Dracula - Chapter One

Just from reding the first chapter I'd say that "Dracula" seems to be a very gripping book. I feel that the book gets straight into the whole Gothic atmosphere.

In the first few pages I found that there was a lot of tension and suspense beiong created by the secretive and seemingly worried people at the inn and in the carriage. This, in my mind, creates a mystery surrounding the Count right from the very start which is quite unsettling.

The setting later on in the chapter also creates much unease. When Jonathan Harker is travelling in the carriage of the Count's servant, the surroundings are very unsettling. It is dark and this creates mystery and makes the reader think of strange, supernatural and evil things hiding in the dark. The sound of howling wolves and so on also add to the stereotypical Gothic atmosphere. The supernatural is also hinted at as the carriage driver manages to drive away the wolves that surround the carriage.

One final major thing that I noticed about the first chapter is how it is written in the present and in first person. This puts the reader directly into the story and allows them to imagine themselves in Jonathan Harker's position. This works especially well when Jonathan Harker is telling the reader his thought, allowing the reader to empathise with him.