#Mina Murray | Dracula Protagonist

[elisavi]

dracula is my most recent source of serotonin so here's part of the gang + renfield

[immediatebreakfast]

"I want you to hypnotise me!" she said. "Do it before the dawn, for I feel that then I can speak, and speak freely. Be quick, for the time is short!"

This is (for me) the perfect counter attack ever done to the Count in this whole novel. It's such a masterful move against him that which leaves no room for him ever escaping in an actual way that matters expect waiting for the gang to naturally die of old age.

Mina literally reserved the Count's hypnosis into his own brain! The same hypnosis he used with the Weird Sisters, with Lucy, with the wolves, with Bersicker, it only took Mina a day to understand not only how it worked, but also how to block it then reverse it so she can know where the Count is headed is the kind of proactive move that Mina would do.

Remember that this is after the horrific trauma that Mina went through yesterday. She is still shocked, and in low energy for the most part, but that doesn't stop Mina from getting closer to her personal revenge against the Count while using any means she can find. Whenever it's her trusted typewriter, or her own mind in a void state, Mina is a resourceful woman established to always find a active solution to any problem that she finds.

[deyaviews]

Here’s my pitch:

Dracula comes back and goes after Van Helsing’s great-great-grandchild, who is A.) trans, and B.) completely oblivious about that family history. Ends up getting rescued by Wilhelmina “Mina” Murray Harker III, who drags them into a modern urban fantasy adventure.

(Harker can either be the wise eccentric older mentor type or similar in age but kinda jaded already and develop a budding romantic relationship with Van Helsing.)

((Or include two Harkers, one the mentor, the other a self-styled rival-to-lover. Self-styled because the Van Helsing has no intention/idea of being rivals.))

hey why are the Van Helsings always the Vampire Hunting Family in modern Dracula stories. Abraham Van Helsing might be the guy who knows stuff but his family is off in the Netherlands and/or dead and totally uninvolved in the plot. Abraham's great-great grandson has no reason to be doing backflips and chopping off heads or whatever

You know who is a family who hates Dracula so so much and would totally teach their kids how to hunt vampires? The Harkers. Give me a modern vampire story where the protagonists are about to die when out pops Quincey Arthur John Lucy Abraham Murray Harker the Fifth, armed with a giant knife and an encyclopedic knowledge of train schedules

[see-arcane]

Friends. Fiends. Fellow Dracula Dailiers and assorted undead.

I have some hypotheticals for you:

(Explanatory ramble below the cut)

Short version: I would love to have some real Dracula merch.

Long version: I cannot stand the fact that there is no real Dracula merch*. The Vampyres is obviously all on me as far as getting things made, being my own skinny little indie book. But it’s genuinely driving me nuts that the only Dracula stuff around is from Universal, Coppola’s fanfiction, or Castlevania, and none of it features the actual protagonists of Dracula. There’s nothing for the book! Nothing for Jonathan, period, and Mina’s stuck trading spit with Gary Oldman on Hot Topic t-shirts. Hell, Dracula himself isn’t even Dracula! He’s always Count Suaveman Sexypire instead of the bat bastard I know and loathe. It’s miserable. So, I want to give this a try.

I’ve submitted a request to Makeship to see if they’ll collaborate with me for a campaign. It turns out it’s a bit of a ‘cool kids only�� deal, so there’s every chance they’ll pass on it, (Tumblr wasn’t even an option on the What Social Media Do You Hail From, Content Creator? bit of their questionnaire, so that’s telling.) But they’re supposed to get back to me with a Yes or No in ten business days, so we’ll see what happens. If they pick up my project, that would allow the plushie of choice to be crowdfunded without a major monetary blow to anyone and a guarantee of a good quality product. If it doesn’t reach its goal within the campaign period, everyone gets their money back.

If Makeship doesn’t work out, I’ll go sniffing around for other options. Maybe see if there are any good stationery makers to check out too. Feel free to send recommendations my way!

So yeah. That’s about it.

I just want to fill the void where a cuddleable little Harker and a strangleable little Dracula should be is that so much to ask?

*Not counting the cool stuff @re-dracula has in their shop. Thank you for the coziest coolest foul bauble of a t-shirt.   

