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92nd out of 174 books
—
299 voters
The Jewel of Seven Stars
by
Bram Stoker
Malcolm Ross went to face the trial that waited in the Trelawny home. And because he did, the jewel of horror was unleashed ? and that unleashed the horror consumes us all. A novel of unyielding terror from the author of Dracula.
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
December 1st 2001
by Wildside Press
(first published January 1st 1903)
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Sep 20, 2009
tENTATIVELY, cONVENIENCE
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
literature
1st, let's get this misunderstanding out of the way that Bram Stoker invented the Mummy story ("the curse of the Egyptian mummy formula which it introduced" - Keith Deutsch's afterward in the edition I have; "He did invent the Mummy story, and this is the book that started it." - a quote from another Goodreads review). Theophile Gautier, a French author who died in 1872 (long before "The Jewel of Seven Stars" was written & published) wrote "One of Cleopatra's Nights", "The Evil Eye", &,...more
This book has two endings. When originally published in 1903 and in second publishing in 1904 it had an ending that was critics at the time as being too gruesome so when Stoker published it again,shortly before his death in 1912, he was forced by the publisher to add a new ending. I read this at Project Gutenberg which had the changed ending http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3781/3... but I was able to read the original ending also at http://bramstoker.org/novels/08stars.... - you can read it free...more
роман брэма стокера «талисман мумии» (подозреваю, что это то самое пресловутое «сокровище семи звезд», ставшее поводом анекдота об авторе, поспорившем с особо ретивым читателем на то, что неверующий в силу слова прочитает этот роман в одиночку в лесу – по закону жанра читатель был обнаружен на следующий день естественно мертвым) в очередной раз (закономерно для жанра и для данного автора) воплощает идею поиска мистического невыразимого ужаса, трансформирующего жизнь группы людей и открывающий пу...more
I had low expectations for this and other non-Dracula works of Stoker's coming in, so I was rather pleasantly surprised when the later half of the novel managed to pick up into the same crazy rants about the relation between science and mysticism that I'd so enjoyed from the author's better known (and better written) novel. I also found some amusement the somewhat creepy repetition of a narrator describing how awkwardly hot a pale dead lady is. These aspects of the novel, granted, didn't exactly...more
I had initially been interested at the idea of reading this book because I knew nothing about it. I have read Dracula, but most people are familiar with it's storyline never having read it themselves. I will say that as I was reading the book I was proactively trying to think out the plot in advance to try to guess what the conclusion would be. So I was initially captivated by its mystery and intrigue. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the ending...because nothing happened. I guess movies lik...more
So... yeah. I read Dracula recently and was very impressed. I enjoyed the first person narrative and started looking for other books by Stoker. I am not a horror buff in the least. In fact, I will change the channel, leave the room,leave the theatre just because I don't find scaring myself that entertaining. Oh, the masochistic masses. Anyway, I did enjoy The Mummy popcorn flick and figured, why not see if this book was anything like the movie...
I wasted days on this book. days. DAYS. I cringe a...more
I wasted days on this book. days. DAYS. I cringe a...more
1 like · like · see review
I have been wanting to read Stoker's Dracula for a while now, but I ended up picking up and reading The Jewel of Seven Stars instead.
The Jewel of Seven Stars is a story about Mr.Trelawney (which reminded me of Sybil Trelawney from Harry Potter and I wonder if it is confidence or if J.L. Rowling used the name intentionally) who is an Egyptian enthusiastic who basically curses himself and everyone around him by bringing Queen Tera's mummy and possessions into his home. The book mostly revolves aro...more
The Jewel of Seven Stars is a story about Mr.Trelawney (which reminded me of Sybil Trelawney from Harry Potter and I wonder if it is confidence or if J.L. Rowling used the name intentionally) who is an Egyptian enthusiastic who basically curses himself and everyone around him by bringing Queen Tera's mummy and possessions into his home. The book mostly revolves aro...more
I try to re-read Dracula almost every year for Halloween. I absolutely LOVE that book. I love the faint horror, the dialogue, the characters, the power of evil, and just, well, all of it.
