The+Historian




 * Elizabeth Kostova**

Information about //[|The Historian]// Comments:

Contrary to popular choice, I did not choose to read the Historian because it was related to vampires. Though I //was// pleasantly surprised when I learned that vampires were the subject matter. I have always had a certain morbid curiosity about these blood drinking creatures of folk lore, and would like to know more about them other than the romantiscized versions that are gracing the book shelves these days. The Historian, though not exactly what I expected, was an interesting literary journey. I enjoyed the mystery of leaving the daughter "unnamed," as well as the graceful blending of history with the fictional story and the right ammount of romance. However, at times, I found it to be a little long-winded, and often would find myself getting bored mid-paragraph. I feel that the story could have presented itself just as nicely with about 150 pages less. All together, The Historian was a well written and beautifully crafted mix of three popular genres: romance, history, and adventure, (something that is hard to come by.) I would recommend this book to anyone with a love of history and a lot of free time.
 * Hannah Kinard**

The reason that I chose to read //The Historian// was that I wanted to find a good vampire novel that did not follow the same worn out plot as the predictable //Twilight// series. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. //The Historian// is a full 642 pages of history, romance, and action. I was so pleased that this book has an excellent balance of those three elements. It was also very refreshing to have a more historically accurate vampire, such as Vlad Dracula, rather than the ridiculous fantasy vampires that are so popular today. All the characters, such as Paul, Helen, the unnamed daughter, and Turgut, where beautifully painted and very artfully comprised. Kostova is a fabulous writer and also a fabulous historian. I learned so much about European history from this book. All in all, I wouyld say that this was an excellent read, I would recommend it to anyone.
 * Rebecca McNeill:**

I am a very big fan of //Twilight// like most the girls my age//,// so when I heard this book involved vampires, I knew I had to read it. But as I got sucked into the overall plot of the book and its cleverly written characters (all of which were far from what i expected) I discovered the history of many places. This past year, I hadn't heard of Vlad Tempes or Dracula in my history class, so i was dumb founded to descover the two were related. Kostova is also a beautifully writer as she tells two stories at the same time, one involving a teenage girl and another following her father when he was on his hunt to find the //un//dead Draculs who had taken his mentor. //The Historian// has been one of my favorite books I had to read for school, I actually read it in a week because I was so hooked on the history of dracula and the fantasy that follows close behind it in this brilliant book. I will recommend this book to any fans of vampires or fans of history all togather, it is a very extensive book that will touch all kinds of readers. I can't wait to discuss this in the group meeting.
 * Tess Lawhon:**

While I'm sure that many people were drawn to The Historian and it's ties with vampires, which have become an increasing craze as of late, I think that with in the first 20 pages of this intriguing narrative any one can see that this is an entirely different sort of novel. Kostova's take on the vampire myth blends folklore about the "real" Dracula, Vlad Tempes, her near flawless technique of creating atmosphere, and quite a few romances and creates an informative and at times quite exciting novel that follows an (unnamed) young girl and her father into one of the darkest and terrifying secrets history has to offer. The Blend of East and West exhibited in her writing is tangible. The vision of western business suits melting with the spires and minarets of the Hagia Sophia is glued to your brain and the frightful, ambiguous ending is wonderfully executed. I must say that this isn't a perfect novel. It's arguable that the plot is a bit drawn out and the descriptions, though insightful and rich in images, are also quite long. Even with it's flaws The Historian is a fabulous novel that grips you into the story and makes you read until the last page. I'm quite interested in seeing what others have to say about the novel and it's themes. This book is just a great summer beach read that will last you quite some time and give plenty to puzzle over. I would recommend this novel to history buffs and adventure addicts alike, for it has elements of both in it's wonderfully descriptive pages.
 * Mallory Banks:**


 * Frank Rogers:** As I started //The Historian//, I was a little skeptical about the story being about Dracula and vampires. Although I heard it was a great read, I was still under the impression that it would be just another one of those vampire stories. Making my way further into the book, I realized that it was much more than a story about Dracula. While the Dracula plot provided great suspense and entertainment, I thought that the best part of the book was how full it was of history. As I read the book, I realized the ridiculous amount of research Kostova did for the book, and it really amazed me. She even finds a way to bring multiple romances into the plot line. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone even if you aren't that into history.


