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Dracula (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) [NOOK Book]
( 43604 )
Upon its publication in 1897, Bram Stoker's Dracula was seen as nothing more than a slightly cheesy thriller, if an unusually successful one. Most such "shilling shockers" were forgotten within a year or two. But this one was different: Over the course of the next century Count Dracula, the aristocratic vampire, left his natural habitat between the pages of a book and insinuated himself into the world's consciousness as few other fictional characters haveever done. Now, more than a hundred years after his appearance in print, Dracula has shed the status of "fictional character" altogether and has become an authentic modern myth.
Why has this odd and terrifying figure exerted such a hold on our collective imagination? Why does the image of the vampire both attract and repel, in apparently equal measure? If, as has been argued, Dracula owes its success to its reflection of specific anxieties within the culture, why then has its power continued unabated throughout more than a century of unprecedented social change? Late-Victorian anxieties and concerns were rather different from our own, yet the lure of the vampire and the persistence of his image seem as strong as ever.
Dracula's durability may in part be due to Tod Browning's 1931 film, for when most people think of the character, it is Bela Lugosi's portrayal that springs to mind. But in spite of memorable performances by Lugosi and by Dwight Frye as Renfield, the film is awkward and clunky, even laughable in parts; in terms of shocking, terrible, and gorgeous images, it cannot compare with the novel that inspired it. It is hard to believe that, on its own, it would have created such an indelible impact.
Once Dracula became lodged in the popular imagination, it began to accrue ever-new layers of meaning and topicality. The novel has provided rich material for every fad and fancy of twentieth-century exegesis. It has been deconstructed by critics of the Freudian, feminist, queer theory, and Marxist persuasions, and has had something significant to offer each of these fields. Today, in the age of AIDS, the exchange of blood has taken on a new meaning, and Dracula has taken on a new significance in its turn. For post-Victorian readers, it has been a little too easy to impose a pat "Freudian" reading on the novel, in which the vampire represents deviant, dangerous sexuality, while the vampire-hunters stand for sexual repression in the form of bourgeois marriage and overly spiritualized relationships. This interpretation certainly contains a large element of truth, but the novel's themes are much richer and more complex than such a reading might suggest.
Readers coming to Dracula for the first time should try to peel away the layers of preconception that they can hardly help bringing to the novel. We should try to forget Bela Lugosi; we should try to forget easy (and anachronistic) Freudian cliches; we should put out of our minds all our received twentieth- and twenty-first-century notions of friendship and love, both heterosexual and homosexual. If we let the novel stand on its own, just as it appeared to Bram Stoker's contemporaries in the last years of the Victorian era, what exactly do we find?
BookFan7
Posted September 7, 2010
This was one of the first books I downloaded to my new Nook (admittedly because it was free at the time, but I was intrigued). I love a good scary read and thought this would be a great book to break-in my Nook on. I wasn't disappointed. Leave any movie visions you have behind and let your imagination run wild. It was a facinating read with several climaxes that keep you on edge. Definitely not what I expected, but in a good way. Enjoy!
