adaptation. I can’t imagine the films doing this book justice, however. It really is an excellent read and I want to say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. I simply couldn’t put it down. The suspense factor is so high in every chapter that you just can’t stop. You really empathize with Mina’s predicament, especially when she makes all the men promise that if she turns a bad corner to kill her instantly and without hesitation. She forces her husband to make the promise as well and it’s a pretty heavy scene.
Van Helsing alone is worth the read. The man is a genius and is written in such a way that you sometimes don’t know whether to laugh or feel bad for the man. His predicament is a tough one. How do you run into a room and tell people that there’s a Vampire loose and they have to go kill it? Even better, how do you convince a group of men - all of whom were at one point in love with the same woman - that they have to go into her tomb, drive a stake through her heart, and cut off her head! He’s clever in his speech and a master of manipulation - that’s how he pulls it off.
If you haven’t read Dracula, I’m going to highly suggest you do, no matter what time of year it happens to be.
So this Halloween, I’m really in the mood. I’ve just finished two horror classics that were excellent, I picked up the new 2-Disc set of Coppola’s adaptation which I’m dying to sink my teeth into (pun intended), I have Branagh’s film on the DVR ready and waiting, and I have some candy I’m in a macabre mood!
Frankenstein and Dracula are two of the most recognizable and widespread horror figures in history and I now have a fuller understanding of why.
Try These:
The new album by The Eagles, “Long Road Out Of Eden” is nice. That’s about all I can say about it. It’s nice like that female friend of yours that you want to hook your buddy up with who’s not really that pretty but has a nice personality. The album has some “nice” songs, but in the end she’s not worth marrying. Or maybe she’s just not my type?
After a long while away from music, I started to put things in motion about a year ago to get back in the scene. There have been more valleys than peaks but things are progressing and that’s the important part. I have a few things going on so I thought it time to write a little something to update everyone - or at least those who care. You know who you are, baby.