I could not, however, like this book. I was enjoying it for the first few chapters. It was your standard Victorian horror, people sitting around talking and yet there was some evil lurking in the peripherals, and it intrigued me. But then nothing happened. At all. The evil never presented itself, it just kept lu...more
I could not, however, like this book. I was enjoying it for the first few chapters. It was your standard Victorian horror, people sitting around talking and yet there was some evil lurking in the peripherals, and it intrigued me. But then nothing happened. At all. The evil never presented itself, it just kept lu...more
The Jewel of Seven Stars is a flawed yet compelling book by Stoker. I have found stoker creates interesting female characters, especially for the era in which he lived. They are often educated brave and profoundly forward thinking and at other times (or in other characters) in need of saving.
The plot involves a man in a mysterious trance after a mysterious attack all of which seems to be linked to the Egyptian artifacts he has spent his life studying. As in Dracula, Stoker is interested in the...more
The plot involves a man in a mysterious trance after a mysterious attack all of which seems to be linked to the Egyptian artifacts he has spent his life studying. As in Dracula, Stoker is interested in the...more
This was a good book. I really had not read anything beyond Dracula by Bram Stoker; however, I stumbled upon this one at feedbooks.com (a great website for free downloadable ebooks).
There are points in the book where the author bogs you down with his over-Egyptian information regarding mummy, the mummification process, etc. But, for me, I love all things Egyptian (I find it fascinating) and I appreciated the abundance of information.
There are the usual suspects - a lovely damsel in distress, a...more
There are points in the book where the author bogs you down with his over-Egyptian information regarding mummy, the mummification process, etc. But, for me, I love all things Egyptian (I find it fascinating) and I appreciated the abundance of information.
There are the usual suspects - a lovely damsel in distress, a...more
The Jewel of Seven Stars is one of a dozen lesser known works of the late Bram Stoker, who is primarily known for his Gothic horror tale, Dracula.
Like Dracula, The Jewel of Seven Stars also has an occult theme, though it is much shorter and is not an episolary novel. Furthermore, it deals with mummies and not vampires.
Offering almost no action, this book is very heavy on dialogue, much of which deals with ancient Egyptian mythology and symbology. Add to this the style of writing and it is not t...more
Like Dracula, The Jewel of Seven Stars also has an occult theme, though it is much shorter and is not an episolary novel. Furthermore, it deals with mummies and not vampires.
Offering almost no action, this book is very heavy on dialogue, much of which deals with ancient Egyptian mythology and symbology. Add to this the style of writing and it is not t...more
I loved Dracula, of course, but Stoker didn't invent the Vampire story. He did invent the Mummy story, and this is the book that started it. If you are an afficianado of Stoker's this is worth the time, but there are whole chapters that digress into lectures on the science of the Egyptians that owe more to esoteric tradition than to the referenced Wallace Budge. Stoker's endings can seem like shaggy dog stories. I've read at least two different endings to this one--one version seems to have a f...more
Wow. This was really good. It was not quite as good as Dracula, perhaps, but the details about Egyptology and the science at the turn of the 20th century were amazing. Plus, the sensual nature of the book is very surprising for the time period.
I seriously had a hard time putting this one down to do other things. Great stuff.
(I notice that other reviewers keep comparing this to old horror movies. But this book was published before those movies were made, and the horror, like Poe's, is psychologic...more
I seriously had a hard time putting this one down to do other things. Great stuff.
(I notice that other reviewers keep comparing this to old horror movies. But this book was published before those movies were made, and the horror, like Poe's, is psychologic...more
I liked this book, and found I LOVE Bram Stoker. I loved the writing style and the imagery. It was an intelligent read, with a great plot and subplots. I found the subject material very interesting! I loved the mystery, the Egyptology and the side note of a love story. It moved quickly until the last four chapters or so, where there were many long monologues; this left me a little bored and I admittedly skipped a paragraph here and there.
