THE HISTORIAN BY ELIZABETH KOSTOVA: Welcome to a retelling of Dracula for the twenty-first century, only think much better and more interesting; less of the weak and pitiful women and demanding men; more history and research. Elizabeth Kostova, while no doubt being a very well off person who went to the best schools for writing, has nevertheless spent a long time researching and writing The Historian with the resulting book being little about vampires and undead and more about books and history and researching and following the trail; its an academic adventure novel.

Our narrator is a young girl in her teens traveling through Europe, following the letters of her father from his travels in the 1950s, who is following the letters of his mentor from his travels in the 1930s. While most of the book is in letter form – with speech quotes framing just about every sentence – Kostova forgoes the accuracy of the letter form and, like Bram Stoker in Dracula, makes the letters part of the novel with action, emotion, and character reaction – attributes that would not usually be in a letter, but for the sake of this book, they need to be.

The premise is that Dracula, or Drakulya, better known as Vlad the Impaler, who was killed in battle in the fifteenth century is still alive and well in the twentieth century. The three story lines of the narrator, her father, and his professor, all have an event in common: they each received a copy of an ancient book with an elaborate woodcut of a dragon, the symbol and emblem of Drakulya. Each of them travel throughout the many cities of Europe tracking Dracula and tracking each other through their letters; clearly Kostova herself traveled to each of this cities, for the book is partially a travel log of Europe, written in exquisite detail.

At the end of the book, when each person finally confronts Dracula in their time, it is revealed that Dracula himself is a lover of history and books and has been building up his library for hundreds of years with the hope of having every old book and important piece of writing in history at his finger tips, all he needs is a librarian to maintain it, of course they need to be turned undead so that their duties as librarian will last as long as Dracula is alive. The professor is turned and when this is discovered, is staked, while the narrator’s father leaves due to the loss of his wife – the narrator’s mother – thinking her dead. It is at the very end when the narrator finds Dracula, she also finds her father on the trail, and then her mother who all play a part in killing Dracula once and for all; the family united at last.

While this review may make The Historian seem trivial and “tied in a big red bow,” the author clearly worked very hard and long in her research of books and places; the result is a lengthy tome that takes you on a long journey through a well-described Europe, through old documents and books, to an adversary we have read and written about for hundreds of years.

For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.

You know you’ve been in school too long when you write a vampire novel in which Dracula’s ultimate threat is to force his victims to catalog his extensive library of antique books. On the other hand, after finishing The Historian, and its detailed Vlad the Impaler research, I’m willing to consider that threat as akin to impalement. If Kostova’s references to Henry James did not reveal her as an admirer of his, then its sprawling prose, vague plot, and sexually confused characters would have. While imitation of Henry James is not enough in itself to make me wish undeath on an author, it sucked the blood out of this adventure.

Kostova writes The Historian in epistolary form, primarily through letters from a father historian to a daughter (presumably) historian. The greater part of the book, however, focused not on this father-daughter team’s desperate search for family member(s) and Dracula, but on the obscure history of Vlad Tepes, the historical figure who inspired the legend of Dracula, and on the geography of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey during the Cold War. If the Travel Channel™ was ever looking for someone to host Istanbul on a Budget 1980 or Passport to Monasteries Behind the Iron Curtain, Kostova would be their woman. Whether the history and geography is true or not, the sheer volume of trivia padding this book and the work it had to have taken to put it all together is confounding.

Even with the impressive research, this story is Scooby Doo with no Scooby Snacks. Dracula would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those pesky historians! Dracula and his henchman, the “evil librarian,” don’t plague society or cause panic. Rather, they make appearances in goofy disguises in libraries and cafes to give books and other clues to especially promising young historians, inspiring the recipients to begin insatiable quests to find out more about this Dracula fellow. Then, Dracula inevitably shows up again to slap people around a little, so that the historians will be too afraid to continue their research. Once, after giving a historian a book to start him on his vampire studies, Dracula disguises himself as “a stranger” and buys that historian a drink called, “whimsically, amnesia.” Bet you can’t guess what that does - all that research down the tubes! Stop the mind games, Dracula! Not to be deterred by Dracula’s or the Evil Librarian’s threats, the historians continue to stalk their prey until the reader would pity Dracula (if he weren’t annoying), because he is ultimately only trying to build a book collection and a gang of faithful research assistants.

In painful detail, Paul, the central historian/vampire slayer, as he tells his daughter the story of his search for Dracula, also tells of falling in love with her “mannish” mother, Helen. The consistent descriptions of our heroine as “manly” only hint at Paul’s sexual confusion, which becomes most apparent when he meets his rival, Helen’s ex-boyfriend, a Soviet spy. Paul describes this meeting to his daughter in chapter 38. “’What a pleasure to meet you,’ [ex-boyfriend] said, giving me a smile that illuminated his fine features. He was taller than I, with thick brown hair and the confident posture of a man who loves his own virility – he would have been magnificent on horseback, riding across the plains with herds of sheep, I thought.” Except for the word “virility,” I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading that description. If the author of the quote had been a man, I would encourage him to openly write gay characters rather than making his characters marry to hide their sexuality. From the author’s picture on the dust jacket, I see that she is Madame Bovary, so the description fits.

