Zmeyette's Book #2: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Finally, I finished book number two! This was actually supposed to be the first book I would finish this 2011, but oh well. Yay! Here are my thoughts on the book, which I imported from my Goodreads account.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was recommended to me years ago by a high school friend of mine. I wasn't able to read it then, but around 3 months ago, maybe around four years or so after said recommendation, I was in the mood to buy several books (meaning I was with my mother who was in the mood to indulge me my book purchases). Upon glancing at the shelves, I once again saw Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian, along with other books. I have been wanting to read it for quite a while, and felt that it was a good opportunity to finally get the book. So I did.

Unfortunately, at the moment, I don't have a lot of time to read. Which is partly the reason why it took me a few months to finish this book. That doesn't lessen the way I like this book, though.

First, an overview of the story. (Not sure if these will have spoilers for you, so...) The Historian is a story which has layered tales that intertwine and come together in a quest that is ultimately about one character: Vlad the Impaler, more popularly known as Dracula. The story is seen, at first through the eyes of an unnamed young woman. However, as the story goes, and the different layers of the tale unravels, we see through different characters' perspectives, and this is accomplished by the author through letters, conversations, and the like, with all these perspectives tied together by the legend of Dracula.

At first, this style confused me, and in the beginning was quite boring to me, but the deeper I got absorbed in the book the more I appreciated this style.It was also quite a long read for me, regardless of my busy school life, but it was a fresh reprieve from my usual rushed YA reads (or cases, for that matter). I'd quite forgotten the comfort of sinking into a good story, of reading bits and pieces, pausing every now and then, knowing I can go back later, or the next day. I think to complete the feeling in my mind I just need a fireplace, a comfy chair, and a rainy day.

One of the recurring thoughts in my head as I read this book was my renewed and energized dream of traveling throughout Europe. Kostova depicted the locations in The Historian in such a way that I envied the young woman her diplomat father, and their travels throughout different spots in the continent. Even with the terrifying tales that were painted over these places, the beauty of them still shines through and makes me want to see such for myself.

The story also has quite the blend of characters, although, as the title of the book suggests, most of them are historians. Still, the development of the character for me, was done well, and I like how the characters come together. I also enjoyed the twists and turns they presented, which left me pleasantly surprised several times.

All in all, this one was a refreshing read (this is very ironic, given the story that the book actually has) for me, and I really enjoyed reading it.

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P.S. How about you? What's the last book you finished?