I liked this book, and would recommend it to anyone. This...more
I liked this book, and would recommend it to anyone. This...more
Yes, I know Bram Stoker is a god among the horror writers. Dracula is deservedly a classic if only for its vast influence. The Jewel of Seven Stars is considered the first modern mummy novel just as Dracula set the stage for every vampire novel to follow.
But I gotta say it.
Bram Stoker can't write worth beans.
I find the dialogue in this novel especially excruciating; stiff and sometimes unintentionally hilarious. The plot drags like a corpse in a body bag and the characterizations are cardboard a...more
But I gotta say it.
Bram Stoker can't write worth beans.
I find the dialogue in this novel especially excruciating; stiff and sometimes unintentionally hilarious. The plot drags like a corpse in a body bag and the characterizations are cardboard a...more
Since this is the original Mummy story, I will give it its props and add a star it would not have otherwise received. However, I just have to admit this bored the heck out of me. And I am quite used to reading the slower, classical type of fiction from the 19th century. The fun of an old, B Horror movie was the camp acting and the childish special effects. Usually it is supported by great mood music and lots of shadows. All in all, you can take the bad dialog with it because it is all sort of go...more
This was an interesting read. The book definately caught my attention becasue it was in the realm of "supernatural" and in truth it was a good old mystery. I love all things ancient (Egypt, Greek, Myan) you name it- if it's ancient then I wan to read it, and this book had the element that I was looking for - I gotta be honest the cover and the synopsis was what did me in :).
Not my usual werewolf/vampire/witch type but a good read. If you like and old set story and are after a good mystery with...more
Not my usual werewolf/vampire/witch type but a good read. If you like and old set story and are after a good mystery with...more
I did enjoy the style of this book a great deal. It read somewhere between, Dracula, Denis Wheatley and a Hammer Horror film. A nice little occult story about an Egyptologist, his daughter, a dead Egyptian Queen and a QC. The narrative was quite slow and introspective, not a great deal seemed to happen and the ending was unexpected, and a little disappointing. But the unexplained mystery and beauty of the book made it well worth reading. I liked the scientific turn of the century approach to mag...more
I 1st purchased it because I'm crazy about ancient Egypt, and the novella was in ( Return from the Dead ) selected and introduced by David Stuart Davies about tales of mysteries and the supernaturals. The author had obviously been exposed to the Egyptian mythology, and had a great experience in this field.
The story was very detailed, there was even unnecessary details in my opinion. And the love scenes or parts or whatever was hugely ridiculous! I actually laughed at them.
Especially when Margare...more
The story was very detailed, there was even unnecessary details in my opinion. And the love scenes or parts or whatever was hugely ridiculous! I actually laughed at them.
Especially when Margare...more
There are two endings to this book and I have problems with both of them. The unhappy ending, I have no idea what happened. Although I do like the last line of the end. Creepy and sad. The happy ending isn't much better. Doesn't jive with the rest of the book. Too bad. I liked most of the book itself the endings were just strange, and not in a good way. But Dracula was the same way. I mean he died from a guy sticking a knife in his heart? What about the wooden stake? Maybe Mr. Stoker just couldn...more
1 like · like · see review
I liked it A LOT more than I thought I would after having read Dracula.
The mystery was interesting as well, and even though here and there I found the pacing a bit too slow or a bit of an interlude that went on for too long. Thoroughly enjoyable for me were the bits and pieces about Egyptian lore and culture, though I have not the slightest idea if any of it is true. It was presented as genuine and felt genuine, which is all I need while immersing in a story.
