Bram Stoker

Alissa Rindels

Paul-Thomas Ferguson

Since its publication in 1897, Bram Stoker's Dracula has been one of the most influential works of horror fiction in the Western canon, sharing a spot on the pedestal with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818). Dracula's broad appeal stems in part from its ability to fit within several different literary subgenres. In addition to horror, it works well as Gothic romance, melodrama, invasion literature and, of course, vampire fiction. Stoker did not originate the themes that individually qualify Dracula for these categories, but he did combine them in a unique way, creating a work that continues to resonate more than one hundred years later.

Dracula

The classic horror tale of the powerful, centuries-old vampire follows his bloodthirsty trail from the mountains of Central Europe to England, until Dr. Van Helsing comes up with a way to end his reign of terror.

mia esme hsu

‘It is only when a man feels himself face to face with such horrors that he can understand their true import.’

With an essay by John Sutherland. 'Alone with the dead! I dare not go out, for I can hear the low howl of the wolf through the broken window' A chilling masterpiece of the horror genre, Dracula also illuminated dark corners of Victorian sexuality. When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to advise Count Dracula on a London home, he makes a horrifying discovery. 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 arrival of his 'Master', while a determined group of adversaries prepares to face the terrifying Count. The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Emily

'You are early tonight, my friend.' The man stammered in reply:-

'The English Herr was in a hurry,' to which the stranger replied:-

'That is why, I suppose, you wished him to go on to Bukovina. You cannot deceive me, my friend; I know too much, and my horses are swift.' As he spoke he smiled, and the lamplight fell on a hard-looking mouth, with very red lips and sharp-looking teeth, as white as ivory. One of my companions whispered to another the line from Burger's 'Lenore:'–

Of the many admiring reviews Bram Stoker's Dracula received when it first appeared in 1897, the most astute praise came from the author's mother, who wrote her son: "It is splendid. No book since Mrs. Shelley's Frankenstein or indeed any other at all has come near yours in originality, or terror." A popular bestseller in Victorian England, Stoker's hypnotic tale of the bloodthirsty Count Dracula, whose nocturnal atrocities are symbolic of an evil ages old yet forever new, endures as the quintessential story of suspense and horror. The unbridled lusts and desires, the diabolical cravings that Stoker dramatized with such mythical force, render Dracula resonant and unsettling a century later.

(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

It makes me incredibly happy when I find my character in books. I relate to Dracula in this way.

Laura 

“I love the shade and the shadow, and would be alone with my thoughts when I may."

This Norton Critical Edition presents fully annotated the text of the 1897 First Edition.

Authoritative Text, Backgrounds, Reviews and Reactions, Dramatic and Film Variations, Criticism

Luca Stromann

Er, der des Todes spottet, wie wir wissen; er, der inmitten von Seuchen gedeiht, die ganze Menschengeschlechter dahinraffen!

Ich fürchtete mich vor den Worten, die Renfield sprechen würde. Ich wagte gar nicht daran zu denken, aber die Ahnung des Kommenden lag auf mir wie auf einem, der schon die Totenuhr hat ticken hören.

»Sie soll nur kommen; aber warten Sie noch einen Augenblick, bis ich etwas aufgeräumt habe.« Seine Aufräumungsweise war recht merkwürdig; er aß sämtliche Fliegen und Spinnen, die er in seinen Schachteln aufbewahrt hatte auf, ehe ich ihn daran hindern konnte.

»Sie sind ein heller Kopf, Sie denken richtig und Ihr Verstand ist scharf, aber Sie stecken zu tief in Vorurteilen. Sie lassen lhre Augen nicht sehen und Ihre Ohren nicht hören, und was außerhalb Ihres täglichen Lebens liegt, ist für Sie nicht von Bedeutung.

War diese Totenstille ein neues Glied in der Kette des Verderbens, die sich enger um uns zusammenzuziehen schien? War es wirklich ein Haus des Todes, zu dem ich gekommen war - zu spät?

