Where I got I from:
I actually found this one on Amazon; I was looking for some supernatural focused stories to help keep up me motivated with my writing! The New Yorker called it “A smart retelling of the Dracula story”, so I thought I’d give it a go! It was on Amazon for £7.99, but it’s also available at loads of book stores and online! I even found an audio version on Audible, an it’s on Apple Books too!
Overall: We never learn the name of our main character (or the narrator). Even the blurb doesn’t tell us! She’s in her 50s now, but the story is focused more in her school years. As a motherless child, with a rather busy father, she is often curious about her father’s library. On one of her curious searches, she finds some aged letters, and a mysterious book. While she doesn’t examine them too much, this discovery is her, and our, introduction to her father’s past.
Once this strange history is brought into the story, the narration changes a little. From a third person focus on the daughter, we move to her father, explaining his relation to the very curious book. The transition from father to daughter throughout the chapters is strange, but it definitely kept me very interested. The repeated switches from the nervous father, trying to protect his daughter, to the curious daughter who loves stories, was an excellent experience; it let me understand both characters’ emotions, and the difference in their interest in the peculiar book.
While I was reading this, I got a vague memory of Heart of Darkness. It is always unclear (to me at least) who is actually telling the story. The narrative flicks from daughter, to father, to Rossi, and changes time periods for when the stories are set. The author wrote the book based on her own memories of her father telling her stories of Dracula. The way the story is constantly moving between narrators, time periods, and even between history and fiction, makes the story even more interesting.
When we reach part two of the book, there is a huge change. We go from the father’s goal to find Rossi, to the daughter’s goal to find her father. While the father’ stories do have a strong relation with Helen, Rossi’s potential daughter, and the daughter is accompanied by a helpful undergraduate (Barley), the second part of the book gives us an experience of their independence. While the story does focus on the importance of family, and help from friends, this section allows us to see more of the individual journeys, and how their goals are so reliant on the help of others. One more details are uncovered, Helen & Paul have to make a drastic change in their goals. From funding, and returning Ross home, to completing his research.
We’re told quite early in the book that the narrator’s mother is called Helen, but it took me quite a while to relate Rossi’s potential daughter as our main character’s mother. She is shown to be strong, clever, and brave throughout the story, but becoming a mother seems to be the scariest thing she faces. While she’s coming to terms with her own family, she seems to conclude the main challenge of the story; but the epilogue leaves us unsure. The locations are beautifully detailed, most of the characters are well developed, and even realistic considering the plot.
Favourite characters:
The daughter – a girl who loves stories, and history. She eagerly asks her father to tell her stories; when one of the stories seems to be supernatural and terrifying, she starts to do her own research too.
The father – a man actively trying to make sure his daughter has an excellent education, and often sharing stories with her. His work means he often travels, and has begun to take his daughter with him more regularly. One of his stories become a supernatural mystery that he wants to forget, but his curiosity means he shared the historical and educational portions of the story with his daughter, but by bit.
Rossi – an old advisor of our main character’s father. He is knowledgeable, and the person who loves history, and education. Even when the subject of his “lessons” are strange, he is committed to sharing accuracy. As we are introduced to his character, he is shown to be very devoted to his research; even when the topic becomes terrifying to him.
Favourite quotes:
“I noticed for the first time that his face – the handsome, tactful face of a diplomat – was marred by heavy shadows”
“As a historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it.”
How it ends:
The way the story ends is certainly ambiguous. But as there is no set up for a sequel, I would have enjoyed the ending a little more if it was, erm… biguous.
Favourite part:
I think one of my favourite parts was when the story takes a more thrilling move; a questionable librarian becomes very interested in Rossi’s daughter. Their encounter has a gothic feel, as it’s set in a beautiful secluded church. Whilst the meeting creates more questions than it solves, it is definitely an exciting, and seemingly dangerous experience.
Rating out of 5:
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The plot, descriptions, and characters (except maybe one) were thorough, and felt almost needed in the situations. The way the book ends did leave me with a few questions, so I almost wish there had been a follow up novel, or a sequel. The story is definitely a slow burner; there are a lot of descriptions of areas, and items throughout. These make the story seem even more realistic, but also gives some of the chapters the feel of an essay, rather than a story. I will be recommending the book to my husband, just to see how he feels about the mix of genres, and the ending. But I don’t think it will be a novel I return to myself. I think based on this, I would rate the story a 3 out of 5!
Hopeless Pluto 