The Historian

By: Elizabeth Kostova

Narrated by: Justine Eyre, Paul Michael

Length: 26 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor", and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of: a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.

The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known, and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself, to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.

What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed, and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign, and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.

©2005 Elizabeth Kostova. All Rights Reserved. (P)2005 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

• 2006 Book Sense Book of the Year, Adult Fiction

"A bloodthirsty delight....Both literary and scary, this one is guaranteed to keep one reading into the wee hours." (Booklist)
"Along with all the fascinating historical information, there's also a mounting casualty count, and the big showdown amps up the drama by pulling at the heartstrings at the same time it revels in the gruesome. Exotic locales, tantalizing history, a family legacy and a love of the bloodthirsty: it's hard to imagine that readers won't be bitten, too." (Publishers Weekly)
"The Historian is artfully constructed and atmospheric." (Washington Post Book World)

An adventure worth losing yourself in!

Where does The Historian rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'd say The Historian ranks super-high among the (significant number!) of audiobooks I've listened to so far, outdone only by Simon Vance reading Louis Bayard's novels! But seriously, The Historian is a WONDERFUL adventure.

VERBOSE

This book could’ve been 1/3 the length that it was. It’s not a scary book at all. It’s more a period piece.

One of my favorite listens of all time.

Extremely satisfying! I listen every year and thoroughly enjoy it every time. I Highly recommend it!

Would have great if shorter.

Got the book because of the “rave reviews”. Love historic, atmospheric fiction. Having said that, it was really overly descriptive and after a short break in the last 1/2 to listen to a non-fiction selection (edit) I had to review quite a bit again. I have done this activity between books many times before, intricate plots like this one, and not had to review as they held my interest easily.
More is not always better.

New angle of an old story - good fiction

When I bought this book I was very sceptical. The story of Dracula has been told and re-told, filmed and re-filmed over and over. What would be left to tell? Well, this book for instance. It tells the old bloodsucker's story in a more modern content and with well developed characters. Even the character of Dracula becomes more complex and interesting than the well-known movie vampire. The alternation of readers/actors between a male and female voice makes it a way better than average listening experience. Even though it is a rather long book it never becomes boring. I will try to read more books from the author.

Be prepared to rewind

As a general rule I like long audiobooks, but I've never had to rewind a book as often as this one. There are long pauses in the action while things are explained (one key piece of information comes in the form of a scholarly paper). My mind would wander and I'd have to go back to see if I had missed anything. I also found that at those times my disbelief clicked in--...but how did he ...? Even though some seemingly extraneous details turn out to be relevant, a good edit could have sustained the action without sacrificing important information.

I also have mixed feelings about the narration. Having two readers works well, but the woman's attempt at an English accent is excrutiating.

Unique take on a historic subject

I didn't know what to really expect. This was a great mix of history and fantasy. Lots of detail, but worth the entire read.

great Vampire lore

I loved this as a work of historical fiction. I loved this a a vampire story. I ESPECIALLY loved the male narrator as he created unique characters with is voice and his numerous accents! Good Job! Thank you for the hours of enjoyment.

Get lost in it

If you indulge in one top-ten bestseller title that's been over-publicized, this is the one to choose. Ignore any snide references in popular media to "The Dracula Code." For once, the hype is well-deserved.

This isn't a vampire novel in the traditional sense. There are vampires in the story, but it would be more accurately described as a novel featuring a fictional character based on the real life inspiration for Dracula, Count Vlad Dracula. You'll get lost in medieval Eastern European history, and get a sense for the turbulent times that brought the legend forth.

I've seen The Historian labelled as a thinking person's thriller, and that's a good description. The story meanders from Boston to Amsterdam to Istanbul to ... well, I won't give it away. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded - the clues are there, but you'll appreciate the way they are put together.

There are a few flaws. The writing gets trite - try not to count the number of times things are described as "beautiful" and the repetitions of the phrase "he/she said." The story isn't perfect, either. You may well have guessed the ending before you reach it (although I didn't), but The Historian is as much about the journey to get to the ending as the ending itself.

The characters are haunting. The two narrators do a fine job, although I associated the character of Helen with the male narration (it'll make sense when you go through the story).

All in all, this is a fine read. I found myself wearing my iPod around the house to finish the book, and that's something I never do. Ironically, for a book this long I was sad to finish it.

Months later, the story is still with me, and I'm looking for a reason to drive across the country so that I can listen to it again. How many audio books can you say that about?

Spellbinding

This book held my interest throughout its entirety. It gave me a glimpse into an area of the world that I have not studied much, and the flavor of the narrative allowed me to create rich visual images of the people, places, and eras.