Ich fühlte die Nähe des Grafen, der in einem Sturm von Erregung herangekommen zu sein schien. Meine Augen öffneten sich unwillkürlich, ich sah, wie seine Hand den weißen Nacken der schönen Frau ergriff und sie mit Riesenkraft zurückriß. Ihre blauen Augen waren wie verstört vor Wut, ihre Zähne knirschten und ihre feinen Wangen waren gerötet vor Leidenschaft. Und erst der Graf! Nie sah ich einen solchen Grimm, eine solche Wut. Der reine Dämon der Hölle! Seine Augen sprühten förmlich Flammen. Das rote Licht in ihnen brannte, als ob die ganze Glut des höllischen Feuers hinter ihnen lodere. Sein Gesicht war totenbleich, die Züge hart wie aus Stein gemeißelt; die dicken Augenbrauen, die sich über der Nase trafen, waren wie Barren weißglühenden Metalls. Mit einer stolzen Geste wies er das Mädchen von sich und ging dann auf die anderen zu, als wolle er sie zurücktreiben;

The Penguin English Library Edition of Dracula by Bram Stoker 'Alone with the dead! I dare not go out, for I can hear the low howl of the wolf through the broken window' A chilling masterpiece of the horror genre, Dracula also illuminated dark corners of Victorian sexuality. When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to advise Count Dracula on a London home, he makes a horrifying discovery. 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 arrival of his 'Master', while a determined group of adversaries prepares to face the terrifying Count. The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.

Panda Ä

All at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had had some peculiar effect on them.

For myself, I felt a sort of paralysis of fear. It is only when a man feels himself face to face with such horrors that he can understand their true import.

Then a dog began to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road—a long, agonised wailing, as if from fear. The sound was taken up by another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now sighed softly through the Pass, a wild howling began, which seemed to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night.

Tija

The castle is a veritable prison, and I am a prisoner!

avarni

Do you mean to say that you would bring Mina right into the jaws of his death-trap? Not for the world! Not for Heaven or Hell!

Amalie Elisabeth

Devotion is so rare, and we are so grateful to those who show it unasked to those we love.

Tell me all about it, dear; tell me all about everything, for there is nothing which interests you which will not be dear to me.

How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams.

The letter that he has seen and touched must comfort me till we meet.

It was brilliant moonlight, and the soft effect of the light over the sea and sky - merged together in one great, silent mystery - was beautiful beyond words.

Though sympathy can't alter facts, it can help to make them more bearable. 

All is vastness; the clouds are piled up like giant rocks, and there is a 'brool' over the sea that sounds like some presage of doom.

my dear, if it is to be that I must meet death at any hand, let it be at the hand of him that loves me best.

In un tetro castello tra le nebbie della Transilvania il giovane avvocato inglese Jonathan Harker è ospite del misterioso conte Dracula, con cui tratta l’acquisto di alcune case a Londra. Ipnotizzato dai modi affascinanti e sottilmente minacciosi del conte, Jonathan non ne comprende la reale natura, finché un giorno si ritrova prigioniero tra quelle mura e teme di non rivedere mai più l’amata Mina, che lo attende a Londra. Nel frattempo, però, una nave senza equipaggio raggiunge le coste inglesi, trasportando una diabolica presenza... La morte, il sangue, l’amore, nel più celebre romanzo gotico di tutti i tempi. Una delle figure più inquietanti e sensuali della letteratura mondiale.

Versione integrale

Alex J Wolfgang

Sette anni fa tutti insieme abbiamo attraversato le fiamme: da allora, credo, la felicità di alcuni di noi è degna del dolore che abbiamo sofferto. Per me e per Mina è una gioia grandissima che il compleanno di nostro figlio ricorra lo stesso giorno in cui Quincey Morris è morto. Sua madre, ne sono certo, è segretamente convinta che lo spirito del nostro coraggioso amico sia passato in nostro figlio. Tutti i nomi che porta legano insieme il nostro piccolo gruppo di uomini, ma noi lo chiamiamo semplicemente Quincey. 