 * Brennan Aust**:The first time I picked up the Historian I was not looking forward to what lay ahead of me. I felt the Historian was a great combination of history and mystery with its multiple plot twists and true life factual information. I realized right when I satarted reading that Kostova reasearced all of this information not only on the places but on the people and historic events that occured dure this time period. The Historian has it's own way of teaching you the history of Vlad "the Impaler" and the mystery and magic that surround him.


 * Lindy Lofton:** Although I have read //Twilight// and I thoroughly enjoyed them, it was refreshing to know that the "real" vampire tales like Dracula and Vlad The Impaler are still etched in historian. //The Historian// was full of great history and geography that without going through World Cultures and World History I would have been struck with confusion. With //The Historian// tying into what I learned in the years prior it shows that what we are learning does have it's own way of showing us that we will need it in the future. I would recommend this book to anyone whether they enjoy history or not.

Although I have always been fan of vampire novels, this book opened my eyes to new myths that I had previously not been aware of. //The Historian// was a great evening novel for those nights to which I could get no sleep; it was an enticing page-turner that I would often not be able to set down. I was surprised to note how much research Kostova must have gone through, and I was also amazed at how she could envelop several plot schemes and yet balance them so seemingly easily, indiscreetly hiding plot twists throughout the book. It was a thrilling novel, no matter what its flaws were. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy novels, gripping tales of historical fiction, and anyone who is interested in History.
 * Savannah Cash:**

Although the topic seems petty, thanks to the //Twilight// phenomenon, //The Historian// winningly blended thrill with history. I thought the novel was captivating with its numerous twists and turns through western European history and at almost 700 pages, it never seemed too long. The story resembles Dan Brown’s //The// //Da Vinci Code//, one of my favorite books, in that it takes historical data and moulds it to form an intertwining puzzle of facts. I thought the way the novel was told through many different perspectives, people and letters, lifted any monotony that could have occurred. The attention to detail is astounding. I have never visited any of the European cities cited in //The Historian// but I obtain a precise picture of each place by the descriptive prose. Istanbul is now at the top of my list of places to visit in my lifetime. The central character, Dracula, never seems hackneyed because of the fresh characterization that truly made me fear him. I am delighted that I chose //The Historian//, as it was an enthralling novel which also proved that the vampire genre is not restricted to a simplistic story of teenage romance.
 * Elyse McAvoy**

I have always been a fan of vampire books and the historian only made me like them more. It was truly a thrilling book and was very suspenseful. Kostova really showed how a vampire novel should be; she had a terrific blend of historical facts and fiction all thrown in for a delieltful twist to the book. The book really seemed to grasp me and i often found my self staying up past 12:00 reading this book. Although, the book lost me here and there on certain subjects it proved to be an unforgetable book. The plot was great and I loved how you get to find out what actually happened to Bartholomew Rossi, and how he had encountered Dracula in one of his tombs, his "favorite" one... Kostova really did well on making the book rather scary, e.g.= "The Black Figures" who are always misterouilsy sitting on a bench or ligering up in a high building instead of a maid. Overall though The Historian was a great book and im really glad i read it, it is probably the best summer reading book i have read yet!
 * Brandon Hall:**

