Why you should read Dracula and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
This Halloween season, you should read Dracula and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. These dark mystery classics are entertaining and suspenseful, holding up well to modern sensibilities. Even if you don’t end up reading both of these books, I hope the comparison makes you curious enough to pick up at least one.
Why pair Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel Dracula with Agatha Christie’s detective novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd? Although technically different genres, both books have a similar feel where the story is told from the perspective of the characters narrating as they work to unravel a mysterious murder. They also both feature plot twists that are so famous that the reader is likely to know them ahead of time. And even with this built-in spoiler, the books are so well-written and engaging that they’re still definitely worth reading.
Because of the way Dracula has ingrained himself into our collective consciousness, one can forget that the twist in the novel is that Count Dracula is a vampire. The shock is reading that the Count signs off a letter as “Your Friend, Dracula” and that the characters are completely happy with their lovely new foreign neighbor for most of the book. While reading Dracula, it’s also fun seeing what powers the eponymous vampire had compared to the vampires we know today. It’s also a joy that this 1897 novel has satisfyingly well-written female characters. Lucy receives three marriage proposals from her roster, says yes to the one she loves, and stays mutually platonic friends with the two she rejects. Mina is intelligent and central to solving the investigation; the men leaving her behind for her safety is a tragic mistake that almost causes their entire hunt for Dracula to fail. They only succeed in destroying the vampire when they bring her along. Also, a shoutout to Quincey Morris—the most ‘Murican man a European author could dream up—a rich Texan who always talks like a cowboy. Starring the original vampire, Dracula is a thrilling adventure you should definitely read!
Published in 1926, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of Agatha Christie’s most famous novels, as it features the incredible plot twist that the narrator was the murderer all along. Even knowing this ahead of time, the reader spends the entire book wondering how in the world the unreliable narrator pulled it off. This story features the famed detective Hercule Poirot as he solves the murder by untangling a complex web of deceit and mixed motivations. The narrator plays a Watson-like role by assisting Poirot and writing the account of the detective’s investigation. It is uniquely fascinating to follow this unreliable narrator and, even knowing he did it, try and figure out how. Like all of Christie’s tales, the novel features an intense delve into the personalities and motivations of the characters that draw you in, as Poirot uncovers their secrets and lies that may or may not be relevant to the murder case. The author’s personal knowledge of poisons from her time working in a hospital’s dispensary in both World Wars is on display, adding another dimension to the detail she imbues into her mysteries. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a wonderful detective story that serves as a gateway to the rest of Christie's work and the other Poirot stories.
Although very different, Dracula and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd are intriguing and suspenseful classical mystery novels. Whether you want to read the original vampire novel or one of the foundational stories in detective fiction, I highly recommend you pick up one of these fantastic books. Happy Halloween!