I read Dracula when I was in high school. I was young and was very into reading, but my English literature book was not only a simplified version of the original novel, but I was also bored to death at the lack of reading materials. Dracula was the first classic I read. It was definitely scary, and the vampire was irredeemable. The things he did to the protagonists were just horrid. Frankenstein's monster was a sad tale, who if given a chance, might had led the story to at least a good ending. Dracula was just eviiiil. He had it coming.
I love most classic horror tales, but my favorite has always been Dracula. People might be hating on villains that are evil for the sake of evil, but Dracula is just a fantastic kind of villain.
Yes, I agree with you. I went back and reread Dracula recently, and I was surprised how many modern vampires and other monsters took their characteristics from him. Of course, Anne Rice made her creatures more complex, so readers could identify with them more. It's too bad Bram Stoker isn't around to give the monster's point of view, but I guess that will remain a mystery for other writers to fill in.