"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Barnes and Noble provides something really great. They publish a number of the classics and other public domain books in a small red-velvety hardcover format. They only cost five or six dollars and are the perfect size for reading while walking. I saw them the other day near the checkout. I’d meant to read Dracula for a while but had never gotten around to doing it. So I picked it up.

The story is written entirely from the words of journals, letters, and any other written correspondence by the actual main characters. This provides the novel with a very personal feel common to first-person novels. At the same time we are not limited to a single person’s viewpoint since each character takes their opportunity to write. We then see the events unfold charged by the distinct emotions that each faces. Some characters are more emotionally removed than others, which comes forth in the written accounts.

Oddly enough, my favorite thing about Dracula was the fondness of the characters for one another. The politeness and caring that the characters showed for each other was very inspiring. Though some of the people had only been acquainted for a short period, they bonded together in a way that made me think, "This is how we should be." They were quick to compliment and kind in their rebukes. I would never have expected a book like Dracula to inspire me to be nicer to my friends.