I am very glad to have decided to re...more
The mystery was interesting as well, and even though here and there I found the pacing a bit too slow or a bit of an interlude that went on for too long. Thoroughly enjoyable for me were the bits and pieces about Egyptian lore and culture, though I have not the slightest idea if any of it is true. It was presented as genuine and felt genuine, which is all I need while immersing in a story.
I am very glad to have decided to re...more
The story is OK and will surely appeal to Ancient Egypt / Victorian horror enthusiasts.
Extra star for general bizarreness and as recognition to the original 1903 version, which had an additional, philosophical chapter ("Powers Old and New") and a much better ending. Too bad Stoker was forced to rewrite it due to negative reactions to its pessimism and gore. Avoid the 1912 version and stick to the original one if you're going to read this!
Extra star for general bizarreness and as recognition to the original 1903 version, which had an additional, philosophical chapter ("Powers Old and New") and a much better ending. Too bad Stoker was forced to rewrite it due to negative reactions to its pessimism and gore. Avoid the 1912 version and stick to the original one if you're going to read this!
Boooriiinngg... If you've ever read anything about writing fiction, I'd say one of the first rules you come across is 'show, don't tell.' Well, this is book is a prime example of how NOT to write a novel (at least in contemporary terms). It's basically a living room drama, with neverending dicussions (telling) about this and that. There is barely any action (showing) at all. One pistol shot or a tedious description of a character reading a book hardly counts as 'action' in any gripping sense. I...more
Apr 10, 2008
Amy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who love to be scared
Recommended to Amy by:
no one
Shelves:
favorite-reads,
past-read
This is a marvelous little-known novel by the father of European Gothic literature, Bram Stoker.
There's a delicious little murder mystery, gorgeously vivid images, and all kinds of Victorian charm.
I was spurred to read this novel (which I did in one sitting, one dark, cool night in college) when I learned that Victorians were intrigued by all things Egyptian in America in those days, and Stoker tapped into that fascination beautifully. It's perfect for anybody who loves all things exotic.
I imagi...more
There's a delicious little murder mystery, gorgeously vivid images, and all kinds of Victorian charm.
I was spurred to read this novel (which I did in one sitting, one dark, cool night in college) when I learned that Victorians were intrigued by all things Egyptian in America in those days, and Stoker tapped into that fascination beautifully. It's perfect for anybody who loves all things exotic.
I imagi...more
This was a book of two halves... I loved the start, got really into it, then it almost seemed like Bram Stoker got bored of it himself near the middle. The plot whittled away the further into the book you go, whilst the language took the other path and became far too bloated. After the great build-up, it could've been so much better...
for me personally, it was a book worth reading. it was easy to go through it, nothing too complicated even though it kept me constantly wondering what was going to happen, and i couldn't let it down until i knew the whole story from beginning to end. it keeps you captivated with the plot, and a nice change of pace from all the contemporary books that are popular these days.
I really wanted to like this book but it seemed to drag on and on. I really enjoyed Dracula, and I re-read that in October every other year or so. A mummy story from Bram Stoker should be great, right? Not so much.
About half of the book was interesting and kept me going. The problem is the half that is interesting is mixed in with the long drawn out dialog.
Better story than Stoker's more famous "Dracula" and an early telling of the resucitated mummy stories. The characters were great and much more interesting to me than the characters in "Dracula" and the style was not in the same "diary entry" format as "Dracula", which I liked better.
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A mummy story from Bram Stoker...fairly decent in terms of building suspense, and interesting from a historical perspective in terms of all of the reverence towards assorted psychic phenomena that were taken as either proven or sure to be scientifically proven in the near future.
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He was born Abraham Stoker in 1847 at 15 Marino Crescent – then as now called "The Crescent" – in Fairview, a coastal suburb of Dublin, Ireland. His parents were Abraham Stoker and the feminist Charlotte Mathilda Blake Thornely. Stoker was the third of seven children. Abraham and Charlotte were members of the Clontarf Church of Ireland parish and attended the parish church (St. John the Baptist lo...more
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