Classics of Horror: Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

By: James Krasner, The Great Courses

Narrated by: James Krasner

Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

A reanimated corpse lumbering from the shadows with outstretched arms. A vampire creeping toward a bared throat with fangs exposed. A scientist’s brutish alter ego stalking the shadows of gas-lit London. Chances are that you’re familiar with the literary monsters of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—even if you haven’t read the novels that portray them.

In Classics of Horror: Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, James Krasner, an expert in Victorian literature, takes you on a fascinating journey into the enduring power of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You’ll learn how these three literary masters structured their novels to offer not only scares but also complex insights into cultural debates that still matter to us today. What responsibilities do scientists owe to their discoveries, and is there such a thing as going too far? What anxieties about gender and sexuality do we still share with Victorian readers? Can literature help us answer questions about crime, identity, and the nature of evil?

By the end of this uncanny Audible Original, you’ll have a richer appreciation for these classics of horror—whether you’ve read them before or are encountering them for the first time.

©2024 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2024 Audible Originals, LLC.

Introducing Some Very Influential Characters

This short Great Courses book gives an introduction to three of the great early horror stories—Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Each story gets two lectures in which the author tries to give some understanding into why and how the books were written and why they have been impactful. It is not a particularly detailed account but if you've enjoyed the novel or wondered why you keep seeing characters based on them in movies, television, and literature, you’ll find this book is worth reading.

If there is a problem with this collection of lectures, it is that only two chapters are dedicated to each book. This keeps the analysis at a very introductory level, and when talking about legacy, it almost assures you that the book or movie you are thinking of that was influenced by these stories will not be mentioned. Take Dracula, for example. There are probably tens of thousands of vampire stories now (if not more) that probably would never have seen the light of day without Bram Stoker’s book. And the same can be said for both of the others. And yet, Krasner is right. Three books written in a style that is a bit slow moving by today’s standards, have inspired a kaleidoscope of wonderful (and not so wonderful) modern works that have engaged and entertained tens of millions of readers and viewers. These lectures provide a good introduction to the original characters.

Too many spoilers

It’s allot of comparing the works to other works. In doing so, he is giving spoilers to other books I haven’t read yet but planned to read. He recognizes this and even says sorry for the spoilers at one point. I would steer clear here.

Looking forward to hearing more from Dr Krasner

I was glad to see a second audible original / great courses teamup from Dr Krasner. Hope there's more in store!

Interesting weave of history & horror stories

Presentation was a little flat. And yet, the the author provided interesting background on the times & social morays of each tale. He also showed us examples of how the three authors constructed their monsters given their own times and perhaps thoughts about masculinity.

Thank you Audible for the Halloween treat!

Somewhat interesting but a stretch

This was a semi-interesting analysis of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Jekyll/Hyde. It did provide some insights and more detail as to what was going on in each. I certainly got pseudo-political and societal aspects from Dracula that I hadn't previously.

That being said, the author strains to find insights even where they don't exist. In particular, it seems that he felt it crucial to find feminist or misogynistic aspects to each, whether they're really there or not. Some of these were really a stretch. Then, to further stretch the point, he references various movie adaptations and vaguely related books to demonstrate. In these cases, he's not really bringing these 'big 3' books to light -- he's postulating on how MUCH later authors and moviemakers used similar characters or ideas.

Dracula is not boring

This is a pretty solid and interesting discussion of these three texts, especially if you’re into literary analysis. He does a nice job of not going too far into identity and sexuality politics as well. My big quibble with him is his too insistent refrain that Dracula is a boring book. If you have not read Dracula, don’t listen to him. It’s a great read and probably an even better listen!

Just ok

Why not enjoy a bit of background on those three novels during spooky season.
Allegations of the authors speaking to social issues likely overblown.
Some mildly interesting context, indicating connections to events and people of the era. But not fascinating. Basically what you'd expect in a literature lecture.

Excellent

Excellent lecture on these iconic novels. I appreciated the attention to detail and the accessibility

There are ways to teach books you don’t like…

…That still prioritizes a student’s learning rather than the teacher’s ego. It’s a shame this teacher didn’t try any of them. Most of this course is a moderately interesting if shallow look at these important books. The Dracula section however…well it’s hard to get much of anything from it with the teacher reminding you every few minutes how boring he finds the book. It's fine to have preferences, but when the professor makes their own dislike the most important thing for a student to learn about a classic, influential novel, that's a problem and a waste of everyone's energy. Currently this is free so if you’re new to the topic it may be worth a listen. Otherwise save your time and find one of the many better options out there. For Dracula in particular, I'd suggest Audible's own dramatized edition featuring a host of excellent voice actors (Tim Curry being likely the most recognizable name) bringing to life the letters, journal entries, and other "documentation" that make up the novel.

The classic monsters

I found this lecture was such a bore. The subject was excellent. again. these guys need to stop reading and start producing a better product to keep people's interest.