Halloween Special: Dracula by Bram Stoker

I don't like Halloween. I don't like scary stories, I think leaves that fall of the tree are super annoying (try cleaning them up) and it rains - a lot. However, to get into the spirit of Halloween (and to justify my obsession with Pumpkin Spice Latte) I wanted to read a Halloween book this year and started with what perhaps is the most traditional of all: Dracula by Bram Stoker. As this is also a classic, I'll use the Classics Challenge questions to discuss everything that you need to know about Dracula! As always, this challenge is created by the wonderful Pretty Books.

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

Again, this is one of those classics that I always knew. I mean, vampires are everywhere in popular culture and pretty early on, I discovered it all started with one named Dracula. Did I realise it was a book instead of a movie? Not for years, but once I did, it definitely became a book that I was dying to read.

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

Dracula. The fact that Bram Stoker was one of the first to put down on paper what we consider today as the stereotypical vampire is what makes this book a classic. We are still fascinated by the idea of vampires and so much credit is due to this book and the rich world of fantasy that it created. 

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

There's no denying the impact this classic has had on the literary world and how it has influenced so many other stories - with no genre, besides horror, as indebted to this book as YA. I can definitely appreciate the sheer genius creativity of Bram Stoker. Though it might now read as something overdone, to imagine that he was one of the first to put down the idea of the vampire on paper is amazing. When considering that this is the same timeframe as The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, it is clear to see how much appeal this story must have had to contemporaries and yet still fascinates us today. This is writing at its best; to appeal to a wide audience for a long range of time.

However, I wasn't absolutely crazy about it. I found that the plot was excellent and build up in a way that is still exciting for readers today - even if you might already know how it ends. I enjoyed the use of newspaper clippings and diary entries from several characters as a way to tell the story, but I just wasn't invested enough. I felt at times, certain story lines drew on too long. I get the idea of showing the effect of Dracula on different people, but having so many characters, each with their own unique voice, made it hard to relate to one single character. This is a personal preference, but when I can't relate with one character, I start to lose interest in the story. 

This is what happened with Dracula - I loved the idea of it way more than the story and kinda wish the plot was simpler, even though Bram Stoker's amazing writing means he was able to execute it excellently. It was just too much for me.

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

Dracula is a tricky one for this question. On the one hand, it has had such an influence on our culture that it's hard to imagine that it won't be a classic. On the other hand, those other cultural products (books, films, musicals,...) have had such an impact on our society that the original Dracula story tends to fade a little bit. I can see that it's being used by many modern creative people, but if they really appreciate the story on their own, without the context? I'm not so sure. I think the topic of Dracula will always remain a classic, but in my opinion, Bram Stoker's storytelling won't be. 

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

This is a Halloween book, so you need to be able to handle creepy stuff. This is not scary as modern day horror movies are, but it will definitely get under your skin and give you a mini heart attack every time you hear something beat on your window. Added to that, the book also drags on a little bit in my opinion so I'd suggest it to someone who loves well-drawn plots and attention to small details.

October Classic: The Curious Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The 2015 Classics Challenge is set up by Stacey over at THE PRETTY BOOKS. The goal is to read one classic a month and to blog about the experience. I've always wanted to read more classics and since I'm in a monthly classics book group, I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! Since we're so close to Halloween (keep an eye on the blog for a special book I'll review on Halloween), I decided to pick a scary book classic: The Curious Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

This is one of those classics that I have no recollection of when I exactly discovered it. It's not a book or story that I've always known, neither was it one that I suddenly came into contact with and that left an impression on me. At some point, I was aware that it existed and then it was always kind of in my subconscious, but I was never really aware of what the story was exactly about or why it was written. 
The reason for this classic is, again, my Literary London course at Waterstone's. (I blab about it a lot, but it's almost done so don't worry too much, I will be quiet about it soon) It was a book picked to represent London from the 1890s until early 20th century for the course and since it's a little bit of a horror story, I decided to chose it as this month's classic.

