The Historian

Written by Elizabeth Kostova

Narrated by Justin Eyre and Paul Michael

Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor", and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of—a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.

The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known—and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself—to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.

What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed—and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign - and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.

Parsing obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions—and evading the unknown adversaries who will go to any lengths to conceal and protect Vlad's ancient powers—one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil. Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel is an adventure of monumental proportions, a relentless tale that blends fact and fantasy, history and the present, with an assurance that is almost unbearably suspenseful—and utterly unforgettable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little, Brown (Hachette UK) Audio
• Release date: Jul 7, 2005
• ISBN: 9781405501705

Elizabeth Kostova

MARY SHELLEY was born in London in 1797, daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, famous radical writers of the day. In 1814 she met and soon fell in love with the then-unknown Percy Bysshe Shelley. In December 1816, after Shelley's first wife committed suicide, Mary and Percy married. They lived in Italy from 1818 until 1822, when Shelley drowned, whereupon Mary returned to London to live as a professional writer of novels, stories, and essays until her death in 1851. GUILLERMO DEL TORO is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, and designer. He both cofounded the Guadalajara International Film Festival and formed his own production company—the Tequila Gang. However, he is most recognized for his Academy Award-winning film, Pan’s Labyrinth, and the Hellboy film franchise. He has received Nebula and Hugo awards, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award, and is an avid collector and student of arcane memorabilia and weird fiction. ELIZABETH KOSTOVA is the author of the bestselling novel The Historian. She graduated from Yale and holds an MFA from the University of Michigan.

Reviews for The Historian

[aeceyton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

beautifully written but too slow for me to finish

[tnilsson_24 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It appears that a lot of people found this book to be plodding and slow. But I quite liked it and thought it moved along well.

[marklacy-355086 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable and interesting. Not always as exciting as I would like, but it appealed to the historian in me, and the treasure hunter. I think the book could have been shortened some - it seemed to cover a lot of ground and detail that might not have really been necessary. I had to suspend my disbelief many times over the fortuitous/coincidental instances where the main characters met up with just the right person to keep their hunt going.

[nordie_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Late one night, exploring her father’s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters addressed ominously to ‘My dear and unfortunate successor’. Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of – a labyrinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious fate connect to an evil hidden in the depths of history

Well I enjoyed this. Bit of a love story, lots of history (if that's not real historical stuff it's very well made up!), not TOO heavy on the vampire stuff, though of course Dracula does make an appearance several times.

Whilst the daughter is prevalent at the start of the book, she does get "lost" in the middle, and makes a smallish appearance at the end of the book, which was a bit of a disappointment, as she was the one who initiated the story at the beginning

[jennybeast · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I just couldn't get into it at the time. I might try again later.

[jessicareadsthings · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First of all, this is really 3.25 stars. I liked this book quite a bit. But it took me an embarrassingly long time to read as I kept getting distracted by other books that weren't so heavily laden with detail. Oh my goodness can Kostova set a scene. She's really great at that. The plot is well thought out, pretty solid, and intriguing. The pacing, though, is funereal, and most of the characters are little more than sketches, a few broad strokes made from archetypal characteristics. They're good broad strokes, but I can't help but think that if the author had spent less time describing the setting, there might have been more time for character development. This is definitely a suspense novel that defies the breakneck intensity that typifies the suspense genre. Overall a good book that even if it isn't amazing, is satisfying.

[infjsarah · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think this novel may qualify as top one I have ever taken so long to read.It has been on my shelf for a very long time & I originally had as a target to try to read more stuff off the shelves this year. So far, I am failing miserably :(It has taken me over 6 months to get through this novel! It's huge with tiny print which didn't help. I was reading bits inbetween other books, although I never actually decided to DNF. So I enjoyed it enough to keep going. To me, it's like a very literary Dan Brown novel - lots of geographical touring mixed with a mystery. I didn't hate it but I wasn't very enamoured either.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Adult fiction; suspense/mystery. Elizabeth Kostova's revival of the gothic horror novel is one that you can't put down. I can't compare it to Bram Stoker's novel, since I never read that, but I can easily imagine this being read aloud in front of the fireplace by Mary Shelley. It isn't overly scary (not in the way that gives you nightmares, at least), but it is thoroughly suspenseful, as the author slowly, carefully, and mesmerizingly unravels the events of the three stories (which are, after all, parts of the same story).

[alexlubertozz-893592 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book will bore you to undeath.

In the hands of Bram Stoker, telling the story of Dracula through multiple narrators added to the mystery, tension, and suspense. In the hands of Kostova, you can't tell a 16-year-old girl in 1972 from her Romanian mother, her American father, or his English mentor writing twenty to forty years prior. They all sound the same, and they all sound like travel writers who have no ear for dialogue, and no sense of pacing or suspenseful storytelling. That this book takes almost 700 pages to tell an utterly unconvincing, uncompelling story is scarier than anything between the covers.

