Mina

Mina by Marie Kiraly (Elaine Bergstrom) is of the style very much as Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. It was though Ms Kiraly/Bergstrom was there by his side picking up the thread that Stoker left behind. Any true fan of the Dracula story will find this an exceptional addition to the Bram Stoker's tale of desire and true love. Kiraly/Bergstrom has shown us that Victorian woman were strong, independent, and passionate. Mina a woman of her time and the future, used by the men she loved yet keeping the core of who she was tightly imbedded within her. Loved by her husband Jonathan who woefully never understood the person she was. Loved by Dracula for who she was in another life not for the woman she had evolved into. Neither man courageous enough to throw off their own society shackles to truly love Mina for who and what she was. Kiraly/Bergstrom has woven an intricate story once again of how life was. We are taken back to Victorian times and into the private lives of the people who lived there. Mina is tore between understanding what happened to her and coming to turns with the passion and emotions that polite society decries. We are taken into Mina's self-exploration of her mind, body, and soul. She evolves from the woman she was into the woman she needs to be. Mina learns the joys, and pain, of a love destine to know no boundaries. Mina is the grand finish to Dracula. As to the new cover, the original was more in keeping with the mystic of the (Dracula) legend. I find nothing offensive or off-putting about the newer cover. The publisher (who picks these the author has very little if any say in the matter) is just keeping with the times (and others of the genre). I'm just glad they (publishers) didn't go with one of those cartoon-like covers and gave the book a cover with seductive class. I give the book five stars.

I am so glad to see this book being rereleased. I read it the first time it was out, and had just read Stoker's Dracula, a childhood favorite. I found the mood and voice of the characters really picked up where Stoker left off. It was an enjoyable and delightful continuation of the classic novel, and I recommend it highly. I was a bit put off by the new cover. I fear it's a bit lurid and will attract a class of reader who might be disappointed to find a literate and thoughtful piece of writing inside.

This book follows Mina Harker both during the Dracula story and her life beyond where the original Dracula ends. Mina, if you remember is the newlywed bride of Jonathan Harker, the one who originally visited Count Dracula at his castle to arrange properties in and around London.This is one of the most creative continuations of Dracula that you will ever find. You will once again meet all of the original characters and their struggle with Dracula as well as what their lives have become after they leave the castle when Dracula had turned to dust. Mina, still with the blood of Dracula in her, finds it hard, if not impossible to get on with a normal life. She has changed and this affect not only her but all of the people she has been the closest to. This is a must read for all Dracula fans and a great thanks to Elaine Bergstrom for continuing the tradition.

I loved this book. Dracula was a novel I first read as a young teen and enjoyed, both the plot and the writing. Ms. Bergstrom did an incredible job of keeping the continuity and the tone of Stoker's novel and writing a ripping story into the bargain. I enjoyed her exploration of the inner struggle of the woman at once seduced by the Vampire's mesmerising pull and repulsed by the evil inherent in his nature. For anyone who loves Stoker's novel this is a total delight!

Mina becomes sparked with emotions she didn't realise she had when she drank Dracula's blood. She gains a passion that she wants to satisfy, but is it right?, she seems to be wondering. She feels shame, but at the same time she doesn't. She just wants more from life and her husband. She will be happy, regardless. This book, on my opinion, is one of the best Dracula story continuations. The characters are familliar, yet you learn so much more about them.