Kostova has taken Stoker's mythical story of Dracula and refashioned it into a compelling mystery molded with a different cast of characters while weaving into the plot true historical facts relating to the 15th century. The Turkish invasion of Europe and the Christian vs. Muslim fight for dominance along with the cruelties from both sides (Vlad the impaler, Turkish Ottoman) paint a totally different complextion on Dracula. Hands down, one of the best variations of the story of Dracula I have every read!

As a history major and lover of anything the slightest bit odd, I LOVED this book! I own two copies. One hardback that my daughter stole and a paperback that I carry in my purse. It is amazing to see the history come alive and the social, political and historical context come shining through.

Not just a great book, but a great lesson in history, as well.

To my dear and unfortunate successor...
I found this book endlessly fascinating. My husband gave up on it.

I don't mind books that get a little long winded when it comes to detail, and this book reads like a good Dracula mystery just as much as it does a European travelogue. The action and suspense is spaced between pages of seemingly mundane detail of buildings, landscapes, and other observations. I was not distracted by it in the least. Others, however (husband included) simply could not get past it.

I found this book to be imaginative, creepy, and suspenseful. It was a creative new look at a very common subject and I thought Kostova did a very good job of bringing a sense of legitimate mystery and fear back into a character that is so easily made into a cliche.

Once I started this book, I was unable to put it down and was sad to see it end, yet this book won't be for everyone. I think its writing style will appeal to just as many people as it will turn away. For me, there was something about the story itself, the plight of the characters, the endless researching of ancient bone-colored books, the ever present threat of Dracula himself, that had me hooked from the very beginning.

From my perspective, this is an absolute must-read. But it's impossible to say what types of readers will agree with me.

What an incredible story! What beautiful writing. Warning - do NOT read this while alone. This book got to me and a book has NOT done that for a long long time. It drags you in and then scares the pants off you. Amazing story for the Vampire lover. I do not read Vampire books but this takes the old story of Dracula and brings it into the now. Whew....

I was thrilled that this book was long. I loved every page! I appreciated the background to the folklore that surrounds dracula and Kostova's spin on it. I read the book in a couple days..it was that captivating

THIS BOOK WAS SOOO LONG AND FULL OF TEDIOUS DETAILS THAT THE STORY LINE ABOUT THE VAMPIRES WAS LOST IN A FOREST OF FACTS.

Excellent reading, and for all my spooky reading over the years, this one I did not read at night. Finely tuned creepy mood, without overdoing the bloodletting. Enthralling and yes, long descriptive passages which I usually enjoy. If you like long and descriptive, then you'll have the patience to get thru this. If you want A to B to C action, this is going to drive you nuts. I cared about the characters and I was glad to see a fresh retelling of the Dracula mythos. The one downside is that there were a few too many scenes where the protagonists did their research, travelled far, went on these study binges, and then had little to go on and had to start over. A couple of those could have been pared back, maybe. The scenes that built the creepiness started to wear down, too, because they had the same repetition of build mood, evil entity never quite appears, leave protagonist exhausted and in despair. As a reader I couldn't sustain my creeped outedness for that long, I sort of got used to it, which is a little bit of a shame. But it would be a challenge to anyone to write that much mood and keep it going consistently. Still it was very compelling and I often couldn't put it down.

This is a very long story and honestly, it gets a bit boring occasionally. The author does get to rambling at times. I am not sure that she needed to write such long winded descriptions. The tale might have been improved if the book was a little shorter. Not a bad story-just too long to hold my interest in some chapters. On a positive note, it is very suspenseful at times and will keep you hanging on the edge of your seat. The fact that I did struggle to the very end of this novel is evidence enough that I actually enjoyed the book. This is a unique telling of the enduring tale of Dracula. At times it reads more like an historical travel guide, but then just as you are about to nod off, the vampire jumps out at you. The story encompasses several generations over a span of many years. The best history professors in the world are being lured within Dracula's grasp. There is an ultimate scheme........isn't there always! This one may surprise you, since it takes an unusual turn. Not the typical vampire story!

I read this book as part of a bookclub. At first I was intimidated by the sheer length of the book, and thought I would never get it finished in a couple weeks. Until I started to read. This book grabs you within the first few pages and does not let you go. The story just makes you want to read all through the night and day to get to the end. Even when my shoulders would get tense, and sounds of a settling house would make me jump, I kept reading. This is absolutly one of the best books I have ever read.

This really was an amazing book. I'm not intimidated by book length, but I bought this book and put off reading it due to the length thinking that there were sooooo many other books I wanted to read. 800+ pages isn't a ton, but it often takes more than the few days I dedicate to each book. Somehow, I always feel that books that take a week or so read aren't worth it because it takes away time from my reading other books (you know, so many books, so little time!). However, I did start it one Saturday thinking that I was interested in the story. It was amazing! I couldn't put it down and it did only take a few days because I was so interested. The story moves at such a fast pace, that it feels as though you'll miss something exciting if you stop reading. It reminded me greatly of The DaVinci Code.

Read All Book Reviews of "The Historian"

At first I wasnt sure If i was going to like a book about vampires but once I picked the book up and started reading it I found I really liked it a lot.A lot of twists and turns.
I wanted to keep reading it to find out what happened next.even though it was a long book I found it to go quickly.I would say this is a book worth reading.

Get lost in this one... it is a long book but a fabulous story wrapped in some history and of course legend. Kostova writes beautifully, and several times I cuddled up with the book grateful that it was lengthy (and I had more to read!). You will love it!

full of history, not into vampires. but I loved this book.

This was actually a better book than I expected. It was a little bit scary, spooky, gory, romantic, and suspenceful. It is a fast and fun read. Perfect for Halloween!

Read All Book Reviews of "The Historian"