On the long flight back from Perth recently, I got stuck into Elizabeth Kostova's book The Historian. With a title like that, it had to be worth reading! I had heard good things, and it was indeed an engrossing read. It's basically a re-telling of the story of Dracula, recounted through a family quest across centuries and continents. Along the way, there are plenty of gothic chills, romantic sub-plots and sweeping historical narratives (for people who like that kind of thing). It's a kind of like The Da Vinci Code would have been if it was well-written, historically informed, and not blindingly predictable. My only quibble is that at times I thought it took itself a bit too seriously... perhaps it's just my disturbing sense of humour, but I see obvious comic potential in the subject of the search for Dracula! Overall, though, I recommend it.
Perhaps not as late-night reading for beautiful young maidens, though!