It is true that because of the vagueness of the plot and the epistolary structure, entire chapters and characters could be cut from this book without losing any story. Beyond its rambling descriptions, however, The Historian flounders as a vampire story. Psychological conflict adds complexity to most vampire stories, as in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, when Mina, formerly a protagonist, becomes bloodthirsty. Thirst is the most basic human experience, and all vampires started as humans. Theoretically, thirst (or, more broadly, desire) could become evil in anyone; and, therefore, of all monsters we most easily identify with vampires. In The Historian, however, I am left with the impression that if those historians left poor Dracula alone, he would have just kept collecting books. It was ultimately the research and study, not Dracula himself, that took the historians away from their loved ones and almost destroyed them. From where I’m reading, The Historian is solid evidence of what most high school kids could tell you: too much study is both boring and potentially bad for your health.

n  People believe in Santa Claus, I believe that Dracula is for realn

Anyone who knows me remotely now, know that I hate reviewing books (being scarred and scared since my grad days :D) So this isn’t exactly a review just my typical need to ramble .

You've been warned!

So! I read this book almost a decade back, it was a difficult period of time for me as I was going through a phase of academic as well as existential angst in general, with the threat of submission of dissertations looming ahead o any book/movie/song would do the trick to escape my reality. I cant recall exactly how I came across this book, but surely recall the it left a huge impact on me in an awe-inspiring way. The life of a researcher is a solitary one, that’s one of the reasons why certain things in this book rang real for me. And anybody who has sat in the National Archives of India for at least an hour, thankfully I did not have to spend much of my time there, hardly a week or so will agree with that, that place can be scary and creepy at times. Then there was also the myth of a wheelchair bound ghost on the seventh floor of our library. Fortunately I never had to venture to that part of the building either.
So when a story comes your way about a budding history scholar coming across a mysterious book that leads him to look for an mythical/urban legend? chasing across Europe, it hit a bit close to home and anyway was too intriguing to miss. I fell in love with the book, the descriptions, the spine tingling mystery everything about this book.
Finally bought the physical copy of the book years after I'd read it.

Fast forward 9 years

Having read and loved this book before, while I recalled the basic story and events, fortunately I had forgotten rest of the details. So, I rediscovered the magic the story all over again.
BUT
Unfortunately this time the book felt too prose-y to me. While I loved the tone of the storytelling, it failed to ensnare me much, this time around. I suppose I’v changed? evolved? as a reader. Or perhaps I was in a different mindset and in a different period of life at that time (I was trying to escape reality, after all) So many things have changed since then, why not my ability to be impressed by books?
First read: 5 stars
Second read: 3 stars

A book with a happy ending unwrought by a dire, grim, sad, and flat epilogue is a curious thing. It can only come from the pen of a patient author like Kostova. Many books, if not most of them, if not all, have one character most responsible for the end of their stories. Here the person in question is Eva's mother Helen. She is also in the center of a convoluted disappearing act worthy of a bad Agatha Christie book.

The Historian is about how time can become history in the hands of its watchers. The monstrous tyrant from the past can become relevant again if he's from the dead. Time that sums up a person's activities is called a lifetime. The author adds word after word, patiently building up her work, using all her skills and craftsmanship. The words are often ordinary, but they represent ideas that are worth reading.

Who is the historian? Who is the titular character. It should be Paul or Rossi. It could be Helen or Eva. But it could also be Dracula himself, as he is mentioned as a historian once. The book, told through letters and postcards, is not from the horror genre, but all points converge to Dracula. Having said that, I think Dracula is just a pretext, meant to clothe this impressive book with a purpose. I just wish that there had been no Epilogue. I want happy endings in books that I don't want to end.

This is so much fun! It can be hard to find a book that is unashamed about telling a gripping story but which also has the stylishness and sophistication of something more 'literary'. Kostova has written a contemporary vampire story with lots of clever nods to Dracula, including a complicated nested epistolary mode, and has threaded it through with the kind of references that any bibliophile adores: vast libraries, sinister books, gruesome librarians, mysterious woodcuts and a lightly interwoven history of Vlad Tepes, more popularly known as Vlad the Impaler.

I loved the travelogue as we move across Europe through Istanbul and even behind what was the Iron Curtain in the section set in the 1950s. There is an outrageous ending Vlad just wants a decent archivist to keep his unparalleled library catalogued! and a few plot holes why does the sinister Harvard librarian have to follow our heroes to find where his master lies? why all the mayhem in trying to stop them from reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, a book they could have just popped out to the local bookshop and bought? but I found this a complete page-turner. Just the thing for when you need just a gripping and entertaining story to lose yourself in. I'd definitely read Kostova again.

