A break from Pop Culture's version of the Dracula and Vampires? Reviewing The Historian (2005) by Elizabeth Kostova
Pop Culture's version of Vampires is rather glamorous and frankly very different than the original historical and cultural creature that fed off blood and was undead. These vampires were often described markedly different from today's gaunt, pale vampires. Bringing back the horror to a genre and a creature which strayed further and further away from it may seem a task as daunting as the legend itself, however, Kostava seems to have accomplished it. How? Read ahead.
The Historian is a novel that mixes skillfully the history and folklore of the Romanian Ruler Vlad Țepeș (Vlad III, Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula) and his fictional equivalent, Count Dracula. Written as her debut novel, Elizabeth Kostava shot to worldwide recognition shortly afterwards.The novel has been described as a combination of genres, including Gothic novel, adventure novel, detective fiction, travelogue, postmodern historical novel, epistolary epic, and historical thriller. Kostova was intent on writing a serious work of literature and saw herself as an inheritor of the Victorian style.
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| Istanbul |
Kostava's father told her stories about Dracula when she was a child, and later in life she was inspired to turn the experience into a novel. According to Kostova, "It was the formative experience of my childhood." She "was fascinated by [her father's Dracula stories] because they were ... from history in a way, even though they weren't about real history, but I heard them in these beautiful historic places." The novel is split into three parts, from three different narratives using letters and narration by the characters. It is told from the perspectives of Paul, a professor, and Paul's 16 year old daughter, from three different time periods: the 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s. The novel deals with the primary quest for Dracula's tomb.
This quest leads the three generation of characters from the hustle of London throughout Eastern Europe's countryside, to Romanian castles and Istanbul's markets.
Over the course of 700 pages, the reader explores the cultural diversity and history of the continent of Europe. Churches, cities, villages and old castles are explored, and at every step, there is an eerie feeling that accompanies. The language is easy to understand, yet sets an exciting and paranormal tune. There is a clear seperation of the styles of the perspectives.
From his own perspective, Paul seems a confident young man determined to go after what he wants, which is very different from his daughter's however, where he seems nervous and melancholic, and yet a determination remains within him to find his long lost wife.
The different time periods also provide interesting contrast to the book. The conservative pre-war times with the 1970s embody this the most, where in 1970s the era is liberal, yet it seems there is something much more sinister lurking at every corner. Kostava has done a great job at making the book's events as realistic as possible. Combined with the real life places and first person writing, it makes the text come to life.
Different places also reveal history not only of the location but also the characters themselves. The paranormal aspect of the novel is the core of the novel. From the start, the reader is given the hint that Count Dracula may still be alive, but it is never explicitly told. The novel is concerned with questions about history, its role in society, and how it is represented in books, as well as the nature of good and evil. As Kostova explains, "Dracula is a metaphor for the evil that is so hard to undo in history."There is however, a great deal of incidents that make the characters believe that the vampires do exist. It is this mystery that keeps the reader hooked to the last page.
The Author and Legacy
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| Elizabeth Kostova |
Kostova finished the novel in January 2004 and sent it out to a potential literary agent in March. Two months later and within two days of sending out her manuscript to publishers, Kostova was offered a deal—she refused it. The rights to the book were then auctioned off and Little, Brown and Company bought it for US$2 million (US$30,000 is typical for a first novel from an unknown author). Little, Brown, and Co. subsequently sold the rights in 28 countries.The book was published in the United States on 14 June 2005. The company heavily promoted the book and it became the first debut novel to land at number one on The New York Times bestseller list and as of 2005 was the fastest-selling hardback debut novel in US history.
And as a tradition of The DXR Script, we made sure to give you a track has the same vibe as the book:
This track by Ramin Djawadi for the film Dracula Untold will put you in the atmosphere of Gothic horror, and the chanting will seep in nicely with the theme of the book. What's that? Its a good film too? Well, a review might be soon coming your way...
And if you find yourself interested in Djawadi's music, be sure to check out some of his best tracks here.
Conclusion:
The Historian is an excellent book for any fan of the Occult, as well as for anybody who is interested in vampire lore and European History. It skillfully has combined genres as we have said, and will certainly give you the best the industry has to offer, and is a breath of fresh air for the blood sucking entity the world is so fascinated by, even hundreds of years later.
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| Thanks For Reading! |
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