Quest'estate abbiamo fatto un viaggio in Transilvania e siamo tornati su quella vecchia terra che è stata ed è, per noi, cosi piena di ricordi ancora nitidi e terribili. È quasi impossibile credere che le cose che abbiamo visto con i nostri occhi e sentito con le nostre orecchie fossero vere. Ogni traccia di quanto è accaduto è stata cancellata. Il castello è sempre li, che si erge alto al di sopra di una tetra desolazione.

Quando siamo tornati a casa abbiamo parlato dei vecchi tempi... a cui tutti noi possiamo guardare senza alcuna tristezza, perché anche Godalming e Seward sono felicemente sposati. Ho tirato fuori tutte le nostre carte dalla cassaforte dov'erano rimaste son dal nostro ritorno, tanto tempo fa. Ci ha colpito il fatto che, in tutto il materiale di cui si compone il resoconto, non vi sia nemmeno un documento autentico! Nient'altro che un ammasso di fogli dattiloscritti, a eccezione degli ultimi diario di Mina, miei e di Seward e del memorandum di Van Helsing. Non potremo neppure chiedere a qualcuno, anche se volessimo, di accettare tutto questo come prova di una storia tanto incredibile. Van Helsing ha fatto il sunto di tutta la faccenda quando, con nostro figlio sulle ginocchia, ha detto: "Non abbiamo bisogno di prove, perché non chiederemo a nessuno di crederci! Questo bel bambino un giorno saprà che dona forte e coraggiosa sia a sua madre. Già da quanto sia dolce e amorevole e più avanti si renderà conto del perché tanto uomini le abbiano voluto così bene, al punto da parte tanto per la sua salvezza".

jay bee

It lived up to its reputation! Reading it after being into vampires my entire life it was fun to find and see what aspects inspired others. It certainly inspired me

Florence

Dracula is an 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. It introduced the character of Count Dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. The novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of people led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing.Dracula has been assigned to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, gothic fiction, and invasion literature. The novel has spawned numerous theatrical, film, and television interpretations.

Bram Stokers Books 1897 Paperback Dracuka Novel Dracular

Probablya 3, but gave it 3,5 for some very vibrant, atmospheric parts. Sometimes during the first half I have to say I experienced it as being too long or meandering. A classic is a classic, so for me that has to be judged on its own scale, and as far as this one goes a very good one. A lot of aspects of the book is very of it's time ofc (in terms of religiosity, morality and some frank racism). Not as bad as some, better than most in that regard (as in, written before the 1900's). Suspenseful and charismatic. 

Tove Söderberg

Me gustó mucho esta historia, disfruté la lectura aunque a veces la sentía un poco lenta.

Creo que soy fan del formato de cartas y diarios, le da una capa más de realismo el sentir que estoy leyendo un registro más que un relato de corrido. Sé que no es del gusto de todos, pero a mí me acomoda bastante. También fue muy interesante conocer los puntos de vista y experiencias de varios personajes en vez de solo leer el de un protagonista!!! 

Mis partes favoritas fueron las explicaciones de los vampiros y sus habilidades, sus poderes, su historia. Mi interés por los vampiros no deja de crecer. Obviamente cuando comencé mi lectura pensé que sería centrada en Drácula, así que sentí un poco de decepción cuando entendí que no sería así.

Además, hace poco vi Nosferatu (2025) y creo que haber terminado de leer este libro poco tiempo antes hizo que disfrutara cada pequeño detalle de la película (tal vez lo habría disfrutado incluso más si hubiera visto las películas anteriores, pero eso queda para otro día).

No hay que ignorar los niveles brutales de misoginia en esta historia, en esto queda muy plasmado en su época, en un mal sentido. Los personajes femeninos a veces parecían payasos actuando como lo que un hombre quiere que sea una mujer. En ese sentido fue muy aburrido, pero lo tomé con humor y me reí cada vez que decían cosas raras sobre las mujeres o cuando decían que Mina era parecida a un hombre debido a su inteligencia. 

fabi ✩࿐  

Me gustó mucho esta historia, disfruté la lectura aunque a veces la sentía un poco lenta.