Throughout history we find that the myth of the vampire has always intrigued and maybe even frightened people around the world. While I did read the //Twilight // saga I was very happy to see that T//he Historian // did not also take on the teenage romance and thrill that many books are portraying these days. The true history that was combined with the fantasized legends made the book very appealing and almost impossible to put down at times. At other times unfortunately, I would find that my mind had drifted of to some other topic in the middle of a page because the story had become rather boring. Although I am sure Ms. Kostova had a tremendous amount of research to shift through and attempt to intertwine in the story in a way that would not be confusing to her readers, I felt that the book was too long and dragged out. It seemed as though Kostova was working on a deadline when she completed the ending to the book because the climax was short and kind of boring, and there wasn’t much of an ending. In my opinion, the book could have done just fine, maybe even a little better, with a good 100 pages cut out of it and a more explanatory ending. On a more positive note though, kostova has immense talent and I did thoroughly enjoy following the characters through the many plots and timelines. The historical background of the cities was well blended with kostova's own ideas and thoughts, and I found that this book on the whole was a good summer book and kept me wanting to learn more.
 * Apsley Allen**

**Emily Phillips** I am, like most of the people who chose //The Historian//, a huge fan of the //Twilight// Saga. However, within the first 30 pages I realized this was not another one of those romantic novels that I enjoy so much. Although I was disappointed by that revelation, I was thrilled to unravel the suspenseful inner workings of Kostova’s masterpiece. Her wonderful storytelling ability kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire novel as I struggled to figure out what would happen next. Usually my guesses were completely off base. I also very much enjoyed learning about vampire legends from all over the world and was pleased to see how well Kostova was able to weave them into such an elaborate and almost believable story. This was one of the best books I’ve read in years!


 * Wesley Moore**

Although //The Historian// has its charms – well-crafted prose, enticing evocative descriptions of various exotic locales, and a wholesome ‘50’s quaintness – I’m afraid that its technical flaws outweigh the positives so that, for me, suspending my disbelief was well nigh impossible. Nevertheless, as far as intellectual nutrition goes, you could do much worse than this jumbo carton of lightly salted popcorn.

First, the good news: Elizabeth Kostovo is a strong stylist whose active, economical prose is efficient while effectively imagistic. As you ride the rails to Istanbul or walk the streets of Budapest, you experience a concrete world. The novel beckons the reader to explore a milieu that lies outside the familiar. Besides the wide sweep of its geographic descriptions, the narrative offers a smattering of history. Being set mostly in the 1950’s, the action reflects the more puritanical sexual mores of that era. Comparing and contrasting the dual romantic subplots – how Paul and Helen interact in concert and opposed to the unnamed narrator and her “chaperone” Barley would make an interesting comparison and contrast essay. On the other hand, the plot unfolds in super slo-mo, as we bounce back and forth between dual first person narrations. The father’s vividly unbelievable out-pouring and exhausted reticence defy credibility.

Now for the worse news, and it is what makes //The Historian// a summer read rather than a work of art. Ms. Kostovo’s use of the first person works against her in that I cannot distinguish among the voices of the narrators. Father Paul sounds exactly like his unnamed daughter who sounds like Helen whose crisp “how do you say its” are about as convincing as an abs-of-steel infomercial. You would be hard pressed to create a quote test for this book because everyone sounds exactly like Elizabeth Kostovo’s mother (or great aunt). This flaw, in turn, makes it difficult to identify with the characters, who are ultimately rather flat. In addition, I can’t remember reading a novel in a while that provided fewer chuckles. Perhaps, it’s difficult to maintain a sense of humor when pursuing vampires.

All in all, I guess you could say a sort of enjoyed “The Historian.” The events carried me along, and I pulled for the humans, rather than the vampires, which, now that I think about it, is a fairly impressive feat in itself.

