Dracula Published

[Freelander Sporrano]

On this day in 1897 Bram Stokers Dracula went on sale in London

One of my Favourite books and I've seen most of the films too

[sirdaniel1975]

Cool historical tidbit.

[Panache]

A great story.

The horror genre has few great novels written before the dawn of the 20th Century. Stoker's Dracula remains one of the most influencial, readable, and enjoyable.

Cheers

Jamie

[Jack Daw]

I've been a fan of the Universal and Hammer films for years, and also a few TV productions, but I admit to not having read the Stoker book. Which visual production comes closest to the novel?

[IrishGodfather]

I love Bram Stocker's Dracula. That books is amazing, but I haven't read it in about 4 or 5 years. I also like the movie made by Francis Ford Coppola in the 90's starring Keanu Reeves.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I've been a fan of the Universal and Hammer films for years, and also a few TV productions, but I admit to not having read the Stoker book. Which visual production comes closest to the novel?

Probably the closest to the feel of Stoker's novel is F.W.Murnau's NOSFERATU filmed in Germany in 1922 and starring Max Schreck as the Count. Stoker's estate actually sued the producers over it. In 1979 Werner Hertzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, starring Klaus Kinski as the vampire count, hit the silver screen. A superb remake of the 1922 original it puts Coppola's film in the dust bin (where, arguably, it belongs).

John Malkovich did a later version of the story, this time set around the filming of the 1922 version. Clever, and the sort of thing to see after you've seen the original film. It's not Bram Stoker's "Dracula", but is is an interesting take on the vampire genre.

[Amoskeag]

I read this only this past winter. It was discussed on NPR and I felt I needed to read it as it's one of classics that one should read. I'm very glad that I did Early 19th C fiction is somewhat verbose; why use 3 words when 976 words will suffice. This is typical of the later style not unlike Conan-Doyle and to me a much nicer read. I'm afraid that I'm just too impatient for the romantic stuff.
Bob

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

When it came out Stoker's novel was considered shocking by some, due to his use of the epistolary style-- many Victorians thought it too voyeuristic for "polite" reading. Others (and that was about 99.44/100ths of his readers) found it simply breath taking. A bit old fashioned by today's standards, it is still a great read.

[Panache]

When it came out Stoker's novel was considered shocking by some, due to his use of the epistolary style-- many Victorians thought it too voyeuristic for "polite" reading...

And nowdays the epistolary style is seen as too old fashioned.


Dracula still rewartds the careful and patient reader with some great chills.

Cheers

Jamie

[Jimmy]

If you are ever in Dublin then visit St. Michan's Church, just off the City Centre where Bram Stoker worshipped. Underneath the church are catacombs and vaults with mummified corpses dating back from the times of the crusades. These well preserved bodies are there for you to see but not touch, bodies lying in open coffins in deep underground vaults are not for the squeamish and my theory is part of the vampire legend may have originated here and then supplemented by the Transylvanian blood thirsty Count.