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is probably a classic for the originality of the storyline and how well it represents the time it was created in. First and foremost, it has an amazing plot that leaves you on your edge of your seat nowadays; I can't even imagine what it must have been like for readers who weren't as familiar with concepts like science, mental illnesses and the idea of living a double life. Secondly, it gives the reader insight into the thinking and fears of the late 19th century.

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

Before reading this book, I had no idea whether or not I'd enjoy it. "A story about someone with schizophrenia? At least it's short" is a pretty good summary of my initial thoughts. However, I actually really enjoyed this book though it's nothing like the genres I'm used to reading. 
The plot is clearly build up in a structure that focuses on suspense. The reader is supposed to wonder what exactly is happening throughout the story and the little clues won't all come together until the very end. What surprised me was the fact that, even though I've been exposed to double life narratives, I was still really surprised by the ending of the story. I had it completely wrong and would have never figured it out early on in the book.
The reading feels very contemporary, which makes the story easy to read and feel as though it could be happening in London right now.

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

Yes. Like I said, the story feels so contemporary and fresh that there is no way this will ever not be a classic. Even if the story itself will fade, which I doubt it will, the narration of double life which was introduced with this book will never. Just think of The Hulk, or Hawkeye in the latest Avengers film, or google "double life" and read all about cheating husband. (Honestly, I tried it. That's all you find.) This is too ingrained into our society to ever forget the original story that started everything.

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

This is a good classic to start off with and to give to younger children. Though the story is creepy, it's not scary and I doubt it will give anyone nightmares - I was fine and I get creeped out by everything usually. This is a classic with a contemporary feel that you can read in one night and really enjoy. So if you're a lover of anything fantasy or superhero, this book will give you great insight into how those genres started and it's easy to read, so you have no excuse anymore to not read it this Halloween!

September Classic: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

The 2015 Classics Challenge is set up by Stacey over at THE PRETTY BOOKS. The goal is to read one classic a month and to blog about the experience. I've always wanted to read more classics and since I'm in a monthly classics book group, I thought this would be a great way to combine the two!

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

Mrs. Dalloway is one of those classics that has always been around in my house, but no one actually seemed to have read. My parents say they've started it, but never finished it because it was too boring. I've heard about it from other people and the general consensus is always that it is pretty boring and "just a woman walking around all day buying flowers." So obviously, this isn't a book that I would have chosen, except for the fact that I started a course called Literary London at Waterstone's Piccadilly and this book was on the reading list. So slightly forced, I jumped into this classic.

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

I think with this book it is really more the writing style than the story itself. It is hard to even explain what the story is about without discussing Woolf's writing. Her modernist narration seems to randomly jump from the head of one character to another throughout the story until you get to the end and realise it's not random at all and Woolf really took you on a journey where she connected all these different people together. This was new at the time and even now I can say I've never read a book with such seemingly random narration, yet she is more in control of her story than any other author I know. For this reason, and for the obsession so many people have with Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group, I can't see this book ever not being a classic. 

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

It's hard to describe how I feel about this book. When I started it, I really didn't understand why so many people loved it - it's about a woman, Clarissa Dalloway, walking around London and buying flowers. Big deal.
And then you read some more and realise that it's not just Mrs. Dalloway, but a host of other characters. You read the stream of consciousness of every single one of them and though it often switches without your knowledge, they are all distinctively different in their voices. To juggle that with a good ten characters is an amazing feat on Woolf's part and as a writer, I really started to enjoy that side of the story.
The main struggle I had is that I didn't really enjoy Clarissa as a character. She's so far removed from what I'm like as a person that it was hard to relate to her worries - I know parties were important at the time, but she's so obsessed with hers that it gets a little bit tedious after a while. She also seemed rather unkind to most people and I can say that I enjoyed every single character more than her.
I still loved the story, because I loved the storyline, that runs kind of parallel to the one of Mrs. Dalloway, of Septimus Warren Smith, a traumatised war veteran, and his wife Rezia. Septimus is a troubled man, and unlike with Clarissa, I could totally understand why. He has seen some awful things during his service and now back in London, no one seems to be able to help him deal with it. Septimus broke my heart and I couldn't help but get emotionally invested in his story and root for him and his wife. Though the books is called Mrs. Dalloway, this really was the main storyline for me.

