Dracula »

Bram Stoker was the author of The Jewel of the Seven Stars, The Lair of the Whie Worm and several other Gothic novels, as well as numerous short stories and children's fiction. Dracula was by far the author's most significant work, and has since gone on to become one of the world's most popular novels. Patrick McGrath was born in London. He is the author of Blood and Water and Other Tales, The Grotesque, Spider, Asylum, and other novels. He lives in New York City and London. One of the most admired and respected of fantasy artists, Greg Hildebrandt has for over 30 years brought his unique style to the works of J.R.R.R. Tolkein, Edgar Allan Poe, and many others.

The punctured throat, the coffin lid slowly opening, the unholy shriek as the stake pierces the heart—these are just a few of the chilling images Bram Stoker unleashed upon the world with his 1897 masterpiece, Dracula. Inspired by the folk legend of nosferatu, the undead, Stoker created a timeless tale of gothic horror and romance that has enthralled and terrified readers ever since.

A true masterwork of storytelling, Dracula has transcended generation, language, and culture to become one of the most popular novels ever written. It is a quintessential tale of suspense and horror, boasting one of the most terrifying characters ever born in literature: Count Dracula, a tragic, night-dwelling specter who feeds upon the blood of the living, and whose diabolical passions prey upon the innocent, the helpless, and the beautiful. But Dracula also stands as a bleak allegorical saga of an eternally cursed being whose nocturnal atrocities reflect the dark underside of the supremely moralistic age in which it was originally written — and the corrupt desires that continue to plague the modern human condition.

Publishers Weekly

This illustrated adaptation of Bram Stoker's work trades the epistolary nature of the original for a condensed, third-person narration, supplemented by selections from Jonathan Harker's journal entries and from John Seward's memoirs. Hitting the major plot points, like Jonathan's arrival at Dracula's castle and Lucy's frightening transformation, Raven retains much of the subtle terror of Jonathan's imprisonment, while providing Mina with more volition (" ‘Tonight we end this,' added Mina firmly"). Readers will likely be chilled by Gilbert's evocative ink and colored pencil images and drawn to the enigmatic Count, with his long, blond hair and violet eyes. A lavish and accessible retelling. Ages 12-up. (July)

PART I. THE COMPLETE TEXT IN CULTURAL CONTEXT
The Complete Text
Cultural Documents

PART II. A CASE STUDY IN CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM
Gender Criticism
Sos Eltis
Psychoanalytic Criticism
Dennis Foster
New Historicism
Gregory Castle
Deconstruction
John Paul Riquelme
Combining Critical Perspectives
Jennifer Wicke