It has been some time since I read this, so my recollections may not be that accurate. I tend to make these decisions (do I like or not like a book?) viscerally, rather than by formula. But I figured that any book that merited my little used "pissed me off" category, deserved an explanation.


The Historian:
Kostova sets her book partly in the 70s, partly in history, and she tries to write in a flowery language, like the great masters of novel from the 19th century- but to me, she really just comes off sounding pretentious, overwrought and juvenile. Yes, her character is supposed to be young, but the writing can be elegant, even with a young and immature subject. In addition, everyone in the whole story speaks with the same voice. Many times I had to backtrack because I'd lost the thread of who was speaking.

Then, she writes about Vlad, Dracula, attempting to add new lore to the story, but never really gives us any surprises. At the most "suspenseful" moments, I often found myself feeling irritatingly amused at the author's attempt to create tension. One moment she is in fear of her life, and the next, she's what? sipping tea? And I don't recall that Kostova mixes her scenes well. She creates tension, but then breaks it too soon, or holds back from stretching it out, or drops into the completely mundane, instead of just pulling back a little. Even her main character doesn't seem to be driven by anything except one-upmanship, the desire to solve this mystery that her father couldn't, not for anyone's sake except proving that she's a better historian?

Lastly, the stories of Dracula are supposed to be horrific, but also reluctantly romantic. She rarely rises above twittering, and it was never at any junction a book that I devoured. Mostly I just got through it, only to discover at the very end, when everything is supposedly wrapped up, with no foreshadowing, she tacks on a "oh by the way, he could still be alive! muahahaha!"

Okay then.

To comment specifically, I'd probably have to reread, or at least review, the book, which I'm not willing to do when there are still so many thousands of brilliantly written stories out there that I haven't discovered yet.

a modern take on the Dracula story. This reminded me of The Da Vinci Code in some ways. The story was a pageturner with lots of atmosphere and exotic settings, danger and romance mixed with the secrets of history. But at the end, I found myself thinking, "What a minute. That plot made no sense." Dracula's motivation is sketchy at best, and the choices the characters make just don't ring true, in my opinion. That's all I can say without giving away the plot. Read it and see what you think. I was willing to suspend belief for the whole length of the book. Only afterwards did I feel somewhat cheated. My advice: enjoy it, and don't think about the inconsistencies once you're done.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the strong, vivid descriptions of the gothic architecture and all these sights around the world. I also enjoyed the folklore and mystery surrounding Vlad III of Wallachia which subsequently gave rise to the Dracula story. However, all that did was try to make up for a very thin and shallow plot that didn't really interest me as much. I'd recommend it more for updating your TripAdvisor as opposed to reading it for the fiction.

“Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

The story of Dracula has always fascinated people. The author created a retelling of sorts where a young girl finds a book and papers in her father's library. This discovery will change lives forever.

This book had been on my to-read list for quite some time. I always kept putting it off, not sure why, but eventually after making time to listen to more audiobooks, I decided to give this book a listen. I have to say that the audiobook was very nicely done, and I highly recommend it. I loved the spooky music that played in between chapters. This really created a creepy and spooky vibe that paired well with this book. I also enjoyed the narration as well.

The quest for answers in this book, sees characters on a guest of sorts that will lead them to....

I am not sure if I would have enjoyed this book as much if I had read it, but the audiobook really made the book for me. I also enjoyed the journey that the characters take. The emphasis is more on them and the quest if you than on Dracula. But of course, there is Dracula but there is so much more to this book.

I enjoyed the atmosphere in this book. I could smell the old books and feel the dampness in the old buildings. The history of Europe, the legend of Dracula, the old churches and relics all set the stage. This is a long book, but it is very nicely crafted. It did get slow in parts, but I didn't mind.

A worthwhile read/listen if you don't mind the length.

I'm disappointed. I wanted to love this book soooo much. I love vampire stories, and I loved Dracula, with its long expository letters and journal entries. I love the idea of historians being drafted by Dracula. But I didn't love this book.
Why? Well, let me tell you:
1)I was annoyed by the fact that we never learn the name of the main character. No, I didn't think that was intriguing. I thought it was annoying.
2) The historic research was dry dry dry, and I dreaded seeing section after section where I was wading through made-up primary sources, instead of having the characters boil it down for me, the reader. Way to slow the plot down!
3)The plot was choppy, opaque, and convoluted in timeline. Instead of building tension with sustained action, it lost the sense of menace by jumping around so much.