[hobo-rg]

Randomly thinking about that "vampires are uniquely vulnerable to the symbols and rituals of Roman Catholicism, no matter what the vampire's religion or their opponents' religions are" cliche that we all loathe, and it occurs to me that this cliche comes from the original Dracula novel but (as is so often the case with the origins of cliches) the way Dracula uses Roman Catholicism is not the cliche. (spoilers under the readmore)

In Dracula, Catholicism, and Christianity more generally, are not placed in opposition to any other real-world religion. Instead, folk-Christian faith (the Transylvanian peasants and sailors) and unauthorized off-label application of Roman Catholic ritual (Van Helsing) are presented as the only readily available alternative to casual disbelief in the supernatural.

Except for Van Helsing, the protagonists — Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Lucy Westenra, Lucy's family, Lucy's suitors — are all sensible late-Victorian educated gentlemen, ladies, and cowboys who think there's no such thing as a vampire. When Harker accepts a crucifix from that Transylvanian woman whose name we never get, he thinks he's humoring her; he doesn't think it has any power to protect him, and he doesn't think there's anything he needs supernatural protection from. Later on, when Lucy is suffering from anaemia of unknown cause, John Seward sends for Van Helsing because he's an expert on obscure diseases, not because he's an expert on vampires or religion.

Van Helsing does believe vampires exist, or at least he takes the possibility seriously. He fights Dracula using Roman Catholic ritual and symbols, among other things; the garlic, for instance, is from Eastern European folk traditions. But he's not a Catholic priest (he's married, so he can't be) and he's not following actual Catholic procedure for exorcism or anything; in fact, several of the things he does (e.g. with the communion wafers) would be considered blasphemous. He's just using Catholicism as one of several sources of counter-vampire procedures that he thinks have a chance of working. It happens that the Catholic-derived procedures do work, but we are given no reason to think that they are the only counter-vampire procedures that will work. Indeed, the fact that the garlic also works is evidence to the contrary! And the protagonists' eventual victory over Dracula is presented as the result of luck, personal courage, and strength of arms, not faith.

[luxheroica]

It truly does tickle me how Percy de Rolo synthesizes all of the protagonists of Dracula. The nobility of Arthur, the scientific acumen of Seward and Van Helsing, the calculating planning of Mina Murray, the white haired traumatized protagonist energy of Jonathan Harker... And the guns of Quincey Morris.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Portrayals of Jonathan Harker

On my previous list, I mentioned that while Abraham Van Helsing is the self-appointed leader of the protagonists in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, he’s actually not the main protagonist of the novel. I argued that Mina is the main character, and while I do still stand by that feeling, there is at least one other hero in the story who could qualify: Mina’s fiance (and later husband), Jonathan Harker.

Many people claim that Jonathan is a weak character, compared to Mina and Van Helsing. In fact, in a lot of adaptations, Jonathan’s role is significantly lessened, as he is considered less “important” than they are by many filmmakers and other creators. I don’t think this is entirely fair. If anything, alongside Mina, I would say Jonathan is the character who changes the most throughout the story: at the start of the book, Jonathan is a naive, perhaps overly-proper English gentleman; a young man who doesn’t understand the outside world he’s venturing into, and underestimates the danger he puts himself in. By the end of the novel, however, he’s one of the two characters directly responsible for Dracula’s death: Quincey Morris (who will NOT be getting a list, due to a lack of interpretations) strikes the first blow. Jonathan Harker then slashes the Count’s throat to make sure the vampire stays (double) dead. He goes from a weak, cowardly, overly passive figure to one of the most aggressive fighters in the story, as his experiences essentially help him to grow up. It’s worth pointing out that Jonathan is arguably also where the story of Dracula first started: according to urban legend (how true it is can be debated), Stoker first conceived of the concept for his novel in a nightmare, where he imagined himself surrounded by a trio of vampire women. Just as they were about to bite him, a powerful, masculine figure - another vampire - entered and stopped them. This, of course, was translated in the novel to Harker’s encounter with the Brides of Dracula. Jonathan can therefore be seen as a sort of possible writer’s surrogate in the story (perhaps alongside Van Helsing, since both he and Stoker share the same first name; “Bram” being short for “Abraham”). Whatever the origins of Harker, interpretations of his character - just like with Mina - tend to be hit or miss. He’s very seldom treated as the main protagonist in adaptations of the book, but he’s always present to some degree or another. With that in mind, here are My Top 10 Portrayals of Jonathan Harker!