Creo que soy fan del formato de cartas y diarios, le da una capa más de realismo el sentir que estoy leyendo un registro más que un relato de corrido. Sé que no es del gusto de todos, pero a mí me acomoda bastante. También fue muy interesante conocer los puntos de vista y experiencias de varios personajes en vez de solo leer el de un protagonista!!! 

Mis partes favoritas fueron las explicaciones de los vampiros y sus habilidades, sus poderes, su historia. Mi interés por los vampiros no deja de crecer. Obviamente cuando comencé mi lectura pensé que sería centrada en Drácula, así que sentí un poco de decepción cuando entendí que no sería así.

Además, hace poco vi Nosferatu (2025) y creo que haber terminado de leer este libro poco tiempo antes hizo que disfrutara cada pequeño detalle de la película (tal vez lo habría disfrutado incluso más si hubiera visto las películas anteriores, pero eso queda para otro día).

No hay que ignorar los niveles brutales de misoginia en esta historia, en esto queda muy plasmado en su época, en un mal sentido. Los personajes femeninos a veces parecían payasos actuando como lo que un hombre quiere que sea una mujer. En ese sentido fue muy aburrido, pero lo tomé con humor y me reí cada vez que decían cosas raras sobre las mujeres o cuando decían que Mina era parecida a un hombre debido a su inteligencia. 

it was definitely enjoyable, but a little slow paced for me

Nellie

So I planned to read this during October as a little Halloween book, but I also started uni so it’s ok lmao.

This story was incredibly intriguing, I loved the characters so much, especially my lovely girl Mina, and the way you get to experience the story through all the diary entries of the characters, the newspaper articles etc. 

Although I expected to learn more about Dracula himself and also the ending felt a bit rushed on the last pages, it was so, so good.

Valentina

So I planned to read this during October as a little Halloween book, but I also started uni so it’s ok lmao.

This story was incredibly intriguing, I loved the characters so much, especially my lovely girl Mina, and the way you get to experience the story through all the diary entries of the characters, the newspaper articles etc. 

Although I expected to learn more about Dracula himself and also the ending felt a bit rushed on the last pages, it was so, so good.

I read the graphic novel! Very good, sometimes hard to understand since it is a kind of old english but a very good story overall!

Femke

Finally finished. No clue why this took me two months to finish? Extremely odd bro. But. What a book. You can clearly see how our version of Dracula that we use in our movies and books and stuff stems directly from this gross pale thin white creature. Honestly the way Dracula is described in this made me feel sick and I really felt for Jonathan harker because Dracula just sounded so gross and he just seemed like he smelt so bad 💀 Stoker definitely needed a lesson on how to condense his story a little bit because why was this book 450 pages with the tiniest font possible? I feel like twenty percent of the plot could have been completely eradicated and wouldn’t have impacted the book, perceptions or end point at all. Also, there was quite a lot of characters in this, which is fairs but I’d hardly recommend having so many characters because it starts to get so confusing. Also, the way it’s narrated through journal entries and letters for the entire book is quite interesting too, honestly I’ve seen other gothic novellas like Frankenstein incorporate letters but not for the entire book, I don’t know whether I like it or not but it’s quite a unique way of narrating it. I’m not giving its rating because I always struggle to rate classics because of their different writing style and form. 

surtified™

No home library is complete without the classics! Dracula is a keepsake to be read and treasured. 2013 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Gold Winner in Cover Design - Small Format (Fiction) Irish author Bram Stoker introduced the character of Count Dracula and provided the basis of modern vampire fiction in his 1897 novel entitled Dracula. Written as a series of letters, newspaper clippings, diary entries, and ships’ logs, the story begins with lawyer Jonathan Harker journeying to meet Dracula at his remote castle to complete a real estate transaction. Harker soon discovers that he is being held prisoner, and that Dracula has a rather disquieting nocturnal life. Touching on themes such as Victorian culture, immigration, and colonialism, among others, this timeless classic is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats! Now available as part of the Word Cloud Classics series, Dracula is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers. About the Word Cloud Classics series: Classic works of literature with a clean, modern aesthetic! Perfect for both old and new literature fans, the Word Cloud Classics series from Canterbury Classics provides a chic and inexpensive introduction to timeless tales. With a higher production value, including heat burnished covers and foil stamping, these eye-catching, easy-to-hold editions are the perfect gift for students and fans of literature everywhere.

