This book takes epistolary format to a whole new level, and actually out of the realm of annoyance. At one point in the book our heroine is relating what happened when she was a child; she is relating a letter her father wrote to her, in which he is relating a story he heard in Bulgaria, which was being told to him in Bulgarian and actually being translated to him (often from yet another document) by another character. I lost track of all the nestled quotes, but not the plot.
The whole family is tracking down the legend of Dracula, at different points in history; in the letters the father is looking for his mentor, who may have been kidnapped by Dracula; years later our heroine is looking for her father, who has gone missing looking for her mother, who may also have been taken by Dracula. The writing is compelling and much more readable than Bram Stoker (in my opinion; I was bored to tears by that book) although the father's story is more interesting than the daughter's.
I have a couple of quibbles; nearly every character in the book says something like "I am a rational person who doesn't believe in magic or vampires... But I totally believe you about all this Dracula stuff and here is some garlic for you to carry." No one ever questions the reality of Dracula (who was beheaded!) wandering through Constantinople. There are also more than its fair share of coincidences; one eventually grows tired of helpful characters simply showing up for no reason to help.
Can I take a moment here to complain about how much I hate the questions at the end of books now "for reading groups"? They are always so dumb. "Helen and Paul come from very different worlds, although they share a passion for history. How have their upbringings differed? What factors have shaped them?" That's a reading fucking comprehension question.
Anyway. It's a nice, gripping, mildly scary/mildly romantic read. Even if, like me, you don't "get" vampires.
Grade: B
originally published 2007
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