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

As I said before, I definitely think it will. After reading this, I can't imagine ever forgetting about this book and I think that makes it a classic. What also helps is that it doesn't run the risk of being overtaken by a film edition (like with Breakfast at Tiffany's). This story really only works as a novel and the sheer creativity and complexity could never be truly transported to another medium. So Mrs. Dalloway will always be a classic - if only because it shows the broad scope of what can be done with a story and its readers.

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

I think this classic is a little bit more difficult than the other ones I've read this year - I doubt I would have been able to read this a year ago. So I think I'd recommend this to people who have some experience with classics and who are okay with a slow start and a really focused reading. The book jumps from perspectives so much that you really need to pay attention to every word so that you can keep up with it. So if you're in a studious or ambitious mood, this is the book for you!

August Classic : Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

The 2015 Classics Challenge is set up by Stacey over at THE PRETTY BOOKS. The goal is to read one classic a month and to blog about the experience. I've always wanted to read more classics and since I'm in a monthly classics book group, I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! 

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

As most people, I discovered this classic by the movie. The image of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly is something I've always somehow known and when I was 14 years old, I finally watched the movie and fell in love with it. I read the Capote story a short time after seeing the film and decided to revisit it this month, because 1. I'm always obsessed with Capote and wanting to read his stuff and 2. It's the month of his dead so it seemed right to honour this amazing writer with a classic of the month post.

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

I think for many people, it is the movie that makes this short story the classic, but you shouldn't be fooled by that. The movie, though amazing in its own right, is completely different from the story. Both are some of my favourite things ever created, but they are worlds apart. What makes the short story a classic is the amazing characterisation of Holly Golightly. We only get to know her through people who know her and that makes her so much more interesting. As a reader, you never really know what she's thinking or the reasoning behind some of her bizarre behaviour. But just like the narrator, 'Fred', we can't help be obsessed with her. Throughout the story, her darker tendencies come to light and you can't help but try and puzzle together who exactly this remarkable woman is.

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

The thing about this short story is that it makes you think so many things! Though only about a 100 pages long, there are so many complicated layers to it.
The first thing I thought was: "Huh. This isn't at all like the movie." With an insinuated gay Fred and a Holly Golightly whom isn't as sweet and soft as Audrey's version, this book has a very different tone. This is not a love story. This is the story of an author observing, and slowly becoming obsessed, with a girl who lives in his apartment building. They are somewhat friends, but even that is probably a stretch - they're just at the same place at the same time.
The second thought was how much more I loved this Holly Golightly. She has so many more layers and is way harder to figure out. Though on the surface, she is the sweet and charming Holly that makes everyone fall in love with her, there is a very dark undertone in her story. It becomes clear that she's not all that she seems and as a reader you leave the story wondering what ever happened to her before the story and what will happen after the story. She's impossible to figure out and I absolutely love that! A complex, layered female character - hallelujah!
Another thing you can't help but notice is Capote's amazing writing in this story. After you finish, you feel like you observed so much information that you've read a complete novel instead of a short novella and this is due to his powerful writing. It's poetic, beautiful, easy to read and there is not a word wasted. He uses just the perfect vocabulary to layer every single sentence and to put as much meaning as possible into every single word. I love Capote's writing generally (In Cold Blood will forever be one of my favourite books), but it really is remarkable here in its effortless that must have taken hours to complete. As a writer, you can't help but see Breakfast at Tiffany's as an amazing school for writing. 

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

This is a hard one. I'm sure the movie will forever stay a classic due to the starpower of Audrey Hepburn. Capote as a writer will always stay a classic too due to his extravagant life and the constant rumours about his downfall leading from In Cold Blood. But this short story? It already seems more like a myth than a story people actually read. I think it should stay a classic, but I'm not sure that it will stand the test of time. It's already overshadowed by the movie (with so many people telling me they didn't even know it was a book, I can't help but to be sure of that) and I don't see how that will ever change. 
However, I hope it stays a classic. It deserves to be and I hope that more people will read the book and appreciate the beauty of it separately from the movie.

