Dracula

Dracula's reputation precedes it, and that's a big problem. Luckily, the novel at least manages to deliver on spooky atmosphere-- it's no surprise that this was a groundbreaking and shocking novel when it was published over a century ago, with it's violent and paranormal content. Unfortunately, these details don't hit that hard when you take the novel as a whole because they are overshadowed by many drawn-out passages that leave the reader yawning and wondering when they will reach the next exciting scene. I may not read Dracula again anytime soon, but the next time I do I will likely reach for an abridged version.