Dracula by Bram Stoker

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I've been meaning to read this classic for a LONG time, and when I saw a copy of it at a very affordable discounted price, I couldn't resist buying it. The version I have bought is the New Puffin Classics version, which not only has the full story, but has an introduction by by editor Holly Black, and some additional information on the vampire myth at the back of the book. I would definitely recommend this version, if one wishes to study deeper into the historical and mythical context of the book.

The classic tale is of Jonathan Harker who, upon visiting Count Dracula in his Transylvanian home, discovers some horrible secrets about the Count. As the Count decides to make Harker's life a literal living hell by threatening the very people he holds dear, it's up to him and his new-found colleagues to stop the vampire before more unsuspecting victims fall prey to his menace.

What really bugs me is that of all the movie adaptations of the novel, why NOBODY has ever made a movie that depicts EXACTLY what happens in the book? The only adaptation that comes close is the one whose movie poster I used above, starring Anthony Hopkins and Wynona Ryder. The book is just as spine-chilling without having poetic license destroy it. Those who rely solely on the movie adaptations are truly missing out on something good here.

Bram Stoker tells the narrative in the form of relating letter/telegram correspondence between the main characters. I found this approach quite interesting and unique, and I couldn't help but drawing mental comparisons between the communication devices used in Stoker's day with the communication age of today. The hour by hour details in each of the letters reminded me of something we would see today as a blog entry or a FB/Twitter update... Could you imagine someone doing a contemporary adaptation of this film? Jonathan Harker's new status update: OMG! That creepy dude is scaling down the wall!..... But I digress..... It was an interesting comparison though....

Anyway, by all accounts, this is indeed a must-read for all classic horror fans out there.

(P.S. Watch this space for when I eventually read the official sequel just come out!!!)

Alexander Kai: Death God by Metha Metharom

"I am a Necromancer,
someone who can talk to the
dead, has power over the dead
and can do a hell of a lot of other
things, which I am not sure yet
what they all are...

...I am still a little surprised
by the fact that I have agreed to
continue to do their work...

I do agree with them
though that my power, if left
unchecked could be dangerous,
so maybe that’s why I agree to
continue on with their work, to
learn more about my powers..."

When 20 year old Alexander Kai miraculously survives a brutal stabbing in the park near his neighborhood, his life is drastically changed forever. Through the aid of a ghost by the name of Oliver Jones, and a Nephilum by the name of Davis, Alexander Kai discovers that he is a Necromancer - a person with extraordinary supernatural powers, who can communicate with the dead. Furthermore, he has volunteered his services to Super Solutions, a detective agency whose mission it is to solve supernatural crimes and to bring any lawless spirits to justice. We follow Alexander's journeys between the realms of the living and the dead, as he and his fellow colleagues endeavour to solve unsual and most puzzling crimes and restore peace to the dead and the undead.

This six book series showcases some of Metha's darker works. Very well written and full of suspense, you will not want to put them down until you've reached the end. The books are written in such a way that the reader can pick up any one of them, without necessarily having to read them in chronological order, and be able to get the gist of what has happened in the previous book, without having to read from the very beginning.

The books can either be purchased separately, or altogether as one book, such is how I had read them (I received the book which had all six books in one).

I strongly recommend this series to any horror/fantasy fans out there.

Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice

Imagine you are journalist who happens to have the opportunity to interview a real life vampire. What sort of things would you be able to learn about vampire life? What things would the vampire be willing to share with you? And more importantly, how much danger would you be really in by conducting this interview?

Anne Rice takes us into Louis' world, a mortal who is turned into a vampire by the infamous Lestat. Louis learns his first lessons about being a vampire from him, but does not like the being he has become. He tries desparately to fight against the passions and basic instincts that vampires have, until he eventually gives in. His quest for learning about the origin of vampires takes him on a journey from New Orleans to Paris, but these journeys lead him to more questions and very little answers. Cursed with an insatiable appetite for human blood, Louis resigns to the awful degenerated state he has learned to become accustomed to and, centuries later, agrees to tell his story to a young student journalist,

This is where the suspense comes in. We do not know at first why Louis has agreeed to this interview, nor do we know of his real intentions. The story ends abruptly, leading us to the second installment of the Vampire Chronicles.

It was altogether a very interesting read, and hope to be able to read the second and third installments in this series.