Hi

I thought it might be fun to discuss books which have great characters or character, but the story itself isn't up to much, or would be nothing without the character.

I'm thinking of Dracula, for one. I suppose I'm also discussing the character driven story and also the art of it.

JB

Must have just been me then.

JB

Dracula does have a great love story - or at least the version with Gary Oldman does
What is nice about Dracula, the character, is he can be planted into any storyline. That is what gives such characters their unique and immortal qualities - they live beyond the original story to be re-invented over and over again: Frankenstein's monster, Merlin, Dr Who/the immortal wanderer and last of his kind - doesn't get much better than that.

- NaomiM

Frankenstein's monster is only really capable of that versatility because of Boris Karlof. The monster in the story, as I recall (going back too many years) was boring as hell, talked without a pause for three chapters and even went on about poetry he liked. I thought the character of the creator much more versatile, and his obsession with success something that many people - especially today - can relate to.

The only love story in the novel Dracula is between Jonathan Harker and Mina. Of course, movies have bastardised that time and again over the year, but in the book, well, old Drac isn't exactly what you'd call cuddly...

I agree with Colin about Frankenstein. The Baron is a much more fascinating character, driven by an obsession to conquer death, than the monster - who in all fairness is a bit of a sap and only wants a little bit of lurrrveee...

I suppose a whole host of detective novels are character driven too, from Marlow to Holmes. As Naomi says, you could put them in almost any story and they'd be recognisable.

JB

I thought Jane Harris's The Observations was very much a case of the main character & narrative voice being so good that they obscure the fact that not a lot really happens. It's an enjoyable read but in the end, it's just a Victorian-woman-ends-up-in-asylum plot, which has been done once or twice before.

Caro

I was thinking more about the character being so strong that it is suitable for 'bastardisation' time and again, JB. Dracular spawns Lestat and thousands of other vampire offshoots. You could so easily pick up a Lestat character and drop him into a Da Vinci Code storyline - the fallen angel looking for redemption from the Christ bloodline...


- NaomiM

Not sure I agree with you there JB and Colin. Victor is certainly an interesting and great character, but so is 'his wretch.' And the reason he is that character, with its failings et al is because of what it's been exposed to: people. Certainly one of the best books I've read; though I could see how the style won't be to everyone's tastes.

Hey, I loved Frankenstein. Just I indentified more with Victor than the creature, though the whole thing was fly. I love Lovecraft's sort-of-spin-off story Herbert West - Reanimator too.

Yes, Naomi, I totally agree. I've done this myself, putting Dracula on a Martian space station (I kid you not!). Of course, Dracula itself was inspired from Vlad the Impaler, and some said a direct rip off of John Polidori's The Vampyre, not to mention Byron's own work and Le Fanu's Camilla. Some things just endure, don't they?

JB

Dracula on a Martian space station

Wot, not the dark side of the Moon, JB?

Nah, Mars is way better because it has very little light all the time.

JB

Long John Silver would've been worth a book to himself - the life and times of. Not that Treasure Island isn't good in itself, but he blows the socks off Hawkins.