I scare easily. Chalk it up to vivid imagination. As a result, I don’t like the horror genre for the most part. But I guess the impetus that drives other people to scary stories and death-defying rollercoaster rides is still present in me, because I do enjoy atmospheric and haunting tales, like “The Uninvited” (a 1944 haunted house movie) or “All Souls’” (the last entry in “The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton” (1997)).

“The Historian” succeeds admirably in creating a haunting, creepy mood without crossing the line into all-out horror. Particularly in the first half of the novel, the author slowly crafts the atmosphere through a series of eerie incidents. For example, early in the novel the protagonist Paul and his daughter are traveling in Europe, and at an outdoor cafe he tells her part of his experience with vampires. They’re both spooked already (and the reader along with them). Then a native artist walks up and tries to sell them a portrait he painted of them. The daughter notices in the painting a dark figure dressed in black sitting at the table behind them; but she distinctly remembers that table had been empty the entire time they were at lunch.

The second half the novel is less about spooky moments and more of a dark adventure interspersed with a lot of history. Indeed, Kostova has incorporated an amazing amount of historical information into the story. You might say this book is the “DaVinci Code” of Dracula.

Kostova is also a master of ending the chapter on a dramatic high, leaving the reader thirsting for more. Yeah, this is one of those books I stayed up too late reading because I had to know what happened next.

But! The pacing of this book is VERY slow, and it does not speed up as the book progresses. It … is … slow. It will take a relatively dedicated reader to plod through the whole damn thing. Or a willingness to skim. Is it worth it?

Kostova backs herself into a narrative corner. Because she spends so much of the novel building up the villain, it’s virtually impossible for the villain or the dramatic climax to meet our expectations. And indeed, when I finally met him and proceeded through the climactic scenes, I felt let down. Don’t get me wrong – the book had a satisfying ending. I was just expecting (hoping for?) more.

That’s my major criticism. A minor criticism concerns the plot structure. Several viewpoint characters contribute to the story in flashbacks scenes (via letters, postcards, etc.) that the protagonist’s daughter is reading. The daughter (whose role is so unforgettable I can’t even remember her name) seems to be the protagonist herself, but ultimately, she doesn’t actually DO anything over the course of the story.

She’s just a plot device – and that’s my criticism. Except for the very end, the whole story takes place in someone else’s past. The story would feel more balanced if the “present day” characters (the daughter and her companion Barley) had beefier, more integral storylines.

Ultimately, don’t read this story for the characters. Don’t even read it for the history (unless you absolutely adore fifteenth century Central European history, with emphasis on pilgrimage routes). But do pick up “The Historian” if you enjoy the same kind of atmospheric supernatural story-telling I do. Although the atmosphere begins to dissipate about mid-way through, by that point the plot should have you hooked.