Novel: The Historian
Author: Elizabeth Kostova
Format: Audiobook
Source: OC Public Library
Rating: 3/5
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Summary
Paul and his daughter live in Amsterdam. He has a job which requires him to travel. Therefore, he remains away from home and his daughter most of the time. His daughter loves him and misses him. She lives with the housekeeper who doesn’t talk much. So, she longs for her father to be home. She loves when Paul takes her along on his trips and they tour the local areas together. She particularly loves the stories Paul tells her. Like Paul, she loves history and enjoys visiting historical places and learning about them. She is curious and inquisitive. She feels worried for her father because he looks haggard and worried. Once, when he is on a trip, she goes to his library to investigate. And she founds an old book with the symbol of a dragon and gets curious about it.
When Paul is back, she finds the courage to talk to him about the book she found. Initially, Paul doesn’t respond. But then on one of their trips, he begins his story that revolves around that mysterious book. He shares that the book found him when he was a student and studying at night in a library. At first, he believed someone left the book with his books by mistake, so he left the book in the library. But somehow, he found the book in his books when he reached his home that day. He turned to his mentor Bartholomew Rossi with the book to get some insights. Bartholomew Rossi then shared with Paul a book similar to his which surprised him. Then Bartholomew Rossi tells Paul of his research on Vlad Tepes from early fifteenth century, or you can say Dracula.
Paul’s story impresses his daughter, and she becomes curious and spends her free time at the library researching. And we embark on a beautiful journey throughout Europe on a quest to find Vlad Tepes ie Dracula with the characters. Because the evidence suggests he is alive.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Audiobook
Narrators: Joanne Whalley, Dennis Boutsikaris, Rosalyn Landor, Martin Jarvis, Robin Atkin Downes, and Jim Ward
Publisher: Hachette Audiobooks
Duration: 11 hours 35 minutes
Number of parts: 9
Rating: 5/5
Review: The audiobook is terrific. I loved the narration. The novel has many characters. And there are six narrators. I liked most of the narrators. Their voice was understandable and clear. They had the right accent for the right characters. I actually loved the Hungarian accent done for Helen Rossi. The narrator for Dracula didn’t impress me. I also didn’t like the one doing Paul’s narration as his voice made the story dull.
I enjoyed the narration for the character Bartholomew Rossi and Turgut Bora. Their heavy and deep voice reminds me of the background narrators of some movies. Apart from the narration, the spooky background music gives an effect of watching a horror movie. This background music highlights the turning points in the story. I think the music’s purpose was to dramatize, increase the suspense and instill fear in the listener. It does dramatize but failed to make me afraid. If only the story had that much mystery and horror, combined with the horror music would have spooked me.
Overall, I am glad to have listened to this audiobook.
My Thoughts
The Historian is narrated mainly by Paul’s daughter. First, she is listening to Paul’s story, then she continues the story from Paul’s letters and so on. That is, we hear the stories of each character from their own voice, but it’s either being told to Paul’s daughter or she is reading them. The Historian took me on a journey through Europe. We start from Amsterdam then visit Romania, Istanbul, Budapest, Transylvania, Sofia, London, etc. All those crypts, castles, museums and monasteries are beautiful to read and imagine. The traveling part is wonderful and makes me wish to visit those places. It’s almost as if I was on a virtual tour through Europe and time. This part of the story I loved and enjoyed.
The mystery part of the novel lacks that suspense. The story didn’t make me curious and didn’t create that sense of urgency to know what happens next. Some parts of the story were predictable. Even the ending was totally lacking in action and suspense. Overall the novel is okay-okay. Just that, it isn’t a novel that speaks to me. Maybe, others might like it.
There aren’t any memorable highlights from this novel, hence skipping the section.
Would I recommend it?
If you are interested in Vampires, Dracula, and traveling through historical places then I recommend it. Don’t go expecting a wonderful mystery though.
Have you read this book? Did you like it?Are you planning to read this one? Share your thoughts with me.
Happy Reading!