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

I'm a Capote fangirl, so basically EVERYONE. However, if I do have to be more specific, I think people who love NYC will love this story and everyone who wants a strong female character. Hollywood Holly might be tied down to Fred at the end of the movie, Capote's Holly can't settle down at all and keeps roaming free the way she wants to. As is said in the book: "If you let yourself love a wild thing, you'll end up looking at the sky."'

July Classic: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The 2015 Classics Challenge is set up by Stacey over at THE PRETTY BOOKS. The goal is to read one classic a month and to blog about the experience. I've always wanted to read more classics and since I'm in a monthly classics book group, I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! This month, with the release of Go Set A Watchman finally upon us, it felt like the perfect time to re-read To Kill A Mockingbird.

A little sidenote - my friend Rose started a sort of classics challenge for movies over on her blog. Her film of the month is To Kill A Mockingbird (it's a great post!), so it's the perfect addition to this post. And everyone can join!   

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

I've discovered this classic when I was about 19 years old. I saw it in a bookstore and I knew vaguely that it was one of those books "everyone" seemed to have read, but I had no idea what it was about. I'm not sure why exactly I chose to read it the first time - probably to see what all the hype was about - but I chose to re-read it this month to prepare myself for Go Set A Watchman. I wanted to make sure that all the characters were fresh in my mind for my new visit to their world.

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

There are many aspects as to why this is a classic, but the most important one seems to be the discussion of discrimination and social injustice in this book. Harper Lee sheds light on racism in Southern America and the high toll it has on those discriminated. What makes this book stand out from other books dealing with this theme is the fact that it's written from the perspective of a child. We all know there's social injustice, but it is so much more effectively shown through the eyes of an innocent 8 year old.

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

I loved TKAM the first time I read it, I loved it more this time and now that I've read Go Set A Watchman, I might love it even more. Harper Lee's writing is so simple, yet cinematic, that you can't help but be dragged into the world she creates. It looks like Jem, Scout and Dill are living perfect lives and I love the subtle way the issues get introduced early on in the book. When the trial starts, Harper Lee manages to keep the children children while also giving the reader enough adult perspective on the trial so we can understand it.
I loved Jem the first time I read the book and I love him even more now. I hate how upset he is when he realises that the world is not a fair place at all. As a reader, you want to protect him from the things he is exposed to, yet at the same time, you realise no one can be protected from real life. The process of Jem losing his innocence is the most heartbreaking, yet compelling part of this book - which is then mirrored in Go Set A Watchman when Scout makes some of the same realisations years later. 

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

This question is probably more relevant than ever for this book. Will Go Set A Watchman ruin the classic status of To Kill A Mockingbird? I know people have been iffy about the second book, but I LOVED it and I don't think anything can change the importance of TKAM. This book has changed lives and has inspired so many people to do better. Thanks to the child's perspective, it is so easy to grow up with this book and I don't think that will ever change. 

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

Anyone who might not be that aware of social injustice problems. Like I wrote in my personal post about this book, I was unaware of so many of the issues addressed in this novel. Reading TKAM really opened my eyes and I think anyone who has lived a sheltered and privileged life can really grow from this book. 

June Classic: Fair Stood the Wind for France by H.E. Bates

The 2015 Classics Challenge is set up by Stacey over at THE PRETTY BOOKS. The goal is to read one classic a month and to blog about the experience. I've always wanted to read more classics and since I'm in a monthly classics book group, I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! This month, I've read Fair Stood the Wind for France. 

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

This is the first classic of the challenge that hasn't been on my reading list for a long time. I got this book from my parents when they came to visit me in London. My mom said she loved this book and I thought the blurb looked pretty interesting, so I gave it a go. (Is anyone else noticing a pattern that I mostly read classics my parents loved?) I read it this month, because I kinda need a short classic. At the moment, I'm reading Gone with the Wind and though I absolutely adore it, at 900 pages, it's quite a work to finish. So yeah. This one was short. 

