I just finished the book yesterday. As far as classics go, I think Dracula holds up better than most.

The book provides a really good window into the world of 1897. Blood transfusions had been around long enough to be widely known, but were still considered dangerous. Blood types hadn't been discovered yet. Telephones had only existed for 20 years, and weren't widely available. So this was the peak era of the telegraph. Society and culture placed high value on excellence. The concept of dressing down (clothing, language, standards) was absurd. It was unthinkable to involve women in dangerous affairs.