10. George Colouris, from the Mercury Theater Radio Version.

I feel that Colouris is a bit older than I typically imagine Jonathan to be (at the time of the radio broadcast, he was almost 40), but his work in the radio production is still commendable. The medium allows Harker’s diary entries to take center-stage, as he serves as a sort of off-and-on narrator throughout the production.

9. John Van Eyssen, from the Hammer Horror Films.

As I said earlier, many versions of Harker lessen his role in some form or another: either excising his adventures in Castle Dracula, or else going the opposite direction and killing him off relatively early in the story. This version is a case of the latter: Jonathan only appears for the opening scenes of the first Hammer film, as he’s transformed into a vampire before the end of the first third, and then destroyed (offscreen, in this case) by Van Helsing. This version changes things up, however, as it’s revealed Harker isn’t all he seems, himself: instead of a simple property agent selling land to the Count, he’s Van Helsing’s apprentice, who goes to Castle Dracula to try and destroy Dracula (presumably under Van Helsing’s orders). Also, in this version he’s engaged to Lucy instead of Mina…weird.

8. Murray Brown, from the 1973 Film.

This film - made by Dan Curtis of “Dark Shadows” fame - is another example of Harker's role being largely reduced to his Transylvania scenes. Brown plays a somewhat more firm and willful Harker, whose strength still proves to be no match for the Count. He is ultimately turned into a vampire himself. Towards the end of the film, Van Helsing and Arthur Holmwood encounter Harker - now a starved, practical feral beast - and are forced to slay him. Poor fellow.

7. Trevor Eve, from the 1979 Film.

Unlike the previous two versions, this one excises Jonathan’s time at the Castle: this adaptation never actually leaves England, as it starts when Dracula arrives in Whitby Harbor from Transylvania. Normally I feel this is a problem, since it means much of the most interesting moments for Harker as a character are completely lost, but this film manages to find a compromise: a lot of the stuff typically reserved for the famous fortress is reserved for the equally decadent Carfax Abbey. As a result, we still get Jonathan visiting the Count, alone, in his dark and gloomy lair, but it plays out rather differently overall. I also have to commend the film in that it toys with a romantic daliance between the Mina character and Dracula, but doesn’t do so in a way that makes Harker’s own character look like an incompetent or boring boob in the process. (I’m looking at you, Francis Ford Coppola.)

6. Mickey Mouse, from Disney’s Dracula, Starring Mickey Mouse.

As I’ve said on previous lists, Disney has done this concept twice: first with a graphic novel, and second with a much slighter children’s storybook. In both cases, Mickey plays Jonathan, and…well…it’s MICKEY-FREAKING-MOUSE. Honestly, I don’t think I need to say more about why he ranks so highly; this is both absolutely bloody hilarious and yet so bizarrely fitting, as far as casting goes. XD

5. Gustav von Wangenheim, from Nosferatu.

In this silent classic, as many are doubtless aware, all of the major characters had their names changed in an attempt to dodge copyright issues, since Dracula was still an owned property at the time. (Spoiler Alert: it didn’t work…but that’s another story.) In the film, the Harker character is named “Thomas Hutter.” In this version, instead of being emboldened by his misadventures in Transylvania, Jonathan essentially goes through a different story arc altogether: he still starts off as a naive and rather foolhardy youth - impulsive and gullible - but once he returns home, instead of growing stronger, he remains in a sort of state of terror, too frightened to act as he simply tries to hold on to the comforts of home and move on from his experiences. He tries to deny the reality of the vampire's presence in his hometown. As a result, it’s his beloved Ellen (the Mina character) who ultimately pays the price, as she is the one who eventually makes the ultimate sacrifice to destroy Dracula, leaving her husband to grieve and fret alone. Pretty tragic, actually.

