The Historian

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Dixie
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The Historian

Post by Dixie »

I just started to read a novel called The Historian (2005) by Elizabeth Kostova. Just wondering if anyone was familiar with it :D
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Post by Elba »

I think nobody dear, but could you tell me more about it. Is it a love story? I like love stories, and I like to History.
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Post by Dixie »

It's not a love story (at least up to the point where I left it). It's about the legend of Dracula and it takes places in different places in Europe, like Transilvania (Romania), Hungary and Istanbul. I think it's a great novel so far.
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Post by Elba »

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuu!

I love lovestory of Dracula. Of course is a love story. Do you remember the movie.OMG a story of lov and fear what romantic!
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Post by Dixie »

No I haven't seen the movie, but I have read Bram Stoker's Dracula, and as a child I was always attracted to the story of the vampire.

If you can find a copy of The Historian, Elba, I strongly recommend that you read it, especially now that I know you love the stories concerning Dracula.
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Post by Elba »

Dixie,

I bought it today. It is incredible the cost that mexicans have to pay for the culture.
The spanish translation of the book has a costo of 300 mexican pesos (almost 30 dollars), but the english version is 120 mexican pesos (a little more than 10 dollars).
Of course I bought it in english.
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Post by Dixie »

Wow, a book, $30? That's madness!

I'm reaching the end of the novel now. I am sure you're gonna enjoy it a lot! Let me know what you think of it as you are reading it ;)
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Post by Dixie »

I finished it last night. An amazing novel. Loved it.
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Post by illusion »

It sounds intriguing enough to me! Dracula! Love story! Oh say no more! I gotta get that book, now!
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Post by MissLT »

Have you read this interview, Dixie?

An Interview with Elizabeth Kostova at Amazon
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Post by Dixie »

LennyeTran wrote:Have you read this interview, Dixie?

An Interview with Elizabeth Kostova at Amazon
Thanks!!! :D
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Post by MissLT »

Last time, I read the book at night, and I got scared that I threw it away. Last week, I re-read it again since I couldn't get it out of my mind. This time I had to read it in the mornings or during lunchbreaks at work. Then I searched it online for its historical facts. It's quite interesting that they have a picture of Order of the Dragon at wikipedia. It looks similar to what I've imagined.
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Post by Dixie »

Come on, the book wasn't that scary! :lol:
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Post by MissLT »

It is so! The librarians, the man on the train, the bites, etc. The living undead? That's just scary. I'm scared of the idea of a living thing is forever lives.
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Post by Tora »

Wandering in the bookshop guess what I have found?? the Historian and I couldn't help buying it! Oh, yes, Sirs and Madam I will be reading it very soon! :wink:

it's in Russian as here books in original are 4-5 times more expensive than translated ones! :(
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Post by Tora »

Elba wrote:Dixie,

I bought it today. It is incredible the cost that mexicans have to pay for the culture.
The spanish translation of the book has a costo of 300 mexican pesos (almost 30 dollars), but the english version is 120 mexican pesos (a little more than 10 dollars).
Of course I bought it in english.
so weird! going back to my previous post - In Mexico books in English are cheaper than translated, here in Moscow it's vice versa! :?

Sure there are cheap books but if you want a best-selling book in a picturesque cover, high-quality of pages you should pay for it :P English and American classics is rather cheap but on the whole... for a sample of Bridget Jones: the edge of reason I should pay $18 when it's not more than $5 :o translated
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Post by Dixie »

Tora I'm sure you're gonna love this book too :D
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Post by Tora »

I have started reading it today - can't put it down - read it everywhere - really eager to read it till the end as soon as possible but it hardly seems to be like a real masterpiece among the novels. I like it an a way I liked The code - it's extremely interesting due to the plot and the narration, but it's a page-turner, anyhow I appreciate you guys here share your impression concerning the books you read - that one is really good. thanks! :wink:
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Post by MissLT »