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 23, 2010
This is the original but it is definitely the best. Many people who are used to reading Stephanie Meyer and other modern vampire authors may be disappointed as they will be forced to think about what they are reading in Stoker's Dracula. I have always had this on my "to read" list. I am very sorry I waited this long to pick it up. I read it almost straight through and now my 9th grader is reading it. At over 100 years old, there are language and expressions used that you may need to think about but most can be taken contextually. It should not present much of a problem for those who are willing to look things up or ponder for a moment before pressing on. There are some very tense and scary moments in the story. It is set up as a series of journal entries from the diaries of each of the characters (except for Dracula himself). I actually found this setup to be most entertaining. Stoker developed the characters thoroughly via this avenue. It is an excellent book -- a timeless classic that everyone should read.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 8, 2010
I just started reading this one and so far I can't put it down.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 23, 2010
I remember picking up this book from the library in high school and not getting past page one. Ten years later, I could not put the book down. This is truly THE vampire tale. This is where all modern vampire tales come from. I am a Buffy and Twilight fan but they do not hold a candle (or a stake) to this classic. Once you get to page ten, you will not be able to stop. Highly recommended.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Bram Stoker's Dracula is unique in its approach to writing. It is original in its style and storytelling concept. As introduced at the beginning of the novel, it is portrayed to be a stake of journals, diaries, letters, and recordings, placed in a particular order that will tell the story of Count Dracula and the characters involvement with him. This is unique and enjoyable. When the source changes from letter to diary to journal etc, then the style and voice and perspective also change to the point that one forgets that Bram Stoker is the sole author. After seeing Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie and the initial love story, back story, and Dracula's motivation for coming to London the book is deficient. The ending of the movie of course provides for an ongoing story or sequel. The book just abruptly ends and you are left with a "is that all" feeling. Character development is shallow but there are moments of brilliance in scenic description and allusion. Vampire lore and abilities are defined and there are moments of pure evil. No sparkling in the sunlight. No pretty boys with gorgeous eyes. No modern day "you would if you loved me" BS. Just plain, straight up horror and creepiness. Though very very subtle the sexual undercurrent can be pronounced. Freud, who is reported to have analyzed Dracula, saw it and most modern readers will too. The sexual scenes and tension was palpable in the movie and could be even more. I guess this is one of the facets of vampirism that is appealing to modern teens and writers. The book is a good easy read and has several genius moments of description and visualization that every one should read once. This is still the FIRST true vampire novel that has influenced the world. One could say that Dracula is to vampirism as Elvis is to rock and roll. No one hardly remembers what happened before but the phenomenon that is still raging now owes everything to this world changing pioneer. The thing that stands out even now as I am writing this review is how Bram Stoker changed voice and style and meter when he changed characters. By the middle of the book you could tell who's letter or journal or diary you were reading by the way it was written and the way it sounded; very talented and insightful author.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I recently purchased this book after going years without reading it. This is a classic novel. By an underrated author bram stoker who died in povertyand enver saw the books impact or success. By using vlad the impaler and elizabeth bathery as inspiration he creates a misty world of supernatural romanticism. Dracula as a creature of the night in thrilling action sequences is just what you need sometimes. he writing style in this book is along dead form but it works well with dracula.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 3, 2012
If your reading this book you should stop now cuz later yer gunna find out that this wuz a really dum book and you have jus wasted yor time so jus take my advice and stop !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 31, 2012
If you are a fan of modern day horror or vampire stories, you owe it to yourself to read the father of them all. The language is old, but the story is timeless. I have already re-read it once and probably will again someday.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 29, 2012
Outstanding.this is one of my fav books i reccomend it to anyone that likes these types of books. XD
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 28, 2012
Just the thought that my great grandmother could have read this book back before the turn of the century was enough to spark my immediate interest. Then after reading a few pages....i couldnt put it down. I very much enjoyed the book literally and symbolically.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 28, 2012
SSSSCCCCAAAARRRRYYYY
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2012
Its always been one of my favorite movies. The plot is quite different but amazing nonetheless. I love the language. I was lost as much in that as i was the plot.
After reading this: how perfect was hopkins for the role of vanhelsing!?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2012
Perhaps there is a tenth of the book that drags, and some thick-written accenrs for passing characters is rough to read, but on the whole this novel is impossible to put down. The links to appendices work well and serve to inform of archaic termonology as well as references (remember that while in the appendices you can touch the number of the entry and return back to the page it pulls from, in case the "back" button disappears). Better than the movie, and any vampire fiction I have read or seen.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 24, 2012
Seems boring . Is it. Should i. How do you delete it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 22, 2012
Dracula is an awesome classic. By the time you get to the fourth chapter it starts to get a little creepy. The only thing i dont like about it is that the story is told through diaries and letters. Other than that i reccimend this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 20, 2012
I thought they were here!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 20, 2012
This book is very fun and very mysterious.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 9, 2012
I think its just dumb and im only 9 i havent even read the stupid book yet holly crap people
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Posted February 9, 2012
Poop is th wrong thing to say
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Posted February 9, 2012
Ssssdeeeeeeedddddddseeedseeeesdddfvvvvbb
Csedsggbbgtesstrerrrsrrrrrsrtzrsestx
Overview
Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: