Title: The Historian
Author: Elizabeth Kostova
Narrators: Joanne Whalley, Dennis Boutsikaris, Rosalyn Landor, Martin Jarvis, Robin Atkin Downes, Jim Ward
Audiobook Length: 26 hours, 5 minutes
Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell’s Books):
“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.
Parsing obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions — and evading the unknown adversaries who will go to any lengths to conceal and protect Vlad’s ancient powers — one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil.”
Thoughts: As a disclaimer, The Historian remains one of my all-time favorite novels. There is something about the cross between historical and Gothic fiction that forces me to keep reading this novel every other year or so. The added bonus of more on the Dracula myth is also a huge draw. Ms. Kostova’s ability to create pictures with words and to imbue the novel with a distinctly European spirit creates a novel that stands out from much of its peers, resulting in a novel that is as much fact-based as it is fiction, creepy, informative and absolutely fascinating.
Ms. Kostova does not try to recreate the Dracula legends. Rather, she manages to gather as much information about Vlad Dracula and the ensuing myths and legends about his supposed death and afterlife. With an extremely methodical approach, she covers Vlad’s life, death, and journey to a final resting place, all while leaving open the possibility that Vlad Dracula still walks the earth. It is this common-sense approach to the paranormal which gives The Historian its most potent power and creates the biggest scare factor.
The Historian is downright creepy. Ms. Kostova does not hide behind flashy magic or unbelievable stunts. Rather, she lets Vlad’s real-life evil deeds seep into the pages. From the very first sentence, the reader knows without a doubt that The Historian is going to be a dark novel, that a happily-ever-after may not exist, and that this is a thinking man’s horror novel. There is gore, and there is blood, but none of it is over the top or inappropriate for a given situation. The true horror lies in the mystique that still surrounds Vlad Tepes.
As an audio production, The Historian was one of the better ones. Being able to hear the different accents – Hungarian, Turkish, Romanian, Bulgarian, English, American – was pure pleasure. Being able to hear the correct pronunciations of various words – Targoviste, Arges, Mehmet, Tepes, and so many more – was even better. It allows the reader to bridge the gap of history and fiction by bringing to life the real-world locations visited throughout the novel. Each narrator embodies the individual character(s) s/he represents, making a clear delineation between all of the persons met along the journey. It was a great way to experience this novel with a fresh perspective.
The Historian is a must-read for any historical fiction fan, as well as anyone fascinated with either the myth or man behind the myth of Dracula. Ms. Kostova has an amazing talent for creating 3D images of locales with mere words, as well as using each word for maximum creepy effect. It is the perfect read for the season.
Acknowledgements: I purchased this from Audible.
That's so good to hear! I hope you enjoy it!
It actually isn't that horrible in length for an audiobook. It would be great for long car trips. I hope you find a chance to listen to it soon!
This book has been on my audible wish list for years. Maybe it's the length that keeps putting me off, but everyone seems to love it. I need to get past that and give The Historian a try!
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Thanks! The size, I feel, appears worse than it is. Once you get into the heart of the story, the size does not matter, and it quickly becomes one of those books that is difficult to put down. I hope you get a chance to read it soon!
Thanks, Vishy! The audio was so thrilling just to hear certain words aloud. It definitely added to the entire experience.
Absolutely! Last year, I re-read DRACULA for RIP, and I knew I wanted to read this one this year. RIP is becoming one of the times of year where I really focus on Vlad Dracula versus my regular love affair with vampires!
Oh, that's too bad! It is so worth it.
Ah, but why has nothing changed? Was he or was he not killed in the tomb at the end? The possibilities are what are absolutely brilliant because we really do not know who is now passing out the books again, do we? I think the ending is one of the creepiest parts of the book!!
It is definitely a moody kind of book. I was listening to it with the sun streaming through the windows, and it definitely detracted from the overall tone of the story. Dark, blustery fall days or nights would be the perfect setting. I hope you get a chance to read it!
It is! I always count it among my all-time favorite books.
Yay! I am glad I am not the only one who loves this book and re-reads it often! I'm not certain if I will listen to it on audio again though. Even though I loved hearing the pronunciations and accents, I resonate more with it in print. Still, I'm glad I listened to it this time around! It was a great way to fit it into RIP this year!
LOL! Yes, it isn't for everyone. I get so wrapped up in Kostova's descriptions of Istanbul, Bulgaria, Budapest, and all the locales that I really do feel like I am back in Europe when I read it. Add to that the Vlad story, and it is a match made in heaven. Yet I do recognize that to some, it may be considered dry and outlandish. At least you tried!
This is one of those books that I own, but have never gotten around to reading. I don't know if I'm intimidated by the size of it or what. I only hear good things about it, though! Great review! 🙂
Wonderful review! 'The Historian' is one of my favourite books. Glad to know that you like it so much and read it every year. Wonderful to know that the audio version you had had wonderful narrators who spoke in perfect European accents.
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I read this a few years ago and I was completely into the story… this is truly an excellent read for Rip!
This book has been on my radar since 2007. I will admit it's heft intimidates me.
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I loved this one right up to the end. It was one of those that I couldn't put down most of the time but other times it had me so creeped out that I had a hard time continuing to read. And that ending? Probably as it should be but I felt like I'd done all of that reading and, in the end, nothing had changed, as if none of it had mattered.
This is a great one. I read it last year for RIP.
One of my absolute favorites. I've read The Historian twice and am also listening to the audio right now, but I have another version with different narrators. So far, I love it! It is one that I know I will continue to re-read throughout the years! Perfect for the fall!
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