The Devastating Reality of Dracula

Bran Castle, Romania

I've dreamed of a visit to Dracula's lair since I first read Bram Stoker's gothic novel at 17. But, disappointingly, reality and imagination were not a match. I've blogged for Killings on my Romanian adventure. Read an excerpt below:


Witches, demons, ghouls and vampires have always held sway over me. Perhaps they fuel my desire for a supernatural dark side or perhaps my Mr Hyde is simply closer to the surface than is healthy.  Whatever the reason, the thoroughly evil and wizened witches in the stories of Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and Baba Yaga were far more appealing to my childhood self than stories of Cinderella or the Frog Prince. Being a princess didn’t interest me; I wished for magical powers I could use for evil gain. So it was inevitable that eventually I would chance upon the source of the legend that grips our collective imagination and has spawned a literary and cinematic canon ranging from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire to the do-gooder supernatural beings of the Twilight industry. Continue reading.


Meanwhile, here's a review I wrote for Readings on Erin Morgenstern's much acclaimed debut novel, The Night Circus. And here's another, also for Readings on The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Àngels Anglada.