Dracula

[BlackInk]

Would you let a 9 year old read Bram Stoker's Dracula?

It's a long time since I read it, but from memory the 'raunchy' bits are implied rather than explicit. I'm not concerned about him getting scared as he's very able to separate fiction from reality. Generally in life anything 'inappropriate' just goes straight over his head.

He has a reading age of 16+ and has read the Lord of the Rings books, so I'm sure he could understand it. Just wondering whether content-wise he might be a bit young?

Reason this has come up is because he's been reading the Skulduggery Pleasant books and interested in finding out more about vampires :)

My ten year old read it, but found lots of it pretty dry - he was a bit young for the format to make sense really.

Letters and diary entries are a bit old school.

The raunchy bits I suspect he skipped or went over his head.

Carmilla is far worse on that front.

I'd probably try to get hold of an illustrated version, or wait a bit. Mine had read LOTR too, but that's a much more straightforward format.

Thank you - I suspect you're right that he's more likely to find it dull in places than disturbing!

Agree I think he'll find it boring! But you never know.

I read it for the first time in my early teens - maybe 12/13 - and I was terrified! But then I'm a huge wuss!

I was in year 6 when I read it and I absolutely loved it!

I see no problem. It is quite tame compared to vampires in movies. Also suggest “Supernatural Guides: Vampires, Werewolves & Demons” if still can get a copy!

it terrified me as an adult , it depends on your child though

There's a book called Room 13 by Robert Swindells set in Whitby with "a vampire" in it that he will probably enjoy more.
DD read Dracula for GCSE and found it dull so I can't see a younger reader enjoying it much...