Breakaway Books

Authored by Elizabeth Kostova; Published 2005; Horror

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

The Historian is the Indiana Jones treatment for historians of medieval Europe. I have a hard time believing that in the real world, most academics bring stakes and silver bullets on their travels through the Balkans.

The Historian follows Paul, a historian, as he introduces his daughter to his research and the story of how he met her mother. The narrative jumps back and forth between the present day, with Paul and his daughter; the 1970s, when Paul initially started his research on Dracula; and various periods further back in time. Although the book is not advertised as horror, it was too full of dark corners and vampires for me to resist classifying it as such. 

This novel was an incredible advertisement for life as a historian. I was engrossed by Paul’s pursuit of the truth about Dracula, the primary sources that he was able to dig up, and his ability to find clues just about anywhere. It was difficult, at times, to keep track of the path that led Paul from England to France to Hungary to Bulgaria and further, but in spite of that, the tension doesn’t let up. The suspense of the hunt rises and rises, and the moment when the reader finally lays eyes on Dracula does not disappoint. It’s an interesting depiction of Dracula, fully in keeping with a story that features a historian as its hero. 

I was certainly inspired to explore Eastern European vacation destinations after reading this one. Its depictions of the hospitality of rural towns and the isolated monasteries had me itching to book a flight. Of course, it was a little too convenient that every location happened to feature another academic devoted to the hunt for Dracula, but I didn’t let that get in the way of my enjoyment. 

Live out your wildest vampire hunting fantasies with The Historian!