4. Bruno Ganz, from Nosferatu the Vampyre.

In the first remake of Nosferatu (there have been at least two since), Ganz’s Harker strays from both the novel AND the original film in his story arc, but his own tale is equally tragic when compared to the previous one. In the film, just like in the earlier Hammer and Dan Curtis productions, Jonathan is bitten by Dracula before his escape from the Castle. HOWEVER, instead of being turned into a vampire then and there, and being destroyed later on, Harker’s transformation is much more gradual: he goes home a broken, traumatized man…and it’s not till the end of the film he officially becomes a vampire, and manages to escape. As a result, the film has an even bleaker ending than the silent version: the Mina character dies, Dracula (a more sympathetic villain in this version) dies, Van Helsing is wrongfully imprisoned by the misunderstanding authorities…and Jonathan, now a bloodthirsty monster who needs to feed, escapes to do madness only knows what. Yeesh, and people thought the original book was gloomy…

3. Fred Williams, from the 1970 Film.

This Jess-Franco-directed, hyper-low-budget movie (starring Christopher Lee in a rare non-Hammer outing as the Count) attempted to present a more faithful version of the novel than any that came before it. It still takes several liberties (every version does), but to its credit, it does still retain a commendable amount of source material. In the film - entitled “Count Dracula” - Williams is dubbed by an uncredited actor; I don’t know who they were, but they deserve some kudos too. This interpretation of Harker was actually an inspiration to me when writing my own adaptation of Dracula, recently; that should say plenty about the esteem in which I hold him.

2. Tom Hiddleston, from the 2006 BBC Radio Version.

Yep! Loki himself has played Jonathan Harker; he actually got top billing in this radio version, which featured David Suchet as the Count. (Also, the image above is actually from Crimson Peak, because...well...radio.) There’s really not much to say here; Hiddleston’s Harker, even if only via audio, is a MAGNIFICENT interpretation, mostly due to the power of the actor behind it. I would genuinely still like to see him in the role, even though he is a bit on the older side, if they ever do a movie…or better yet, make him Dracula, himself! Either way works for me!

1. Bosco Hogan, from the 1977 BBC TV Film.

Once again, the 1977 TV production here - which is quite possibly the single most accurate to the book of any onscreen - takes top billing for the Harker family. Just as it gives us the single best Mina ever onscreen, I would argue it gives us the best Harker. Hogan’s Jonathan has the perfect arc, matching that of the book, with a bit of humor thrown in here and there, and the relationship he has with his young bride-to-be is honestly really well handled. There is no doubt the Harkers are the main characters in this rendition, and they are excellent protagonists to follow.

[strangestcase]

Maybe I’m being uncharitable but how come all the Dracula Daily meta is JONATHAN IS SUCH A COOL GUY HE LOVES HIS WIFE AND HES SO STRONG AND HE LOVES HIS WIFE AND HES SO BRAVE AND SO AMAZING AND HE REALLY FUCKING LOVES HIS WIFE. DID I MENTION HE LOVES HIS WIFE. Yeah okay. And about that wife of his. Do you think of her at all. Do you acknowledge her as anything other than one half of a “power couple”. Like. You know Mina Murray is a human being with a personality and an independent will, right? You claim to love her and yet… Where are the lengthy analysis posts calling her so strong and so brave and so smart and so brilliant… where are the lengthy analysis posts pointing out how adaptations flatten her to nothing… about the injustice of popular culture reading her rape as romance… where is the fanart of her going batshit insane with a weapon… the RESPECT for her request to be killed because she’d rather be dead alone than undead with Jonathan. The APPRECIATION for her personality. Mentions of her as something more than the sexy lamp a blown up caricature of Jonathan can slobber for, a loving tumor on his muscular side, an adoring aside in his distortion from a brave average Joe into Pop Culture Van Helsing 2 But More Macho. Like… guys…… how come the tags are clogged with idiots claiming Jonathan is the Most Violent And Unhinged Member Of The Cast, which is patently false, yet the ACTUAL protagonist only gets the occasional “uuugh she loves trains and her husband”. Do you REALLY like Mina?

[tyrantisterror]

What does Nosferatu do that sets it above Lugosi's Dracula, in your opinion?

