We’re more than halfway into the January challenge – to read a book that has been adapted into a film – and we’ve got some fantastic staff picks for anyone who’s still on the lookout for a great read! Rose and Amy from East Grinstead and Haywards Heath libraries picked very different books for their January reads and have shared their reviews below.
For anyone who has been watching The Witcher on Netflix, did you know it was a book series first? Rose from East Grinstead read the first in The Witcher series, The Last Wish, as her January book. The Witcher was first published in Polish in 1993, was translated into English in 2007, and was released as a Netflix series in 2019.
The Witcher: The Last Wish (Andrzej Sapkowski)
Reviewed by Rose from East Grinstead Library
“As part of my January reading challenge, I have read the first book in The Witcher series, which is a collection of short stories following Geralt the Witcher and his adventures in monster hunting. It is a well thought out fantasy world with characters you root for, monsters that send a shudder down your spine and action packed sword fights galore, not to mention the occasional bit of romance thrown in as well! A brilliant book that won’t take you long to read, but will definitely leave you wanting to read the series!”
In contrast to Rose’s modern read, Amy from Haywards Heath chose Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which was first published nearly 100 years before The Witcher series in 1897! An iconic gothic classic, Dracula has been adapted for TV, film and as a video game – plus Stoker published a spin-off collection of short stories about the famous vampire in 1914 entitled Dracula’s Guest and Other Weird Stories.
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
Reviewed by Amy from Haywards Heath Library
“I love the completely over-the-top, bonkers Dracula from 1993 by Francis Ford Coppola. It’s visually all going on and you’ve got a young Keanu Reeves doing what he does best – which is looking confused – all the way through. Despite loving the film and being interested in Gothic literature and themes more generally, I’d never actually managed to get through the book in my younger years. I came to it as an audio book this time, and found it a great relief to have the Victorian language read to me. The diaries, letters and logs that feature in the film form the main structure of the book. It is written as if an unknown researcher has compiled all these true accounts together, and I did find this technique effective, as it gives a sinister kind of truth to the story which adds to the terror of it. The opening chapters about Jonathan Harker’s travels to Transylvania and his stay at the castle are extraordinary and the tension builds insufferably. Harker slowly realises he is in the presence of a monster, and the build into it is incredible. Dracula travels to Whitby, and the ships log is a truly horrifying episode that is grisly but staggering. The book is not without its problems. Tension and rhythms of the book are scattered. The religious hysteria is difficult to relate to. The characterisation of women is patronising and difficult to persevere through. The entire slow corruption of Lucy is unfortunately tedious. There is no real reason given for Dracula’s travels to England at all, which makes the stakes seem low. The climax is bitterly underwhelming. And yet I can’t help but say I enjoyed the book over all, because when the book is at its best, I found it stunning.”
Reserve your copy of The Last Wish or Dracula to collect from any West Sussex library by visiting our library catalogue.
What have you been reading for the January challenge? Let us know! You can also chat to us on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #MidSussexReadingChallenge.
Mid Sussex Reading Challenge 2020 