Dracula

By: Bram Stoker

Narrated by: Peter Batchelor

Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel's influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many theatrical, film, and television interpretations since its publication. Required listening for any fan of the genre!

Public Domain (P)2015 Trout Lake Media

Do not purchase

This version omits one of the key moments of the story. I assume it is edited out for it's lurid nature. It is quite key to the story and it's omission is a travesty.

32 people found this helpful

Section missing!

I loved this book, and the audio was great, but there is a very important scene missing from the audiobook that made other parts confusing. The end of chapter 21 is completely left off. Please rectify this!

15 people found this helpful

annoying

some of the readers 'voices' are like fingernails on a chalkboard. could not even finish title without destroying something.

2 people found this helpful

Reader was terrible.

Get the Simon Vance version. Amazing! Bla bla bla bla more words required bla bla

1 person found this helpful

MOMO

Absolutely splendid! I dare say, I'd listen to it all over again. Wonderful just wonderful.

1 person found this helpful

Character voices made me cringe

Character voices made me cringe

Classic story but the narration is just not great
Read the book

1 person found this helpful

A very touchy-feely book.

This was still fun and I can see how it started a lot of the genre, but one must remember that this is first and foremost not a horror boo, but a romantic book design for the lurid market of the mostly female readership in the late 19th century. About 1/3 of the book is spent in the characters pledging undying love and loyalty to each other and crying on each other shoulders. Very quick conclusion and short bursts of unexploited action. This book is at best a starting place for the imagination. But still a worthwhile read at one and a half times the reading speed if you're curious about how the vampire thing all started.

2 people found this helpful

Good story, narrator wasn't right for the job

The story is written as if it came from a collection of notes - which is not my style, but I got used to it. This classic is a classic for a reasons and it was great to hear it all.

The narrator, however, is pretty bad for the job. He makes Dr Van Helsing sound like a weak old man, despite the book defining his voice as "resonating", several of the voices are incredibly similar, they should should have had a women for the women's voices. Sometimes he talks extra low so volume adjustment is constantly needed, or an extra strong accent that is barely understandable.

A great read!

Took me so long to get through it, but it's so worth it! I definitely recommend!

Don’t buy this version

There is a better Audible version of this book with Tim Curry- buy that one. I’m so disappointed in this one- the reader is so atrociously boring and monotonous

Great Story but Horrid Voices!!

I was looking forward to sinking my teeth into this classic book. Pun intended. And although the actor narrates well and the main cast is intelligible, some of the supporting characters voices are so comically bad that I almost returned the book. I think it's around chapter 9. You'll know it when you hear it.

I also had to check that Van Helsing was Dutch as he sounded like the Count from Sesame Street. I don't expect the actor to get all the accents spot on obviously but with such an important character I'd expected a bit better.

But the old man's voice I mentioned earlier is unintelligible and so shrill that it's grating and you may need to take a break from the book.

Also you'll hear the actor's phone go off more than 50 times throughout the narrative. A really unprofessional recording.

Great story though.

3 people found this helpful

AWFUL narration

Read this before and love the story its a true classic but please get a different version as this narrator is truly awful! most of the main characters were completely unintelligible and the accents were completely off (his northern accent sound like a scottish/somerset mix).

2 people found this helpful

Well read overall, issues with sound levels

Would you consider the audio edition of Dracula to be better than the print version?

As good as the print version - enjoyable to listen to whilst driving.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The characterisation was good throughout, although Van Helsing's accent made it difficult to hear clearly sometimes.

What does Peter Batchelor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

As above, good characterisation in a suitably atmospheric voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, nice to hear a few chapters whilst driving to work.

Any additional comments?

Enjoyable.

2 people found this helpful

hard to listen to

had to buy a different version. couldn't understand most of the characters voices he used

amazing classic

I loved it. the narrator was good. i would listen to it again and again. it's been a book I have struggled to read but this helped me imagine the story

A classic novel butchered by sloppy recording

This is the worst audiobook I’ve listened to using audible.

This comment is about the audio book recording — the novel itself is one of the great classics and I don't need to comment on it.

I always read the hard-copy at the same time and use the audible version for the times I can't physically hold a book (i.e. while I’m driving).

Audible audio books are hardly ever perfect, with retakes and pick-ups copied badly into the recording. But if the story is sufficiently gripping, you can ignore it. Melville's Moby Dick, which I also purchased greatly suffered from it, but I let it slide.

The Dracula recording however took the biscuit.

Firstly, there are sentences that must have been patched together from five different recordings and which start to sound like robot voice announcements on public transport, with voice tonality, volume, and pitch all varying greatly. This is particularly evident in the later parts of the book.

Secondly, roughly eight pages from the book are simply missing from this 'unabridged' version. You have to be asleep not to notice this because the plot suddenly made no sense.

The pages missing are in chapter XXI. The last sentence recorded is "By her side stood a tall, thin man, clad in black." The recording then skips ten pages and continues with the opening line of chapter XXII(starting with Jonathan Harker's diary).

For reference, in my paperback copy (Penguin, 2003) the pages missing start in the middle of the last paragraph on page 300 and run up to and including p307.

This is not OK. The book is one of the great classics of all time and this audio book is an insult to any person listening to it. Is there no one doing quality control?

It also makes you wonder how many other of the other audiobooks have mistakes and omissions like this that aren't as obvious.

One of the Gothic horror classics .

A great winter time read . Wait for the short days and cold nights to draw in. Light the log fire pour brandy and be prepared to be transported from the mountains of Transylvania to the smog of London . Plus it has a cowboy with a Bowie knife !

excellent story!

fantastic story great performance by the narrator and a must listen to classic! I works absolutely recommend.

Great book

I'd loved the story, quality of audio was bit poor but overall I enjoyed it.

struggled to finish

I want to listen as it is a classic. but it just went on and on