Outside of Lugosi and Dwight Fry, I think all the actors in the 1931 Dracula are pretty wooden - the lady playing Mina Murray is particularly bad. It's also one of the earliest adaptations to completely gut Mina's character and leave her as a one-dimensional damsel in distress, removing all the agency that makes her so compelling in the novel.

Nosferatu, by contrast, lets its Mina equivalent (confusingly named Lucy) actually be the one to kill Dracula in the end, which I think is an awesome change to make in that it gives her MORE agency and highlights the cunning and resilience that makes Mina Murray a great protagonist. Also the German Expressionist visuals are killer and make for a very distinct gothic horror vibe to the whole film.

[vickyvicarious]

hmmm talk about mina murray harker?

MINA HARKER NEE MURRAY where even to begin

There's too much to say, so let me pick just one thing for now:

Mina takes care of others. She's willing to sacrifice herself to do so, and it can honestly be an issue. But again and again, Mina gives and gives and gives. She is emotionally intelligent as well as just generally intelligent, and good at building and maintaining connections. I really love all the examples of everyone in the book being so supportive and loving, but Mina is the only character who has strong individual bonding moments with every single other protagonist. I can even think of a specific impactful moment in which she cares for each of them:

Lucy: dipping her feet in mud and giving Lucy her shoes

Jonathan: many, but especially sitting with him on the park bench after he sees Dracula

Seward: the gentle way she offers to type up his diary so no one else listens to it

Arthur: hugging him and letting him cry on her

Quincey: not letting him brush off his own pain and making him choke up in gratitude

Van Helsing: driving so that he can get some sleep

Even more so than for some of the others, I can vividly picture each of these moments. Mina likes to help people and take care of them - several of the above examples are even very deliberate efforts to go out of her way to offer comfort. She will put herself last and take care of everyone else's emotional needs first. But the thing is, she's not just this one-sided mothering figure. She is so so eager to be Jonathan's wife and to help him in his career. She breaks down sometimes, she gets upset, she speaks her mind and makes things happen. And she gets the support she deserves as well, she is beloved by everyone around her and they all try to support her in turn whenever they can. (My favorite examples are Quincey getting her the typewriter and everything Jonathan does.) She is the heart of the novel right from the start, when Jonathan's love for her gets him through the terrors of Castle Dracula, all the way up till the end, when everyone's motivation to save her drives them onward to kill Dracula. Yes, Lucy's tragedy takes precedent for a large portion of the book and Mina isn't even there, but she is a throughline. Even in the worst times with Lucy, Mina's letters keep us connected. Mina plays this role logistically as well by collating all the information amongst the group. And the only way this can work so well is because she loves so much, she reaches out to people constantly. Her words on love are some of my favorite quotes from the entire book.

I just... I love Mina so much.

[eolewyn1010]

Ten Characters, Ten Fandoms, Ten Tags

Thanks for tagging me, @awordwasthebeginning - sure ain't like I'm generally stressing out over tagging people. But then, I love to be tagged, so that's the price we pay.

Sebastian Bootz from Tatort (yeah, I know, SWR took a dump on his character, but at this point, it genuinely doesn't matter to me; I have transcended canon and there's so much shit I can do with this fucked-up little himbo)

Dogger from Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series (he's so kind and loyal and sweet and he can be super-scary when someone comes for his loved ones and I want people to know these books and how he and Flavia just connect on a level that's just aaaaarrgh)

Martin Schelling from Charité (my precious baby boy, do I even need to say more? This man deserves hugs and all the love; may he snark at his husband till the German reunion or something)

Edalyn "Eda" Clawthorne from The Owl House (okay, so I could list a lot of characters from this show, and Eda only wins over Rayne by a small margin and the virtue of more screen presence and her unmitigated and utter lack of respect for Basically Everything)

Death from Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (for someone so stern and duty-focused and allegedly non-feeling, he's just a huge, caring sweetheart. And also a really funny guy)

The Narrator from Harveys neue Augen (yeah, since he directly interacts with the protagonist, he counts as a character, and his endless snark at the narrative and characters is the reason why this game never gets boring in its slower parts)

