Book Review: Vlad - The Epic Novel of The Real Dracula - C.C. Humphreys

Although synonymous with vampires, the use of the name Dracula by Bram Stoker for his 1897 novel was just that; the use of a name. It would appear that Stoker knew little or nothing of the life of the 15th Century prince of Wallachia, Vlad III, known by both friends and enemies as Vlad "The Impaler".

C.C. Humphreys, in his novel Vlad sets attempts to set the life of Vlad III in it's historical context. The novel is set within a trial which hopes to re-establish the prince as a hero of Christendom, rather than as a monster. His story is told from the perspective of three witnesses, the people who knew Vlad best; his lover, his best friend and his confessor.

Each witness adds to part of the tale. They tell of Vlad's time as a youth at the Ottoman court where he is a hostage against his father's good behaviour, and where he learns the art of torture and cruelty, including the "art" of impaling. We see him seizing his father's crown as Prince of Wallachia, and his lifelong crusade against the Ottomans. Finally we see his enemies on all sides conspire to bring him down and yet, even humbled, he is feared by many but still loved by some.

The novel doesn't attempt to paint Dracula as some sort of misrepresented and maligned saint, but rather explores the possible influences which led him to commit some barbaric atrocities. Neither, in the end does it provide an answer as to whether Dracula was a patriot and saint, or a psychopathic monster; it is left up to the reader to decide. The book also doesn't seek to explain whether Vlad's atrocities were the work of madness or Machiavellian calculation. It seems to me that at different times both are set out as possibilities.

I am not sure whether I actually "enjoyed" this novel, nevertheless it was interesting and I found myself engrossed and caught up in the story. The descriptions of impaling were graphic and haunted me for a long time afterwards, however, I would not accuse the author of being gratuitous. At times I found the character of Vlad coming across as admirable, and I could empathise, or at least sympathise with his situation. I think the descriptions of impaling would then bring me up short, and I would be forced to reassess how I felt about him.

I would recommend this book to others, although there is little or nothing here for the fan of the Vampire genre. This is a work of fiction which sets out to fill the gaps in the, admittedly poor, historical records, nevertheless it is as far as I can tell, well researched. In the end the novel does not present us with any conclusions about the man Vlad Tepes, but the reader can begin to understand why he is considered a national hero for many Romanians.

If you would like to read Vlad, you can purchase a copy from Amazonalternatively, if you have a Kindle you can download it here.