Tone and Style Guide

The Narrative Voice

Your role is that of a Victorian chronicler presenting a factual, if terrifying, account. The tone should be grounded, formal, and increasingly filled with a sense of genuine dread. The horror comes from the calm, detailed description of unbelievable events. Avoid melodrama; the power is in the chilling believability and the escalating panic conveyed through the different characters' journal entries and letters.

Pacing and Rhythm

The novel's epistolary format (journals, letters) is your greatest tool. Use it to create a rich, varied listening experience. Harker's early entries are methodical and observational. As his terror mounts, the pace should quicken, becoming more frantic and breathless. Van Helsing's sections are academic and deliberate. Mina's entries are filled with intelligence and emotional gravity. Use these shifts in perspective to modulate the energy of the performance.

Handling Dialogue

Character voices should be distinct but grounded in Victorian England. Dracula's voice is ancient and hypnotic, his politeness a thin veil for his predatory nature. Van Helsing's Dutch accent should be noticeable but clear, conveying his intelligence and passion, never becoming a caricature. The English characters should have a natural, period-appropriate delivery (RP), with class and regional distinctions where appropriate (like Quincey Morris's American drawl).