Dr. Janet Fraiser from Stargate SG-1 (a single mom, a kickass soldier at like 5 ft tall, a loyal friend, a medic who'll stick with her ethics over her orders - never forgotten)

Cpt. Jane Roland from Naomi Novik's His Majesty' Dragon (close tie with Granby, admittedly, but Jane gets one for the sheer boss energy and taking no shit)

Remy Bonnaire from the webcomic Tiger, Tiger (everyone in this comic is A Mess, but Remy? Is the densest, know-it-all-est, gayest, most stuck-up, most in-need-of-a-hug mess I've found yet)

Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker, née Murray, from Bram Stoker's Dracula (she who's constantly above and beyond what Stoker tries to make her out to be, she who gets to call the author's avatar out on his condescending behavior, she whose potential remains visible)

Had I been allowed to list my historical domain blorbos instead of fandoms, this list would have been filled way quicker. Let's see if I can get to ten tags. Don't count.

@cha0ticpartners-incrime @str4wanzerin @carlomenzinger @fanpersoningfox @herzeliebes-waltherlin @chrisoels @disappointingsalad @noturbysshe @mutantenfisch @shadowfox1999

[immediatebreakfast]

Sometimes I wonder if despite being such a nice book Dracula is destined to have horrible adaptations that don't care about the original material, while the few good ones remain hidden for avid readers to see.

Yeah the Drcl Midnight Children manga is still shit, and it twisted all of the characters so beyond that the only thing they share is name. Warnings for sensitive content regarding sexualization with Lucy because I do warn you it gets really gross.

Shinichi Sakamoto literally had the easiest job in the world if he wanted to adapt Dracula into manga since he already has a gothic art style that could have been the perfect ring for the novel. We have already seen in the Manga Classics adaptation that you only need to draw what is happening in the novel, that's it.

Just grab your ink pen, and let Stoker's writing do the heavy lifting while you go crazy drawing all of the dresses, and the bats.

But nooooo! Everyone thinks they have the Big Brain™ to "subvert" Dracula while doing what everyone else has been doing but worse every time. The same tropes, the same complexes, the same beats, even making Dracula the protagonist. All of it feels the same, and Midnight Children does this too BUT WORSE.

It's infuriating to see Mina and Lucy portrayed like this. Also I only mention Mina and Lucy because these girls are the only characters who got any "dept" in this story, everyone else is a downright cardboat cutout, or worse a stereotype (Guess who is this one). Again, these modern writers end up being more sexist than century old irish writer with all of these "subversions" somehow.

We start with Mina Murray, a peasant girl who managed to get into Whitby's only boys academy which makes her a pariah among her peers, and subject of bullying for being first a girl, and second poor. This Mina is... pitiful.

She is not the Mina Harker/Murray Train Fiend, lady journalist, and leader of the group. This girl is only Mina in name, and in typewriter use because this is just a poor teen girl desperately trying to survive in the middle of a hellish school while surrounded by bullies. Drcl Mina is intelligent, but only in information, she tries to document just like Mina Harker, and the narrative conveniently spits on her efforts by having Dracula somehow tamper her precious typewriter.

Even with all of drcl Mina's wits I don't feel the same resolution, and admiration that I felt for Mina Harker in the novel. The manga is only presenting a poor girl named Mina scraping at every small bit of information she can find to somehow explain all of the supernatural shit she is seeing, and the sudden sickness and death of her only friend. I don't want to cheer for this Mina, I want her to grab her bag, and get the hell out of that school and out of Whitby even if it means abandoning Lucy because the conflict feels pointless. It feels like something that she can't win, or fully understand because SHE IS A CHILD.

A child that is trying so hard to be voice of the group while no one listens to her. All of Mina's qualities, and intelligence are not there because the story downright erased the epistolary format that gave her so much charm and character to make way for shock value scenes that only paint Drcl Mina as a pitiful fool going in circles for trying to win against Dracula.

We all know that Jonathan is Mina's other half, the only person who defends her, and loves more than god itself through the whole narrative. However, having Jonathan with Mina in Midnight Children could mean that Mina would have some sort of supporter, and that doesn't make room for tragedy™ so no Jonathan for Mina!