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

Honestly, I'm not sure with this one. I think it's the fact that Bates is such a famous author combined with the general love people have for war romances. When I read this book, I personally could not really see why it's a classic. It was definitely good, but very slow in some parts and not something I would expect to be loved for such a long period of time. But that's the beauty of books: everyone has different opinions about them. (For what I would pick as a war classic, check out my review of Wilfred and Eileen) 

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

As mentioned in the previous point, I did not love it. I thought the beginning was amazing and the end was an absolute roller coaster, but the middle? Not my kind of thing. Without spoiling it too much, four soldiers crash their plane in occupied WW2 France. The main character has an arm injury and is required to stay with a French family. This is very risky for himself and the family and the middle of the book is spend between him complaining about his arm and him complaining about the risk the family is in. So yeah, a lot of complaining that is completely justified but maybe not the most fun to read. There is a love story, but I didn't think it really was fully explored in the middle of the book, which was a shame. I didn't dislike this classic, but I wish the pacing was a bit faster in the middle.

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

This is so hard. I honestly have no idea what makes books classics and because I didn't particularly like this one, it makes it even harder. Subject-wise, this book is timeless so that's definitely a plus point. The writing is also good at the beginning and ending. But will it stay a classic? Does anyone else know?

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

This is one of those classics that I would recommend to people who are used to classics. This is not a book that is an easy transition from, for example, YA. You need to be trained to be used to the pacing and to truly appreciate the beauty of the language. It's not a fast read, but it's very rewarding once you get to the amazing ending - it just needs a reader that can really stick with it.

May Classic: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The 2015 Classics Challenge set up by Stacey over at The Pretty Books. The goal is to read one classic a month and to blog about the experience. I've always wanted to read more classics and since I'm in a monthly classics book group, I thought this would be a great way to combine the two! This month, I've read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS CLASSIC + WHY I CHOSE TO READ IT

I discovered this classic through the movie. Rebecca is one of those classic films that every has watched and I've always wanted to read the book first before I saw the movie. Hence, I never saw the film until a few days ago. My father loves Daphne du Maurier and her books have always been all over our house, so since I read my mother's favourite classic last month (Little Women), I thought it was only fair to give one of my father's favourites a go. From all of Daphne's book, this one always appealed the most to me because it's the most famous one and I like reading books a lot of people have read. 

WHAT MAKES IT A CLASSIC

Again, I hate this questions because it's so hard. This book is probably a classic, because the writing is flawless. Daphne du Maurier knows how to weave in tension into the story without the reading really noticing. For the longest time, nothing is wrong in the story, yet as a reader you feel like everything is wrong. It's enticing and makes it nearly impossible for you to put the book down.

Probably also a major element for this book is the Hitchcock adaptation. I think that people who don't know the book will have seen or heard about the movie. It must have given a nice boast to the sales!

WHAT I THOUGHT OF THIS CLASSIC

I LOVED this classic! If you've been following my challenge, you'll know that I'm not overly fond of classics that really read like classics. I think Jane Austen and Robinson Crusoe are exhausting and hurt my brain. I want to enjoy reading, even when it's a classic and Rebecca was perfect for that. Though clearly not a children's book (which could be argued for both Little Women and Lord of The Flies; books that I both loved), it reads easier than any YA book I've read. The writing, as mentioned, is flawless and the plot is so good that it's impossible to put this book down. And after I did finish it, I couldn't read anything else for days. It was just too good to really let go.

Another major factor for me was the fact that I loved the main narrator so much. She was so nice and endearing and I really just wanted her to live happily ever after. This got me invested in the story and made the reading experience even more enjoyable.

WILL IT STAY A CLASSIC

Yes. I think it's impossible for a book with such amazing writing to ever not be a classic. I've read other classics, but I think the writing of Daphne du Maurier is the best I've ever read and as a fellow writer, I'm just in awe of her talent and how safe I felt in her hands. Add to that the amazingly successful Hitchcock film, which is a film classic in its own right, and there's no way any future generation will forget about this book.

WHO I’D RECOMMEND IT TO

ANYONE! But if I had to pick one group it would be future writers. I can't even explain how much Daphne du Maurier's writing has helped me and the story that I'm writing. It's exceptional and any writer can enjoy the beauty of her language.