It took me three weeks to read the last chapter. The letters were too long in general. :(
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Post by Tora »

LennyeTran wrote:It took me three weeks to read the last chapter. The letters were too long in general. :(
I agree, coming to an end I began thinking that Mz Kostova had forgotten what to write about professor's daughter and her boy-friend, but on the whole it's okay. I bet they will shoot a movie in some years or so.

actually I'm really fed up with her ponting her finger and telling too bad about soviet union 'cos only Hardi has my personal permission to point his finger at us :wink: :D

by the way there is a huge article about Vlad Tepes in wikipedia
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Post by MissLT »

Her book really screams out Hollywood movie, to me (one scene after another). It's all good. At least, we'll have another movie to see. I'm voting for Demi Moore as Helen. :twisted:
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Post by Tora »

Great! I love her and I think she fits the role - she'a amazying 8)
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Post by MissLT »

I hope they'll shoot the scenes in those countries. I've been wanting to see how Bulgaria looks like. Johnny Depp should be Dracula, by the way. J.D is good with dark roles.
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Post by Dixie »

Demi Moore as Helen? I just don't see her on the role...
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Post by MissLT »

Dark, long hair. Big, square face. Manly body. Quite tall. Appearance is cold but warm if she daydreams or smiles. Last, not bad as an actress. :wink:
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Post by Dixie »

I guess it's just that when you read a book you imagine the characters as you want, you can even put a face to them... :D I don't know, when I first learned that Tom Hanks was gonna play Langdon I was shocked, but when I saw him on the role, I loved it!!!!!
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Post by MissLT »

Which one do you want as Helen then? :?
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Post by Dixie »

I haven't even thought about it :D
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Post by Dixie »

You know, ever since I bought the book, I was wondering something.

The first time I ever saw a copy of the book, it was in Catalan, and the title was in masculine: L'historiador. However, later in the same store, I saw the book in Spanish, and the title was in feminine: La historiadora. Then I bought it in English thinking: "We'll see who's right" :lol: 8)

Now that I've read it, I think I know who the Historian is. But before I tell, can anybody else tell? :D
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Post by MissLT »

The daughter.
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Post by Tora »

Dixie wrote:You know, ever since I bought the book, I was wondering something.

The first time I ever saw a copy of the book, it was in Catalan, and the title was in masculine: L'historiador. However, later in the same store, I saw the book in Spanish, and the title was in feminine: La historiadora. Then I bought it in English thinking: "We'll see who's right" :lol: 8)

Now that I've read it, I think I know who the Historian is. But before I tell, can anybody else tell? :D
Frankly speaking it's a tough question... for me! :D
so to make my answer different from Lennye's I say Dracula himself :roll:
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Post by MissLT »

Dracula didn't retell the story, though, the daughter did. If you read the a note to the reader, you'll see she called herself as a historian and retold her story that happened when she was sixteen and went through her father's belongings. Hence, the story went on....
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Post by Dixie »

As I was reading the novel, I was sure the daughter was the historian. However, towards the end, I realized that Dracula was a historian, too. So now I have my doubts!

PS: Damn translators. :lol:
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Post by MissLT »

You mean chapter 78, right?
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Post by Dixie »

LennyeTran wrote:You mean chapter 78, right?
Don't remember, and I don't have the book here so I can't check, but it was towards the end.
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Post by MissLT »

It's the epilogue, then, the part where she received the book similar like her father's. But the thing is she retold the stories of all the historians, even the Dracula's, if he was one.
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Post by Tora »

sure she is (by the way the ending stays vague to me still as if they had killed him in... the south of france? :oops: why she received a book) but dracula is also a historian as he says in his conversation with the professor that through all the centuries he was keeping the most exciting books and did his best to have them in his library. of course keeping books in the library doesn't mean you're enough tough guy to be a historian BUT I feel like he is... :)
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Post by MissLT »

Dracula is a metaphor. History is history. It never dies.
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Post by MissLT »

So which translation you think is correct? :?
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