Bram Stoker, "The Mystery of the Sea" St. Petersburg: Subscription Editions/Bookmate, 2024

In some ways, the fame of "Dracula" has done Irish writer Bram Stoker a disservice: readers remember him primarily as the father of the vampire myth in literature, while Stoker is the author of books that deserve no less attention. One of them was translated into Russian for the first time this year. "The Secret of the Sea," written in 1902, is a Gothic novel that transcends the Gothic genre: in addition to a mystical story, it features adventure, riddles, treasure hunts, love, as well as a multi-layered historical backdrop and even politics. Although in the context of modern popular culture (and the news, for that matter), many episodes are no longer perceived as gripping, but rather as naive, this type of reading is essential today: it allows you to completely turn off your brain and simply enjoy the process.
"Everything was calm - so supernaturally calm that the rare sounds grated on the ear."

