The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein vs. Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Which classic horror tale is scarier?
(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)
Dracula is an 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. It introduced the character of Count Dracula, and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. The novel tells the story of Dracula’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and a woman led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing.
Young scientist Victor Frankenstein, grief-stricken over the death of his mother, sets out in a series of laboratory experiments testing the ability to create life from non-living matter. Soon, his experiments progress further until he creates a humanoid creature eight feet tall. But as Frankenstein soon discovers, a successful experiment does not always equal a positive outcome.
It’s been a very long time since I read either of these books, but as I remember them it was Dr. Frankenstein that I found to be the most scary. I remember a strong psychological horror aspect to the story that made it so creepy. And, the fact that someone would presume to play God and have it come back on him in the most horrific way still sends chills down my spine.
Dracula is what he is. What he does is as much a part of him as breathing is to us. Dracula’s horror is more like a slasher movie/story with definite surprises of the biting kind. But that is not scary to me. It makes me jump in movies but that just a natural response and doesn’t indicate fear.
23 responses to “Which is scarier: Frankenstein or Dracula?#BookBloggerHop #coffeeramblings”
You’re probably going to think I’m weird, but I didn’t find Frankenstein (one of my favorite classics, by the way) scary at all. I found it profoundly sad. I related with the monster and grieved for him because no one loved him, including his father. And when he finally thought he was going to get a mate, he was betrayed. I was heartbroken for him. If he had only known love by anyone, just once, I don’t think he would have been violent at all. And then there’s the whole “being hated because you’re ugly” thing, which just sets me off. So, long story short (sorry), I never found Frankenstein frightening. Just tragic.
Which means, by default, I guess I find Dracula scarier.
Oh, no. Not weird at all! I remember that about the monster, especially after reading your comment. I didn’t feel much sympathy for Dr. Frankenstein however. He’s the one that was kind of scary to me.
He was the true monster of the book.
I reread Dracula every few years. Any book that finds that much space in my never-ending TBR stack is scary! Since JD Barker wrote Drcaul, I add that one too!
Now that one is more scary ❤️
I have to abstain with this one. I’ve read Dracula, but not Frankenstein. But reading Staci’s comment above, I’m more likely to feel the same. But I love vamps. So we’re back to square one. Is there a third candidate?
Lol. I kind of felt the same. I wanted a third candidate because Staci is very accurate- the monster is a very sympathetic character. Now, Dr. Frankenstein- well, to me he is the scarier one.
I read both of these many years ago, in high school, probably. I found Dracula scarier. The Frankenstein monster was such a sad character that didn’t do anything wrong and was a victim to me, whereas Dracula was a hunter.
The monster in Frankenstein definitely is a sympathetic character but Dr. Frankenstein was the one who scared me. And, Dracula is definitely a hunter and the tension and fear with that is absolutely palpable. I have to agree 🎃
Yes, Dr. Frankenstein was evil for sure.
I’d have to go with Frankenstein I was kind of disappointed Dracula wasn’t far scarier!
Yeah, Dracula is not really scary.
I was one of those people who felt sorry for Frankenstein’s monster, although the whole concept of his creation was freaky. I never read Dracula so I only have movie versions to base my thoughts on—some of them I found scary, others not so much. I guess ghosts have always scared me more than either.
Me too. Like Amityville Horror – nothing is scarier to me. But I can’t think of a classic that compares, off the too of my head.
Interesting post. I thought Frankenstein had a bit more humanity in him than Dracula, but they are both scary to me!
Frankenstein strangely does and I think that’s in large part what makes Dr. Frankenstein, his creator, so incredibly evil and scary. To give humanity to a creature that would never be able to fulfill those human needs is just horrid.
Having never read either book I’ve no idea but Dracula is definitely evil, whereas Frankenstein’s monster really was the victim. I’m just too much of a wimp to read scary books or watch horror films!
I think Dracula would be scarier in real life (and more dangerous) but Frankenstein always kinda creeped me out. Didn’t he use dead bodies to make the monster? That was always like ewww to me lol…
There are so many things wrong with the creation of Frankenstein. It’s just yucky and creepy and all sorts of wrong. ❤️
Dracula. Just as everyone else is saying, Frankenstein was sad and misunderstood.
Dracula is scary 🧛♂️
I haven’t read both books so it’s hard to tell. I have watched movies but they weren’t exactly scary.
The books aren’t scary either, which made this a tricky question to answer.