In the more interesting vampire stories, the vampire is usually driven by something more compelling than the need for a good librarian(!)(?). I won't spoil the dramatic climax to the book since there is none. If you're able to read that scene without staring at the pages in disbelief (and not in a good way, I might add), then all I can say is, Wow, really?

Don't ask me why I read the whole thing. I think I was just curious to know why the publisher would pony up a multimillion-dollar advance to a first-time author. While I'm no closer to understanding why, at least I didn't suffer any permanent damage (at least not physical). The psychological scars and wasted time (hours of my life gone) will take longer to heal. But you don't have to end up like me. If you find a copy of this book lying in a study carrel, just leave it there.

You've been warned.

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Finally finished it by listening to the audiobook. I liked it better in that medium. It's dense and slow moving. The historical parts sound correct, but I don't know enough about Vlad to know if that's actually the case.

[joe73-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great read. Taking one star off for the antiseptic method the author used when having a character tell their story. But then again this is a very ambitious novel and I think even the most seasoned writer would have a doozie of a time navigating so many layers of material stacked upon itself. I think with that aside that she did a wonderful job of putting us in the middle of the characters lives. I felt kind of Jilted to hear how the father died. His ending seemed very low key and I felt that he should have had a better send off. A historian dying like a soldier in a land scarred by previous war. Paul deserved better. Everyone here is a main character and everyone has a stake in the outcome. I do like how after all the horror and evil that was put into the villian he was still made to be a misunderstood creature.

[weezer41 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not what I expected when I picked up this book. It was good though. The ending left a little wanting.

[ericlee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are not many novels — or at least not many novels I’ve read — that are set largely in libraries and archives, and whose heroes are historians. In this book, practically everyone could be “the historian” of the title, but that is not revealed until the last chapters of the book.In a series of cleverly-told parallel narratives set in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s, a prominent academic, one of his students and the latter’s daughter play their roles in a centuries-long quest to find the legendary Dracula. I say “legendary” but of course Bram Stoker based his story on a real figure, Vlad the Impaler, a notoriously brutal medieval lord who fought against the Turks in the 15th century.It is a complex tale and ranges for over 700 pages, but for those who enjoy a good vampire story, or who are keen to read about the eternal conflict between librarians and researchers (I’m not making this up), it’s worth the effort.

[ldvoorberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Difficult to get into at first, and a bit confusing with the levels of meta-narrative, but overall a captivating gothic story written in a descriptive style not often seen in contemporary literature. Especially enjoyable if you loved Dracula by Bram Stoker.

[asheley-627878 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is an okay story buried in almost 1000 pages of very descriptive language. I thought it was okay, but I didn't love it. This disappoints me, because I thought for sure that this would be a book that I could fall into and enjoy for a long time.I can tell that the author did a ton of research, and her attention to detail is really impressive. But there was so much of it-even for me. The characters do a lot of traveling throughout the narrative, and each different place arrives with long descriptions of buildings, roads, and people. This book doesn't really feature vampires (sadly); rather, this story follows a group of historians that are on the hunt for Dracula and Dracula-related things.Audiobook Notes: I alternated reading my paperback with listening to the audiobook. The audio is really lovely. Both of the narrators read well and have wonderfully beautiful accents. But in listening, I found it tough to keep up with the story because of all of the description, so many names, and the nonlinear timeline. I won't rule out rereading this one in a few years, but I'm almost certain that when I do, it will be using a physical copy only. This audiobook is just far too long for me, which is something I have never felt before.Title: The Historian by Elizabeth KostovaNarrators: Justine Eyre & Paul MichaelLength: 26 hours, 5 minutes, UnabridgedPublisher: Random House Audio

[tmph_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Vampires. Slow. Choppy. Stupid. Not for me.

[farree_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, ye gods!! What a tale! Make sure you have a reliable atlas (I suggest either National Geographic's or the Reader's Digest Wide World Atlas) - of course, these days, there is always wikipedia. This book will teach you more about Romania and Bulgaria (and southern France) than you might believe is possible, especially if you are a map freak. Most of the locations described in the book turn out to actually exist! (Who knew?) The story, characterization, plot, and all the rest are quite entertaining, I find (if occasionally just a little overwriten), but, in general, this should keep the reader entertained over many a long, cold, October night!! I give it -