//The Historian// is a book of epic poportions. Literally. The sheer size of it alone had me worried that I would grow bored before reaching the ending. However, when I started to plow through, I realized that Kostova had created and researched this novel to the fullest extent, and it ended up reminding me somewhat of a textbook. Her illustrations of 1950's European landscape and insane eye for detail were wonderful to take in and picture, but her characters and dialogue only adequate when compared. I felt you could not connect to any one of the characters, because their emotional ranges were limited, and their conversations flat and boring. The whole book carried a depressing aura and it didnt help at all that the plot resemebled a bear in hibernation: comfortable, and in no mood to go anywhere anytime soon. For most of those 700 pages it kept lumbering upward to what you hoped would be a satisfying conclusion (in my mind: Paul and Helen busting into Sveti Georgi, guns blazing, ready to rescue Rossi and take on anything in their path) and just when you're about to get bored with the endless facts and traveling, Kostova throws in a librarian-turned-vampire attack, creepy stalker, or something of the like, and your interest is peaked again.
 * Corie Tiencken:**

By the time I actually finished //The Historian,// I felt myself to have learned a bit too much on the 1450-60's, the Ottomans, the Turks, monastaries, etc., and no longer able to call this a fiction book--if you overlook the whole Dracula still alive thing, of course. Coupled with the depressing relationships she passed off as "romances," I am forced to say that Kostova should try her hand at nonfiction instead, and leave the vampires to Stoker.

As far as school-picked books go, this was a good one. I was quite impressed by Kostova's ability to maintain three story lines simultaneously--the daughter's, who listened to/read her father's who also told/wrote Rossi's part of the story as he had heard it from Rossi or read in Rossi's letters. I was also impressed with the research and general knowledge Kostava must have had on the subject to make it believable to the readers who had a good deal more knowledge of Dracula, Vlad Tepes, or counties and events in that time frame. Unfortunately, I think that--especially in the beginning--there was way too much background information and day to day activities. The first third of the book could have been easily cut down to a few chapters which would help move the book along as well as holding the reader's interest. The thing that bothered me most about this book however, was the ending. The tone of the book stayed flat and rather monotonous throughout the entire book, and the only way I could tell that the story was approaching its climax was that there weren't enough pages left to allow the story to continue. The actual climax was, though well written, too short and disappointing seeing that it was written in the same monotone as the rest of the book.
 * Sarah Fair**

Bailey Poe I myself am an avid twilight fan and enjoy a great book, I thought this would fit the part. However, although I found the overall plot line to be quiet interesting I found it very hard to get into the book. The charachters were dificult to follow as it skipped from generartion to generation. And,It had a lot of detail... I mean a lot! I find details to be important in helping to relate me to the charachters and really allowe me to know what is happening in a book however at times I felt it was far to wordy to the point were you lost the since of adventure the book had to offer. Dont get me wrong I loved how Dracula, this cruel evil being is suspected to be alive... or a member of the undead. It did a fabulose job of seeming true with the letters to "My dear and unfortunate succesor", and the fact that some actual History of the real medevil ruler who formed a basis for the legend of Dracula was intertwined in the story line. The adventure was much like a real historians quest to find history researeching in ivy leage libraries and traveling to archives and ancient monasteries all to find the location of the dark lords tomb. It constatntly had me producing therios like in the beging of the book I was sure that Helen was dead, and that Rossi had planted the books for students to find but as the book progressed my theries changed until we learned thta Dracula him self was planting the books in the hope of brave scholars joining him in his plan for world domination. This book definatly had its ups and downs and all in all is was pretty enjoyable read.

While I found //The Historian// to be enjoyable and occasionally intriguing, I found it far too long and often repetitive. The book, I felt, was often long-winded and so slow that I found myself checking the clock every few minutes to see how far I've read and calculate how much more I have left to read. The dual stories I also found to be unbalanced. The father's story I thought was the more interesting to read, while also being the less plausible, and the daughter's story to be almost unnecessary. Often, when the daughter's story returned, it served only to break me from the story of the father and disorient me rather than propel the plot along or my interest in the book. There are many good aspects to the novel however. Kostovo's prose serves very well in painting different locales and people. In fact, my favorite part of the book was the wide array of different characters, ranging from Turgut to the old woman in Bulgaria? Romania? That is my problem with the book. The old woman that I remember (the one who sang the dragon song) from the book, I can't recall where she is from because there is so much traveling in the book. ON top of this, I find that Kostovo's blend of history and fantasy do not blend all that well. I found myself reading the book in chunks of fantasy, followed by chunks of history, with traveling in the middle. Rather than blending genres and making a more interesting read, I feel that by Kostovo blending the genres, she will only turn off fantasy readers with the history bits and turn off the history buffs with the fantasy bits. At any rate, I enjoyed //The Historian//, but I think the book would have been far better had it been a few hundred pages shorter.
 * Max Crawford**