Now, talking about Lucy (Luke). How the fuck Sakamoto decided to make this Lucy a trans girl, then immediatly sexualize her in the most gross way possible. It's a new layer of grossness because in this adaptation is very textual that Lucy is trapped inside Luke, and she has to pretend to be a boy in front of everyone else except when she is alone with Mina.

It could have been a sweet, but rather tragic story about Lucy trying to overcome her own internal battle with her gender along with her trying to make sense of her upcoming tragedy masked as a chronic illness.

But no, this Lucy is passive, midly cruel, and reduced to a puppet device for gross sexual scenes that borderlines on transphobic voyeurism. Remember that Midnight Children Lucy is a TEEN.

She never lifts a finger to make the suitors stop their bullying towards Mina despite her calling her "my only friend." She never tells Mina of any pranks, nor consoles her in her lowest moments. This Lucy is every adaptation Lucy that paints her as the whore to the madonna, and somehow becomes more useless because of the rampant sexism, and the perceived sexualization that will always follow Lucy's character despite her being a symbol of purity, and the perfect victim.

Just to tell you that the first encounter between Lucy and Dracula here is on the Whitby shore, but instead of being a glance of red eyes that incites dread, teenager Lucy is alone when wolf Dracula steps on Whitby soil, and something really gross it's implied for shock value, and I had to put the phone down, and take a moment.

ALSO STOP DRAWING 15 YEARS OLD LUCY NAKED JUST STOP. IT WILL NEVER LOOK ETHEREAL NO MATTER HOW MANY FUCKING FLOWERS YOU DRAW ON THE PANEL BECAUSE THE FOCUS IS ON LUCY BEING NAKED. THERE IS LITERALLY A FUCKING PANEL WHERE LUCY IS COMPLETELY NAKED, AND EVERYONE (INCLUDING ADULT VAN HELSING) JUST STARES, AND IT HAS EVERY SINGLE INSULT ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, and that scene is so cheap edgy that I can't.

Also all of the symbolism, and mystery of the bloofer lady is gone because here vampire Lucy graphically kills the children she feeds from, so... another plot line into the trash.

[chaoticbooklesbian]

Who is your favorite novel protagonist you read as a lesbian even though they are not explicitly written as such?

Ooooo, this one's tough. Especially as a kid, I tend to take books quite literally as I'm reading them, so it doesn't really occur to me to headcanon the characters as other than what they are until I see other people talking about them and I go "oh yeah, that makes sense"! My favorites, once I actually get the headcanon going, are Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra from Dracula, specifically as a couple. I think of them as bi, not necessarily strictly lesbian, but in a lot of time periods, lesbian included bi women, so I'm deciding it counts! They are poly and in love with both each other and their betrothed and no one can take that away from me.

[sapphickittykatherine]

Mina Murray is the protagonists fiance in Dracula and she’s exactly like Kitty just likes landscapes a little bit more :,)

(thought I’d let you know lol <3)

THANK YOU <3 i will read dracula at some point and keep a keen eye out! any character like kitty is a blorbo of mine

[kyoko-minion]

YOUTUBE -

Bram Stoker's Dracula , Lost In Adaptation ~ The Dom - Dominic Noble

From Protagonist To Romantic Prop : Mina Murray's Transformation - Princess Weekes

How Mina Murray Became Dracula's Girlfriend - Princess Weekes

The Lightning Thief , Lost In Adaptation ~ The Dom - Dominic Noble ( First 2 minutes...)

Jonathan Harker has aged quite well into the 21st century, but the reputation he's had for being weak and useless really does make me sad because it proves that people really do just see a character needing help for like. a temporary bad period. and then that character is weak for forever. For the record, if Jonathan could never face Dracula without shutting down, I would still love and support him. But in the text this reputation is so baffling because uh, *checks hand* HE LITERALLY IS THE ONE TO KILL DRACULA. Like oh because he was traumatized and needed mental care, because he dissociated that one time seeing Dracula, you just ignore all the times in the text he is unequivocally not useless? Your impression of him is made forever on the fact that at one time he could not hold it together and needed help?

