Customer Reviews

Dracula (Penguin Readers, Level 3)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My son ruined a school library book. I found this as a replacement for the school at half the cost the school was going to charge me. It was in great, library bound condition.

As other reviews note, this is a heavily abridged retelling of Bram Stoker's novel. Readers looking for shortcuts would be advised that a number of major characters, notably Quincy Morris and Renfield, and many minor ones, as well, have been totally cut along with any exposition on Dracula's background and powers. Also of note, Stoker's Abraham Van Helsing has received a drastic makeover and now resembles Hugh Jackman's similarly named (but completely original) monster hunter from the film Van Helsing (Widescreen Edition) (2004). The illustrations seem fairly typical of contemporary comics in general, though parents might be concerned for particularly young readers.

My 11 year old son checked this book out of the library as part of the "First Read" Book club at school. I think it is too graphic, gory and violent for this age group. The females in the novel if not scantily clothed are shown with tight fitting garb, highlighting the outline of their bodies underneath. I do not think this graphic ploy is necessary to tell the story. The females are depicted as fickle and helpless. One sequence shows Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra talking about Lucy's inability to choose which man she is going to marry. While this was a basic premise in the classic novel - Dracula, there is not enough background information in this graphic novel to explain to children the significance of her fickleness. There is one illustration showing the face of the dying Lucy as her fiance drives a wooden stake through her heart. Not really appropriate for a 9 year old. I think Bram Stoker would be rolling over in his grave to read the treatise of his classic work presented by modern day writers.

This is a graphic novel of Dracula. The full color pictures are a step up from those black and white graphic books they used to have of the classics. I think this is a good version of Dracula and these books are good for kids who have difficulty reading or are learning English. The pictures also help place the reader in the place and time, something very difficult for readers who have little background in the them. Dracula is a classic story and kids love it.