Suspense and Horror is the Hook

This month my 11th graders are reading Bram Stoker’s 1987 Dracula. I stumbled upon this book as an 11th grade book choice when I took over another teacher’s assignment right before the school year started. It looked rather large; I wondered if the massive size of it would intimidate and scare my students. Yes, they were a bit apprehensive about it; but once we got going, they were excited and at the edge of their seats. This is because there is much left for the mind to ponder and think about it. Though they will tell me it’s not true. This book is setup the way things used to be. It reminds of the movie Psycho. You don’t see it all, but man, if your imagination goes wild….. you are terrified! Also, the story is being told in the genre of real-time horror. As one reads Harker’s journals, it appears like it is happening as he tells the story. This too adds to the tension and reality of Dracula’s evil presence. It is nothing like the horror genre of the McDonald's generation. There are no secrets or things left to question. You might say it's the silver platter generation getting all they want served up blatantly. This type of in-your-face horror ruins it for me. I need suspense and things left to the imagination to truly appreciate a book or movie. Funny how the kids are realizing the same thing.

Anyway, I am reading it on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with them. On Thursday, many of my students came in saying, “Are we going to read Dracula today?” They were telling me how much they were looking forward to it. I was delighted that they were enjoying the text and learning all at the same time. They have not complained about their Dracula comprehension quizzes, and they are doing quite well with them. My classroom copies of Dracula seem to be disappearing each day. Though a hardship in the long run, I guess this is a sign of a loved book!