[texascheeseman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The HistorianAuthor: Elizabeth KostovaPublisher: Little, Brown, and CompanyPublishing Date: 2005Pgs: 642Dewey: F KOSDisposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX_________________________________________________REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERSSummary:History and folklore of Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia, the Impaler. Three narratives follow the lives of Rossi, Paul and Hellen, and their daughter as they are drawn into the hunt for the truth and then the hunt for Dracula through history and into the present. Weaves together Istambul, the south of France, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia, telling the story of the hunt, the hunter and the hunted, though they switch places a few times._________________________________________________Genre:GothicAdventureDetectiveTravelogueHistoricalEpistolaryHistoric thrillerHorrorVampireWhy this book:Dracula_________________________________________________Favorite Character:I didn’t trust Turgut at first. It was very deus ex machina him being in that particular Instanbul cafe at that particular time with access to the ancient archive that our heroes needed access to. Though, of course, he is a member of the Janissaries who oppose the Order of the Dragon. It’s his business to know who is looking for the vampire, The Vampire.Favorite Scene:Hell yeah, Helen. (When you get to this scene, you’ll know.)Hmm Moments:I begin to wonder if the Historian was what...who I thought it was? Hmmm.So the dragon books are an invitation to a deeper mystery. And those who take it up become more than peripherally on Dracula’s radar. A tryout. A competition. And the winner gets...an eternity of horror. WTF Moments:Camping outdoors in the ruins of Dracula’s castle...what could possibly go wrong?Meh / PFFT Moments:Replaying the Tagoviste tryst and visit from both perspectives separately is filler and doesn’t add anything but page count. Oh yeah...strange encampments in the deep mountain woods of Transylvania, let’s just walk up on them in the middle of the night and ask them what’s going on. What could possibly go wrong?The Sigh:Began to get the Oprah effect. And you get a dragon book, and you get a dragon book, and you get a dragon book...a ha ha._________________________________________________Pacing:The father’s reluctance to tell his daughter the story drags on the pacing in the early part of the story.I almost put the book down. AS her father tells the story of his mentor Rossi, there is a building sense of anxiety, desperation, and suspense. But with only two “events” in the first 70-ish pages, I almost gave up on the book.Last Page Sound:Wait...that’s it? There needed to be a bit more to that climax.Questions I’m Left With:So...were the monks in the south of France vampires too?What happened to the vampire librarian from Oxford?Author Assessment:The prose is well constructed. It is well balanced. _________________________________________________

[lokidragon · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not a big fan of this book. Good character development, but lacking in pace. I got the feeling that the author started writing this book then halfway through realized that she had spent way to much time on verbiage and didn't know how to end it. The first 3/4 of the book is a slow, slow burn, leaving the final 1/4 of the book and the ending to feel out of place and rushed. Very disappointed, as I really tried to like it because of the subject.

[gakgakg-887519 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was hard to get into, hard to keep reading, and difficult to finish. The characters weren't particularly likeable, so I wondered why I was spending so much time with them. Guess it's just that I'm a huge Dracula fan and the weather's cold and it was a free book. But I can't say that I would recommend it to anyone. Definitely NOT a page-turner.

[drapple_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an exhaustive update of the Dracula story. Unfortunately, exhaustive is the key word. The story went on and on and on. The characters are likable and the story engaging, but it was just too long.

[brandyluther-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Easily one of my favorite books. I loved the history, diverse travel, and intricate plot. A rewarding page turner! The book keeps you interested to the last page and the ending does not disappoint.

[a1stitcher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is quite different from my usual reading material. I found it a bit slow going in spots as it is very dense, packed with information. The ending was disappointing as I expected more drama.
It is a pretty amazing piece of work for a first novel!

[geza.tatrallyay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written, interesting perspective on Vlad the Impaler. Good research into the history of that part of the world.

[zoes_human · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I must confess to a strong subjective bias with this book. It is the most recent of the books my husband and I have read to one another, so my love of our bonding and tradition may have transferred onto the story.Regardless, its lovely prose contributed to an atmosphere which was dark and mysterious in an elegant old-fashioned way. The meticulously researched history and rich description gave it a sense of reality despite it existing in the vampire genre. One could almost believe.The love story I could have lived without, but it was tolerable and only caused eye-rolling two or three times.

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book had a lot of potential. It just fell really flat for me. The premise was interesting and it started off fine. The narrator switched between father and daughter points of view. But, as the father's story was developing, the daughter would pop up to remind you she existed, then disappeared again. It was more of a distraction than anything else. The author had one of the greatest villains to work with and the "horror" she came up with was, well, not very horrifying. And the ending was a let down.

[julesgdside · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was a good start and then it went on to become a boring lecture. I skimmed through the last 20% of the book.

[nittnut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm really not into vampires. That said, I thought the story was fascinating. I like the history behind the vampire legends.

[amylee39 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Just meh. The production was cheesy.

[arthistorychick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is, hands down, the single best vampire book on the market.