[feminexisting]

Book Rank List 2022

First book rank list so I’m not entirely sure what to do. I guess I’ll do an overall best and then a few categories, like most interesting premise (regardless of execution), which ones I want to rewrite the most, etc. 

Overall Best Book of 2022

1.The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (5/5) 

2. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (5/5) 

3. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley (4.5/5) 

4. Dracula by Bram Stoker (4/5) 

5. Starters by Lissa Price (4/5) 

6. Burnout by Adrienne Maria Vrettos (4/5) 

7. The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting (4/5) 

8. Beloved Benjamin is Waiting by Jean E. Karl (4/5) 

9. Night School by C.J. Daugherty (4/5) 

10. The Secret Window by Betty Ren Wright (3/5) 

11. Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (2.5/5) 

12. The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson (2.5/5) 

13. Enders by Lissa Price (2/5) 

14. The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause (2/5) 

15. Portrait of a Starter/Marshal/Donor by Lissa Price (2/5) 

16. Vitro by Jessica Khoury (1.5/5) 

17. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (1.5/5) 

18. The Merciless Danielle Vega (1.5/5) 

19. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz (1/5) 

20. Hell Phone by William Sleator (1/5) 

NOTE: Many of these titles, especially those with the same rating, could be moved up or down a few spaces as the mood strikes. 

Most Interesting Premise (Regardless of Execution)

1. Starters by Lissa Price

2. The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson

3. Beloved Benjamin is Waiting by Jean E. Karl

4. Vitro by Jessica Khoury

5. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Best Cover

1. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

2. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

3. Beloved Benjamin is Waiting by Jean E. Karl

4. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry

5. Vitro by Jessica Khoury

Want to Rewrite

1. Starters/Enders/Portrait of a (Starter/Marshal/Donor) by Lissa Price

2. The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson

3. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

(No other books made me want to rewrite them as badly, but The Secret Window and Vitro were both on the shortlist.)

Best Protagonist 

1. Charles Unwin - The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry

2. Nathaniel “Thaniel” Steepleton -  The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

3. Johnathan Harker, Mina Murray, Abraham van Helsing, Lucy Westenra, Arthur Holmwood, John Seward, Quincey Morris - Dracula by Bram Stoker

(No other characters stood out enough to finish the list.)

Best Villain

1. Hoffman - The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry 

2. Christopher - The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause 

3.  James Nua and The Collector - The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

4. Dracula - Dracula by Bram Stoker 

5.  Brockman - Starters/Enders by Lissa Price

Best Deuteragonist or Side Character 

1. Keita Mori - The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

2. Charles Sivart - The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry

3. Iris - The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson

4. Lux - Vitro by Jessica Khoury

5. Oliver, Bliss, and Dylan - Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

 Donate Pile (No Specific Order)

1. Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz 

2. Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 

3. The Silver Kiss - Annette Curtis

4. *The Wrap-Up List - Steven Arntson

5. The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey 

6. **Enders - Lissa Price 

7. Hell Phone - William Sleator

8. The Secret Window - Betty Ren Wright

9. The Merciless - Danielle Vega

10. Vitro - Jessica Khoury

Keep Pile (No Specific Order) 

1. The Manual of Detection - Jedediah Berry

2. Burnout - Adrienne Maria Vrettos 

3. Starters - Lissa Price

4. Beloved Benjamin is Waiting - Jean E. Karl

5. Enders - Lissa Price 

6. The Last Echo - Kimberly Derting 

7. Night School - C.J. Daugherty 

8. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley 

9. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow - Natasha Pulley 

10. ^Dracula - Bram Stoker 

11. ^^Portrait of a Starter/Marshal/Donor - Lissa Price 

* = originally was placed in the keep pile upon finish, but over time I became more and more uncomfortable with how patriotic the characters were, so I decided to put it in the donate pile. 

** = I owned two copies of Enders, one with the dust cover and one without. I’m donating the one without a dust cover

^ - I don’t own a physical copy of Dracula, but if I did, I would’ve opted to keep it.

^^ - I don’t own a physical copy of these three, and if I did, I would’ve only kept them so that I could have the entire series with me, not because I actually enjoyed them very much.