Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Historian

Just finished reading Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian.  A huge and epic tale full of vampire lore and history.  Kostova actually uses the historical information on Vlad the Impaler, including his many graves in monasteries, his influence over small plagues in both eastern and western Europe, and his symbol and group Order of the Dragon.  

Kostova addresses her reader before the first chapter suspensefully writing, "In addition to reproducing these sources almost in their entirety."  I'm thinking, what, wait, like this is real?!  Her imagination claims to only have been resorted to "when necessary".  If you ever decide to read this book, you will understand when I say this preface is probably the most suspenseful opening, and therefore suspenseful book I have ever read.  You can gather this book is about vampires, and when someone who graduated from Yale is telling you that this is all real, it's a little surreal.  In the light of day I want to believe, but when it turns dark I'm actually afraid, not to read, but to think farther outside the "imagination" of the spineless novel.  I have been hesitant to engage in further research about her geographical topics because of events in the book (which is a first and something I hope to overcome in a week).  Now, I have never read Bram Stokers, Dracula, but it's on the reading list; and maybe between the few novels I can collect information and do what with it...?  I've read that Kostova imitates key scenes from Stoker's fictional novel, but also uses Vlap Tepes' historical past, enabling her claims to have an odd validity and uncomfortable security blanket.  

The old-fashioned letters, which is the readers main source of information, are more than tempting.  The letters become both our and the main characters guidebook; we are watching the stage from the third tier, and therefore the last to know what happens.  The letters addressed to the "unfortunate successor" or "reader" are romantic and polite, yet full of suspenseful history and accuracy.  These letters make me want to resurrect a pen pal.  The abundance of history in The Historian is, at times, overwhelming; but is worth pursuing.  Kostova makes me question who actually is the historian?  It seems like Vlad tended to chose his victims by knowledgeable profession, i.e. historians, librarians, or anthropologists.  Vlad himself was a historian- so not only do we have this book revolving around Vlad, the historian, but also Elizabeth, her father Paul, Rossi the Oxford adviser and experienced vampire hunter, and her mother Helen.  All of these characters/real people are historians, searching for one thing or person, but using their craft to arrive at successful conclusions.  Not a happy-go-lucky summertime reading book, but definitely a novel worth reading if you've got the time.

Something odd also happened when I grabbed this book from my book shelves (as if Kostova's preface wasn't jarring enough).  I had bought and started reading The Historian in 2005.  I remember the time of year accurately, and had always wanted to return to the book.  As I'm closing in on the last of the preface, I see it is typed and dated January 15, 2008.  Now, this could be an printing error (which I doubt) or Kostova's way of branching out to her "future" readers, which would accurately imply analogies to the books purpose-  how historian's weave their way into the present with their knowledge from the past.  Ramble.  However, what are the chances I pick this book back up in 2008 and finish it in it's entirety?  What are the chances I suddenly am feigning an interest in this sub-culture and decide now would be the best time to learn more?  To further insinuate my freakish point, a book mark fell onto my lap, previously tucked silently away in page twenty-something for over three years.  The book mark was actually a ticket for a ballet in Columbus, OH dated in the faded year 2005.  Wicked.  I don't know, this could be all in my head, but I am going to visit the book store and see if it was a printing or edition typo.  I'd rather it was, to be honest with you.  

I noted some of the locations and scenes that interested me, some of which I marked down for hopeful future travel.  The Historian takes place in four time periods, so I'm sure the names of countries or border lines have probably been changed.  Kostova illustrated a map of Cold War Europe within her hard cover copy, which the reader refers to often.  It is a helpful guide, especially for Americans, who might not be too keen of Transylvania's whereabouts.  

Check out some of favorite destinations in the book :
Above is the Radcliffe Camera, a historical site in Oxford, England.  I hope to visit next time I visit the UK



This is Lake Snagov, you can look it up if you'd like. Romania- an eerie beautiful.


The Danube, Budapest, Hungary. Another place I hope to visit someday.

Each of these locations are some key places for Kostova's story. They continue on, but you should probably read it first.

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