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Editorial Review Product Description
Kindle edition of Bram Stoker's classic work. Includes an active table of contents.Amazon.com Review
Dracula is one of the few horror books to be honored byinclusion in the Norton Critical Edition series. (The others areFrankenstein, The Turn of the Screw, Heart ofDarkness, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and TheMetamorphosis.) This 100th-anniversary edition includes not onlythe complete authoritative text of the novel with illuminatingfootnotes, but also four contextual essays, five reviews from the timeof publication, five articles on dramatic and film variations, andseven selections from literary and academic criticism. Nina Auerbachof the University of Pennsylvania (author of Our Vampires,Ourselves) and horror scholar David J. Skal (author of Hollywood Gothic,The MonsterShow, and Screams of Reason) are the editors of thevolume. Especially fascinating are excerpts from materials that BramStoker consulted in his research for the book, and his working papersover the several years he was composing it. The selection of criticismincludes essays on how Dracula deals with female sexuality,gender inversion, homoerotic elements, and Victorian fears of"reverse colonization" by politically turbulentTransylvania. ... Read more Customer Reviews (450) 
awesome
This was one of the best books that I had to read for anthro. Keeps you interested about what's going to happen next. Very interesting and a good book
WOW!Fantastic!
Just reading Count Dracula's greeting, "Welcome to my house.Come freely.Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring!" gave me chills as well as fantastically visual descriptions of the Count and the atmosphere.I was also glad that I had not had much exposure to the diluted, popularized versions of Vampire movies and contemporary Vampire trends, therefore was unaffected.This is a fantastically entertaining book, and not only about the Vampire but actually more about the characters and the culture, and the journal style of narratives by different characters works very well to really capture the experiences of horror, valor,faith, and intelligence of the characters. I actually think that Mina is the most interesting one that has multiple and sophisticated elements---somewhat of a martyr, ideal Victorian woman, and at the same time with a sharp analytical and investigave mind-- which is rather surprising considering the Victorian culture.The writing is so beautiful and clever that extreme violence, gore and sexuality that could have easily been over the top, are not disruptive of the story, or of the underlying concepts of eternal life through Christ's blood and the eternal youth and life through destruction.What a great treat!
"For the dead travel fast"
Surprisingly "Denn die Toten reiten schnell" or "For the dead travel fast" is more than an opening line to this tale of love in the dangerous moon light. After watching several Drac movies and a few Nosferatu's, I pretty much though I had a handle on the genera.Little did I know what a wonderful world of mystery and suspense that Bram Stoker opened up for me.
The story is told mostly third party though the papers, diaries, and phonograph recordings (on wax cylinders) of those people involve in a tale so bizarre that it almost defies belief.The general story line is that of a Count that plans to move to a more urban setting (from Borgo Pass to London) where there is a richer diet. There he finds succulent women; something he can sing his teeth in. Unfortunately for him a gang of ruffians (including a real-estate agent, asylum director, Texas cowboy and an Old Dutch abnormal psychologist) is out to detour his nocturnal munching.They think they have Drac on the run but with a wing and a prayer he is always one step ahead.
Of more value to the reader is the rich prose chosen by Stoker as he describes the morals and technology of the time. We have to come to grips with or decide if we can perform the rituals that are required to eliminate vampires verses the impropriety of opening graves and staking loved ones. The powers in the book differ from the movie versions in that they are more of persuasion and capabilities to manipulate the local weather. At one point the Dutch Dr. Van Helsing, is so overwhelmed by a beautiful vampire laying in the grave that he almost for gets why he is there and may become vamp chow.
All in all the story is more in the cunning chase. And the question as to will they succeed or will Dracula triumph.Remember "For the dead travel fast."
Dracula
Past its prime and victorian to boot!
I don't especially care for scary movies or books, so I've avoided this book over the years. However, with the preponderance of vampire lit in our culture I thought I'd finally crack the binding of this book. I didn't find it particularly spine-chilling or evocative-- perhaps I'm deadened to such paltry imagery summoned here compared with our modern mediums. Still, the plot was decent and as the progenitor of so much culture within the hoi polloi it is consistent with the recommendation of a must read.
Reads Better Than Most Modern Horror
Please read this instead of these wonky modern vampire books. Although it was written in the 19th century it flows in a modern way and the first 50 pages are the best opening of any book in horror history.
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