What did I want? I wanted more scenes like the one on the train, where the young unnamed girl is alone in a train car with a stranger, a stranger radiating menace even though she can't see his face, which is hidden behind a newspaper. Is it Dracula? What is he going to do?
That was just about the only time I actually felt like I was reading a horror story, and felt fear for the characters. But that fizzled out to nothing, too. Because Dracula did nothing.
Oh, sure, later he brings them to his lair and they talk. Great. Yawn.

5 Stars—Favorite. Book. Ever.
I read this for the first time back in college. I found it in Bargain Books at Barnes and Noble and once I opened it, I was hooked. What was most intriguing was the “Note to the Reader” section . . . I sat there literally arguing with myself about whether or not this was fiction or an actual history book. Does the author not understand that she’s writing fiction? Wait, does she think this story is real?? I needed to find out, so I kept reading. 600 pages later, I am absolutely convinced that this story is real. This book became the gift that I gave to everyone for whatever event called for a gift. I gave a copy to my mother in law, and she loved it! We’re talking about the lady who had never read a single book that even mentioned a vampire in her life! It became a sign of rebellion for her that she reveled in. Whenever her uptight friends came over, she made sure to display The Historian to prove how cool she was! And I haven’t even started talking about the story yet!
I try to read this book once every year. And in between readings, I crave the story like no other. Adventure, intrigue, horror, culture, history, everything is in this book. I learn something new every time I read it. This year, I read it while we were on our cruise, I finished it in 3 days. I recommend this to everyone. I don’t care what kind of book you enjoy reading, everyone will love this book.
~~~
I wrote a review for The Historian a while ago, and when I went back to read it over again, I realized just how incomplete it was. Nothing has changed since I wrote the review, it’s still my favorite book, I still start longing to read it again before my year is over, it still holds me enthralled while I read it yet again! In fact, this year’s reading meant a little more because I was reading it while on a train traveling through Italy, and I saw some of the places mentioned in the book! I sat in Saint Marco’s Square at Florian’s drinking a rich, thick hot chocolate!
It still amazes me that a work of fiction can sound so much like history, and that I want to believe it all really happened. Kostova has such a wonderful way of telling stories and then intertwining history and fact, making everything feel so realistic and authentic, like you’re living all the action. I’ve added traveling through the Balkans, by train in the autumn and Budapest and Romania to my list of places that I want to see. The characters are so real that you feel like you’ve made new friends when you finish; when I say to Ivan that I want to visit Istanbul, part of the reason is because I expect to meet Turgut and have him invite us to his house for lunch. You root for them on their search for the Count and the anticipation of “what’s gonna happen next??” glides you through page after page.
My historian soul has so much fun year after year, discovering more details and reveling in the search and research. And this book even satisfies my scare addiction! There are times that it’s just creepy enough to give a shudder but not enough to make you put the book down in fright. (Are y’all impressed with how professional I sound in this review? Ha!) And a huge shout out to Elizabeth Kostova for being such a kind and gracious person! I went to her book signing in the spring and she acted genuinely happy to see me. I geeked out all over her, and her response was to buy me a copy of her newest book, The Shadow Land. I’ve met authors who act like they couldn’t care less about their fans; she is not one of them! This book sparked my imagination in such a way that has me coming back to it over and over again, year after year.

I picked up 'The Historian' because of the intriguing cover, the interesting plot description, and the promise of dark themes. The first page gripped me instantly and from then on I was hooked. I couldn't bear to put the book down and stayed up many nights devouring chapter after chapter. It is one of those books that sucks you in completely; I found myself thinking about the characters, plot and settings constantly, thoroughly absorbed in the book's thrilling world.

The book begins with an account of a young girl's discovery of some mysterious letters in her father's study, but it folds out into three different stories - that of her father's search for his missing university professor, the professor's own tale, and the girl's subsequent search for her father when he, too, vanishes under strange circumstances. The plot is split into three tangents, taking place in different eras, each carefully and expertly entwined with the others. Kostova handles the complex narrative expertly, never letting it become confusing. To say too much about what happens might spoil the prospective reader's enjoyment of the book, but it's basically a loose reworking of Dracula - an intelligent mystery spanning centuries, with a dark, arcane heart.

Kostova's writing is nothing short of brilliant; stylistically, it reminds me of Donna Tartt's equally stunning The Secret History. Her descriptions are rich and evocative, and her detailed written portraits of the many places the characters visit means the book works as a historical travelogue as much as it does a supernatural mystery; and in turn, its cerebral nature makes the supernatural elements all the more believable. The characters are beautifully drawn and always believable. Nothing about the book disappointed me; it is continually exciting, fast-paced, mysterious, academic (but never dry), and full of unexpected twists, turns and detours.

'The Historian' is so well-written and fantastically involving that I know I will read it time and time again. In my opinion, it deserves to become a classic and can easily be ranked alongside Stoker's original 'Dracula' - and as this is Kostova's debut, I can't wait to see what she does next.