THE HISTORIAN: Elizabeth Kostova: New York: Little, Brown and Co.: 2005: Fiction: 642 pagesThe Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is a novel that has attracted a lot of publicity from readers and publishers alike. At a whopping 642 pages, it’s not a quick read, but it’s definitely well-worth the effort. Having visited or lived in most of the places included in the novel and having studied extensively about the history of those places, I feel the book provides unique insight into a fascinating cultural icon.
Most of the publicity stems from the fact that the book’s central figure is the vampire, Dracula. However, he’s not the white-faced, black-caped creature of horror films; he’s just as dangerous, but he’s also a cultured and intelligent bibliophile and historian.
Most of the plot centers around the search for the actual historical roots and figure of Dracula. So, it’s not full of blood and gore, as might be expected. It’s a suspenseful and interesting tale of countries and cultures, libraries and librarians, and historical documents and research as the story shifts seamlessly through the decades of the 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s. If readers take the time to digest the story, they will be rewarded by the carefully thought-out and polished writing and the memorable characters that will continue to haunt their thoughts long after the book is finished.
RP
2 comments:
This story is told by a woman who is recounting her own story, intermingled with the story told to her by her father (which in turn includes stories told by other to him years earlier). I found it interesting that as the alternating stories seemed differently paced and eventually both storylines move along quite well. As the earlier reviewer said, this is more history, rare books, and old documents than it is gore--quite a different vampire story.
I listened to this book on CD. The production was a sort of dramatic reading with four or five performers reading the voices of different characters. After trying to read the book and getting bored, I was surprised to get into this production and really enjoying the story...until Dracula appeared. His voice was a little too cliché and made me giggle at inappropriate moments. Overall, an interesting story that, while a little slow in part, definitely entertains.
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