The Historian

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is a beautifully written gothic thriller that is a must read for anyone that enjoyed The Da Vinci Code. Kostova’s brilliant novel has drawn many comparisons to Dan Brown’s novel, though it would be better suited by comparisons to the work of Edgar Allen Poe and to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with which it shares obvious themes and one central character. The sinister atmosphere is maintained throughout the story because Kostova understands one the most basic, but often overlooked, premises of the suspense/horror genre; that is if far scarier to see the results of the monster’s work than it is to see the monster itself. The anticipation of meeting Drakulya is one the best things about this novel, and it is done is such a way as to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up more than once.

The most remarkable thing about the story is that Kostova tells it through three separate narrators. Each separate story begins with a mysterious book, blank except for a center woodcut of a dragon, and several letters all beginning the same way, “to my dear and unfortunate successor.” The story is told to the reader through an unnamed girl asking her father about the book and letters that she finds while snooping through his personal files. Her father (Paul) proceeds to tell her the story of how the book found its way into his possession. While researching the book, Paul asks his mentor for help and is in turn told an amazing story of the hunt for the real Vlad Tepes, Count Drakulya, whom is apparently still among the living.

The story of Bartholomew Rossi is the real beginning of the story from a chronological perspective. The reader gets to follow his travels in his search for the secret resting place of Drakulya’s tomb. Kostova tells portions of the novel through letters and journals, which is a clever tribute to the original Dracula because that novel is told entirely in this method. Through the triple narration, we are able to follow the rise and fall of Tepes. Kostova does an excellent job of moving the story forward while giving the reader a tremendous amount of historical information. Rossi’s story seems to come to an abrupt end when he goes missing, and it is this event that begins Paul’s journey.

Paul’s story begins as a rescue mission to save his mentor and friend from the evil Drakulya, but evolves into something entirely different. As his daughter begins to do her own research, learn about Paul and his life. The girl unknowingly stumbles across the identity of her mother, Helen Rossi, and we see that the coincidences of the novel are not quite, what they seem. Through Paul’s journey he uncovers various conspiracies, some of them relating to the Christian faith, which is why many critics begin making comparisons to The Da Vinci Code. As the triple narrative continues, we follow the three heroes on their hunt for each other and the elusive Drakulya. As readers, we know the that the three narratives will have to come together before the end of the story, but it is still rather shocking, especially when Drakulya makes his appearance. The fantastic story that Drakulya tells is one the most interesting because it offers us a chance to see the world through a totally unique perspective, that of a monster.

Kostova’s novel is truly a unique reading experience; it offers intrigue, suspense, horror, history, romance, and fun. While the novel is 640 plus pages, it reads like a much shorter novel. It was one of those rare reading experiences that left this reader slightly disappointed that the journey had actually ended.