Greetings, Dracula readers. As we look forward to May and Jonathan Harker heading east, it's good to see comments on this novel from old friends (hello, Baby Jinx) and new (welcome, Trevor).
What do people have in mind for the count this year?
I'd like to put several options on the table:
- Adding more web 2.0 features - more images (from Flickr), and tags.
- Podcasting some or all of the text. That's right, reading the novel aloud.
- Not doing it at all.
- Links back to previous years' discussions from each post
What says the community? Thoughts, responses, suggestions?.
Pod cast? Please?
Posted by: Ceredwyn Alexander | March 13, 2007 at 08:11 PM
I love the idea of image links and tags, and also the idea of a read-aloud podcast.
Posted by: agentzelda | March 13, 2007 at 09:51 PM
I'd love to see route mapping, possibly using QuikMaps?
Posted by: Steven | March 13, 2007 at 10:23 PM
I dream big. What about a podcast, but with different voice actors recording the different characters' journal entries? Of course, you'd have to find a lot of Brits, then...
Posted by: John Lynch | March 14, 2007 at 12:16 AM
I approve of links back to the same entry in previous years as potentially a way of providing second-order discussion. I also like the podcast idea.
Posted by: Steve B | March 14, 2007 at 02:03 AM
I'm liking the podcast and Flickr image ideas. And route maps are a great suggestion as well! All of these seem like they'd be even more work than just maintaining the blog itself - I'd be more than happy to lend a hand if you need it - just say the word. Otherwise, I'll be very interested to see what develops by May!
Posted by: Andrew | March 14, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Oh, my wife has been listening to a recording of _Dracula_ from LibriVox.
http://librivox.org/
I'm happy to help with podcasting Drac this year if you like.
Posted by: Steve B | March 14, 2007 at 11:59 AM
I will also add a vote for the maps idea, since I love the way the book suggests the routes followed.
Posted by: agentzelda | March 14, 2007 at 08:37 PM
Links back to previous blogs and route maps, please.
Posted by: digbydolben | March 14, 2007 at 08:53 PM
I would quite like to be able to link back to my previous comments, just in case any sort of response / discussion is going on.
Posted by: TrevorGoodchild | March 15, 2007 at 12:44 AM
How about a podcast commentary to go along with the section? Not all entires would be suitable for this, but if someone like Elizabeth was willing to do a few of these, it would be freat.
Flickr photos would be good-maybe people in the UK and other points can be found to take pictures of locations mentioned in the story on the appropriate days.
Links back to old commentary would also be a very good idea.
Posted by: Marty Busse | March 17, 2007 at 03:38 PM
I wouldn't mind doing some running commentary but I could not commit to every date. I am spending the last 2 weeks of May in - you guessed it - Transylvania, a few days in early June in Indianapolis and a week in late June in Idaho. (Vampires - in Idaho, you ask??) And on it goes... See what I mean?
Maybe I could write comments in advance and someone could store and load them as appropriate. I am not an expert on computer technology so someone would have to lead me by the fang.
By the way, the edition of Stoker's Notes that I am working on is almost finished!
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 17, 2007 at 07:03 PM
Another possibility would be to post current events that actually occurred in the real world on the date in question, assuming that the year in which the novel is set is 1893 as Elizabeth believes. It might be interesting to see if there are any points at which events in the real world, such as in England or Transylvania, drive the action in the book. I have no idea whether this is the case or not but it would be interesting to see if anyone has access to physical or online old newspaper clippings from 1893.
Posted by: David40 | March 19, 2007 at 04:56 PM
That's a good idea too! I love timelines, and given that Dracula is so specific about dates, providing a way of linking those dates to specific contexts and events would be useful and interesting! (Even to trends: what did people wear? what did their houses look like?)
Posted by: agentzelda | March 20, 2007 at 08:15 PM
At lest two real newspapers are mentioned in the novel: the Pall Mall Gazette and the Westminster Gazette.
I'll look and see if I can get access to copies of them for the year 1893.
Posted by: Marty Busse | March 24, 2007 at 12:26 AM
If even a fraction of these ideas come to fruition, there's clearly lots to look forward to. Bring on Dracula season!
(I'd also offer my voice if anyone is considering John Lynch's proposal for a multi-voice podcast. I'm not British, but after a couple hours of Masterpiece Theater, I can fake it...)
Posted by: Ella | April 04, 2007 at 12:24 AM
I'm sure any of us could fake British accents as well as Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves in FF Coppola's film! (Or better, recalling Reeves's mightiest of lines.) And anyway, readers need to be able to do Dracula's Eastern European accent, Van Helsing, Quincy.... So Britishness need not be a requirement.
Posted by: agentzelda | April 10, 2007 at 05:16 PM