//The Historian// is in my opinion a great vampire/historical book that just had too much fluff. By fluff I mean that Kostovo put a lot of things into the book that really felt like it was to raise the amount of pages; for instance, hackneyed sentences and unnecessary comments made up a large portion of the book. Besides that little problem //The Historian// proved to be a great, if not lengthy, read. The plot and the dual stories, although slow and confusing at the beginning, came together very well at the end of the book. The twists that happened every few chapters are really what kept me going, especially Turgut Bora's involvement in an organization that practically doesn't exist, Geza Jozsef spying of Helen and Paul, and Rossi actually being drugged through a drink called amnesia. Unfortunately, Kostovo seemed to bring up too many characters and then tossed them aside as though they were of no use. The different participants in the search for Dracula co-existed amazingly throughout the story; from Turgut and Rossi searching before Paul even got involved, to Master James joining in a while after halfway through the book (on a timeline, not directly in the book), every character seemed to have their moment to shine somewhat. I was fairly disappointed at Kostovo not making any more mentions of Turgut at the end of the book, and for also not including more about Stoichev. All in all, besides the few quirks mentioned above, the book proved to be a great read and would definately appeal to vampire lovers and history lovers alike.
 * Chappell Price**

In the world of fiction, there are many beloved characters that have only needed to appear once in order to quench the thirst of their admirers. On the opposite end of the scale you find the over exploited, yet classic, characters. One of which has been used in countless ‘low brow’ romance novels, b-rated gore films, and the demon-slaying TV shows: Dracula and the creature that he is. However, once in a while the vampire world will produce something of true merit. Some examples include the book that immortalized the vampire (//Dracula//), Interview With the Vampire, and Låt den rätte komma in. Recently, I have found another book to add to this list. //The Historian// handles the true story of Prince Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler and intertwines it with the myths and superstitions associated with the strigoi, the Romanian vampire. This might sound terribly close to the story of Dracula by Bram Stoker, but the Historian is merely a continuation of the story because it has it’s own mysteries and strange European places. It also has it’s naïve and determined narrator, the daughter of historian Paul, who leads you on this wild chase through letters and old books to find her father and, inevitably, meet Dracula himself. I have long been waiting to read this story and coming out of it I feeling surprised that this vampire novel was the one to top the bestseller’s list instead of the hundred other vampire novels in print because there is very little romance and a lot of history in that 600 page book.
 * Elizabeth Thompson**

The Historian in my mind is not at all what I expected it to be. When I signed up for the book I imagined that it would be incredibly close to being just like the book Dracula. I was wrong. It ended up being more of a nonfiction book than being a fiction book. It had a little of both elements, but it was like more of a history lesson than it was a story. I was impressed that Elizabeth Kostova did so much research in order to write this book because she wrote about the man Vlad Tepes who was the actual Dracula, and that made it somewhat interesting to me. I was confused as I read the book because it would switch from character to character and I would be lost and I would completely forget who was speaking. That was the lowpoint of the book though. Although I didn't like the switch from fiction to nonfiction, I did actually like the book. It wasn't what I expected to be, but it was still a good read. Some of the detail could have been taken out to shorten this massive book, but if you like history this would be the book for you. If you want the book to be just like Dracula then you probably don't want to read this.
 * Eric Grosse**