Product Description

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries about his client and his castle. Soon afterwards, a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman’s neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the imminent arrival of his ‘Master’. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count Dracula and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2260 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

About the Author
Abraham ‘Bram’ Stoker (1847 – 1912), was always unwell when he was an infant – he couldn't stand up until he was seven years old – yet he became a champion athlete when at university at Trinity College, Dublin. Like so many children whose health is poor Bram had lots of time to read and developed a real passion for literature. After university, Bram followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Irish Civil Service in Dublin. He was soon bored and so built on his love of theatre to become the unpaid drama critic for the Dublin Mail. He met Sir Henry Irving, the most famous actor of the time - the two became friends and from 1878 until Irving’s death in 1905, Bram Stoker’s main job was as the actor’s manager and secretary. At the same time he was working as a writer. He wrote a dozen books but is remembered today for just one – Dracula, published in 1897. It is still regarded as a masterpiece of the macabre with its evil monsters and gripping story-line. Dracula was an immediate success and has remained popular ever since.

Customer Reviews

Grippingly Classic Horror and Engagingly Well-Written Literature
Bram Stoker's gothic thriller, is a dark supernatural horror story that we all know and even if we didn't, draws on all the innate archetypes of fear. The story unfolds for all the human protagonists in apparent innocence, however any disbelief soon is swept away by the horror that they face. Written in diary form, Stoker is able to allow each to describe their own thoughts and fears.

Written over a century ago, Dracula remains as gripping as anything current and indeed more so. Difficult to put down such a tale and yet, well-written. Plumbing the depths of fears of an ever-proliferating foe of seemingly invincible strength, somehow Stoker also evokes in the Vampire hunters human emotions of sadness, hope, despair and courage and yet, seems to do this effortlessly and un-selfconsciously.

This is truly a classic novel which I'd recommend to any lover of such, whether interested in horror fiction or not.

Masterpiece
Bram Stoker's masterpiece is a timeless classic and is still highly recommended even though it's over 100 years old. This was the book which started modern horror fiction and gave birth to vampire mythology. Stoker spend six years assiduously researching this book, which is evident in the staggering detail of the world and characters. It's finely crafted story, writing narrative and eloquent prose (though aged, is unparalleled today), will delight many fans of fiction and especially, fans of vampires.

This book will remain with you for many years after reading. Highly recommended.

Complete and unabridged
My expectation before starting the book was plenty of rather dull, verbose rambling, interspersed with passages which were thrilling and unsettling. However, during the opening few chapters I was utterly drawn in to a ceaselessly intriguing and exciting story. I couldn't believe that the rest of the tale would be so well-paced and relentlessly chilling.

Sadly, it isn't. The opening chapters give the reader some momentum to trudge through the overly long middle section, where there exist a few highlights (A ghost-ship, a lunatic with some very strange habits, a couple of "bites") which aid the story to sputter to the final section, a chase across Europe with, frankly, a rushed ending, and more than enough emotional and religious claptrap for everybody along the way.

However, the style of writing from a variety of different perspectives is enthralling, and it is easy to see why this is a "classic", and though I would certainly recommend an abridged version for the less patient, or younger reader (the pacing would pale beside today's thrillers), its strong start, charming style and intrigue are enough to sate one's literary thirst. For now....