Dracula [Audible Edition]

By: Bram Stoker

Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, John Lee, Graeme Malcolm, Steven Crossley

Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Distinguished Achievement in Production, 2013

Audie Award, Multi-voiced Performance, 2013

Audie Award Nominee, Classic, 2013

Because of the widespread awareness of the story of the evil Transylvanian count and the success of numerous film adaptations that have been created over the years, the modern audience hasn't had a chance to truly appreciate the unknowing dread that readers would have felt when reading Bram Stoker's original 1897 manuscript. Most modern productions employ campiness or sound effects to try to bring back that gothic tension, but we've tried something different. By returning to Stoker's original storytelling structure - a series of letters and journal entries voiced by Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, and other characters - with an all-star cast of narrators, we've sought to recapture its originally intended horror and power.

This production of Dracula is presented by what is possibly the best assemblage of narrating talent ever for one audiobook: Emmy Award nominees Alan Cumming and Tim Curry plus an all-star cast of Audie award-winners Simon Vance (The Millenium Trilogy), Katherine Kellgren (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), Susan Duerden (The Tiger’s Wife), John Lee (Supergods) and customer favorites Graeme Malcolm (Skippy Dies), Steven Crossley (The Oxford Time Travel series), Simon Prebble (The Baroque Cycle), James Adams (Letters to a Young Contrarian), Nicola Barber (The Rose Garden), Victor Villar-Hauser (Fun Inc.), and Marc Vietor (1Q84). These stellar narrators have been cast as follows:

Alan Cumming as Dr. Seward
Simon Vance as Jonathan Harker
Katy Kellgren as Mina Murray/Harker
Susan Duerden as Lucy Westenra
Tim Curry as Van Helsing
Graeme Malcolm as Dailygraph correspondent
Steven Crossley as Zookeeper’s account and reporter
Simon Prebble as Varna
James Adams as Patrick Hennessey
Nicola Barber as Sister Agatha
Victor Villar-Hauser as Arthur Holmwood
Marc Vietor as Quincey Morris
John Lee as Introductory paragraph, various letters

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Listening to this full-cast performance turns out to be remarkably suspenseful and chilling…The superlative cast lends this powerful production the diversity that is required by the structure of the novel…Each actor employs various accents, infusing into the characters vibrant emphasis, urgency, and dread." ( AudioFile)

Very enjoyable.

It was over too fast! The performances are wonderful and of course the story is a classic.

great classic and GREAT performance!

I had never read Dracula and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The story was great and the cast was fantastic.

I loved that it was written in an epistolary format. The story comes together from a variety of narrators in a series of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, etc. You had to put together the connections between the different narrators and scenarios, which I enjoyed - it made you feel like you were investigating along with them.

With it being written in 1897, it was a little stuffy, but I went in with that in mind. I did get annoyed by women being treated as an extremely fairer sex, women referring to their husband as "husband," and all of the talk about god, but again, it was written in 1897, so I pushed past it and ended up loving it.

Better than expected.

While I’m not a big fan of the journal format of story telling, this was a well done story, very engrossing. Performances were excellent.

Great performances, but it occasionally cut out.

I enjoyed the reading of this, the actors did an amazing job with all the characters each one had to play and that helped it not get confusing.
I liked the story very much, it held my interest and I’m sure I’ll listen to it more then once again in the future.
There did seem to be a problem with it occasionally cutting out in some places, when it does that it seems to jump ahead a line or two and just continue with the story, a little annoying, but it didn’t annoy me enough to quit listening.

classics all the way

always a great read. even great being read too. could not stop listening. just like I was watching the play.

Great read

Interesting book enjoyed reading book exceeds movie more in depth. Enjoyed audio book for the whole book

Great story

Kept you wanting to continue to listen. Great narration voices had tons of emotion and energy

If I could give it more than 5, I would.

What an amazing narrative cast! They really brought this classic to life and gave the characters depth. Highly recommend.

Dracula - a classic at its best!

I will listen to almost any book that Simon Vance performs - he's just that good in my opinion - but I admit this cast did a wonderful job of bringing this classic story to life. This was my first time "reading" the original novel and it is truly one of the best reads I have experienced. I did not know the format of the story was written / delivered as the character's first-hand accounts as journal entries, newspaper articles, etc. (thanks to film versions). This format was as much a character of the book as the story itself and caused me to appreciate written communications and great storytelling. Thanks, Audible - keep them coming!!!!

Finally

A story I have wanted to read for years but never found the time. Thank you Audible.