I can see how in it’s time Dracula was a scary revolutionary book. I can also see how it has shaped modern literature and pop culture. However, I went into this book thinking that I would learn more about Dracula and his origin while I did learn some about how he came to be it was still not really what I was looking for. In this book you can see the original vampire hunting group as well as how many horror movies have taken pieces away from the story with leaving one character alone with a killer on the loose. 

Chulandon leanday Bradley 

It bored me in the beginning (got a couple good nights rest out of it +1 star) but I enjoyed it overall. 

Jas 🐸

Would say one of my favourite books! Really long but so worth it. 

Selin bekkaya

definitely liked the first half more than the second half 

Essence

Dracula (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics)

Maureen

"He is finite, though he is powerful to do much harm and suffers not as we do. But we are strong, each in our purpose; and we are all more strong together."

***

Finally met Edward Cullen's great ancestor! But in all seriousness, I now understand why Dracula is the progenitor of all evils. Unlike modern-day villains that saturate mass media, this vampire has no gray area. Stoker never provides an instance wherein Dracula might merit respect because the distinction is clear—he definitely belongs to the dark side. Regarding his characterization, I find it interesting how despite his heartlessness and bloodlust, Dracula is somewhat humanized. Save for his sharp teeth and red eyes, he is depicted as an charismatic, genteel, and aristocratic man.

This book was SO long, though, and it was honestly draining to read. Some parts were overtly redundant, and I felt that the ending was quite anticlimactic. After all those pages of intense buildup, Stoker capped it off so quickly. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining and gruesome read; the author did not shy away from portraying bloodlust. I also found its epistolary rendering effective because we witnessed the story unfold through the perspectives of different characters. 

Dracula being a hallmark of Gothic fiction is well-deserved.

Rocío de la Hera

Amo fuerte, pero igual, si estuviéramos comparando, Frankenstein le pasa el trapo en todo sentido.

Paoovi

Drácula siempre será uno de los mejores títulos, el mítico vampiro de Transilvania (desde mi perspectiva) en cada lectura y aún con El Paso del tiempo se regenera.

Anna 

Greta Keller

I really liked the story, but found the form quite hard to get through

Lili

I understand that it’s iconic but the diary entries are sooooo tiring I mean just stick to one pov or two if you want but I got so confused in the end 

Ahsoka

Didn't know it was a series of journal entries going in, so that was a fun surprise. A lot of flowery diatribes, but tis the season. Good background for the other vampire books I will be reading soon.

Jenny Engel

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

For this completely updated edition, Maurice Hindle has revised his introduction, list of further reading and notes, and added two appendices: Stoker's essay on censorship and his interview with Winston Churchill, both published in 1908. Christopher Frayling's preface discusses Stoker's significance and the influences that contributed to his creation of the Dracula myth.

mina harker deserves just as much attention in the modern dracula/vampire/monster zeitgest as van helsing.

Acadia

Molly M

i love this book so much
i think i will read it hundreds of times before i die

"if it is to be that I must meet death at any hand, let it be at the hand of him that loves me best"



yes i get a lil tired of The Perfect Woman but hehe i love the story sm

The classic tale of the bizarre Carpathian count, who drank human blood to stay alive, and the Englishman who knew his secret.

Kiersten

Dracula (The Classic Collection)

Village folk: don’t go there, you’ll die, the devil will take you

Jonathan: mmmh damn this chicken paprikash so goood

Eugene

Village folk: don’t go there, you’ll die, the devil will take you

Jonathan: mmmh damn this chicken paprikash so goood

Dracula

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