it’s becoming a tradition of mine to read bram stoker’s dracula in the winter holidays. i can’t quite remember when it began, maybe four or five years ago. but, once a year whenever it starts to get really cold out and i have enough time to get in a headspace where i can get lost in the story again and again i treat myself to becoming lost in the story (usually right before i go to sleep just to creep myself out a little). i guess it began when i’d come to stay with my brother in melbourne during the winter holidays and the cold, short, wintery days would really emphasise the dark, gothic feeling of the novel and its intense characters. a couple of years back i timed it just right so that i was reading it during a series of long train trips through the vast snowy landscapes of poland and the czech republic whilst on holiday in europe. it was brilliant. i was reading passages about jonathan harker’s ominous journey by horse-drawn coach through the dark transylvanian wilderness towards count dracula’s castle, whilst outside snow would buffet against the train’s window in the night.

now that winter has once again gripped us and the trees have nearly lost all their leaves there’s only one thing for me to do…