Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "bram-stoker"

Dracul by Dacre Stoker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A haunting and captivating origin story to Bram Stoker’s gothic horror masterpiece.

“I am quite convinced that there is no doubt whatever that the events here described really took place, however unbelievable and incomprehensible they might appear at first sight.” Bram Stoker

What led Bram Stoker to record the events told in ‘Dracula’ and thus recount the most famous vampire tale of all time? ‘Dracul’ takes us back to 1868, many years before the events of the original novel. Bram, alone and barricaded in the tower of a deconsecrated abbey, armed with crucifixes, white roses and holy water, is under siege from malevolent forces which surround him. In his journal, he begins to record the events that led him here.

So we return with Bram to 1854, when the terror truly began. Sickly and confined to his bedroom most the time, the young Brad leads a lonely life – close only to his sister, Matilda, and their nanny, Ellen Crone. Bram and Matilda soon begin to notice that there is something strange about their nanny - her mysterious wanderings away from the family home in the middle of the night; her bizarre disappearances sometimes for days at a time; her ageless beauty, at times interrupted by the rare appearance of one who has aged considerably. When she appears to bring Bram back from the brink of death, it only serves to deepen the mystery that surrounds her.

The children are determined to uncover Ellen’s secrets, a quest that is destined to follow them into adulthood and lead them into the path of a malevolent evil, one so ancient and malignant that escape may be impossible. The legend of Dracul is buried deep; uncovering it may come at a price that none are prepared to sacrifice.

This is an origin story on multiple levels – part prequel to the original novel, part alternative history biopic of how it came to be written – and a gripping vampire thriller in its own right. Co-written by Dacre Stoker, great-grand-nephew to Bram, and horror and thriller author J.D. Barker, it was inspired by the notes and journals Bram left behind from the original writing of ‘Dracula’. The story of the missing first one-hundred pages of the novel is legendary; the short story ‘Dracula’s Guest’, published posthumously as part of a short story collection, is believed to have originally been the first chapter of the novel, and it is believed that much more of the original story was excised. Dacre Stoker has spent many years researching the life and works of his ancestor, having also previously published a sequel to the original, ‘Dracula: The Un-Dead’, co-written with Ian Holt.

Stoker and Barker have seamlessly stitched together history and fiction into a superbly written, dark, supernatural drama, brimming with tension and riddled with unease. It builds to an intensely satisfying climax, followed by the perfect close in 1890; one that leaves you yearning to dive straight back into the original classic. The undead still walk and the legend of the vampire continues to endure.

Composed of pure gothic atmosphere and slow-burning terror, ‘Dracul’ is a fine addition to Bram Stoker’s legacy and the ever-expanding mythology of Dracula and his fellow literary vampires.

(Also included is an Authors’ Note that blends eerily well with the fiction; and, in the paperback edition, a letter reportedly written by Charlotte Stoker to her son, Bram, telling of the horrors of the cholera pandemic. It makes for timely reading, with echoes through to the present day. Perhaps vampirism isn’t the true horror after all.)



View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram

The Lady Of The Shroud by Bram Stoker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A gothic tale of mystery and adventure, horror and romance, sci-fi and politics.

Unexpectedly coming into a huge inheritance, Rupert Sent Leger finally decides to settle from his life of adventure, moving to an expansive property nestled in the Land of the Blue Mountains, an independent country in the heart of the Balkans.

During the night, Rupert is visited by a mysterious and beautiful lady, one whom he comes to believe is undead. As these nighttime encounters continue, Rupert finds himself enamoured with her, and can think of little else.

As tensions escalate throughout the land and Rupert comes closer to solving the mystery that entrances his heart, we witness the birth of a new power in the political landscape of Europe.

'The Lady of the Shroud' is a gothic novel by Bram Stoker, who returns somewhat to the theme of vampirism following his masterpiece, 'Dracula'. Written in the style of journals, letters, articles and legal documents, we follow the fate and fortunes of central character Rupert. The opening chapter concerns a last will and testament and the expectations of inheritance and attitudes within a British upper class family, forming what is truly an extensive prologue to the main events.

The core narrative kicks in with Rupert's emigration to the Land of the Blue Mountains. Stoker captures the beauty of this fictional land, a civilisation hidden within a wilderness, the isolation of its natives, and the architecture of Rupert's new home. The novel's strengths are undoubtedly the scenes of supernatural suspense and the blossoming romance between Rupert and the mysterious lady who visits his bedroom in the depths of the night, dressed in only her shroud, a beauty who appears to have risen from the dead. The gothic imagery of these scenes is sublime, Rupert becoming enraptured by this strange and almost ethereal woman, the connotations of unease and seduction bubbling beneath the surface.

The novel was written against the backdrop of European Imperialism, when the great powers of Europe sought territories and colonies in the expansion of their empires. The fictional Land of the Blue Mountains is independent and a much sought after region. We witness them defend against the prelude to an invasion by Turkey, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. Whether Stoker's portrayal of the invaders as the villains was a criticism of imperialism in general is open to interpretation. While, at the time, people held much pride in their empires, over a century later and following two world wars, our modern perspective differs; we can empathise all too well with the perils faced by this small and independent nation having to defend itself against those in pursuit of power.

It is worth noting that the novel was written and published several years before the Balkan Wars and subsequently the First World War took place. What is perhaps less apparent on reading during the 21st century is that the novel also includes elements that may have been deemed science-fiction on its publication in 1909. At this time, there were no air forces, though several countries were on the cusp of recognising the potential of military aircraft. Rupert's foresight to build a 'navy of the air' may have appeared fantastical to many readers. The First World War (1914-18) saw the first uses of such aircraft in warfare. In Great Britain, there were air arms to both the Army and Navy during this period, with the separate Air Force formed towards the end of the war - the first independent air force on the planet.

Despite its place in history and being ahead of its time with certain concepts, the latter half of the novel is pretty dry and loses its gothic atmosphere. With the mystery, adventure and suspense resolved, it reads more like an extended epilogue. Perhaps Stoker was interpreting tensions across Europe while writing this novel and, thus, it became a different story. Much of this was excised from many subsequent publications of the novel, perhaps in an effort to retain its promise as a story of gothic horror and romance.

It is unfortunate too, and perhaps somewhat unfair, that we struggle to judge 'The Lady of the Shroud' solely on its own merits, as it will forever be compared to Stoker's masterpiece, perhaps more so than any of this other work due to its re-visitation to the vampire theme. It isn't in the same league as the gothic beauty of 'Dracula' (yet no doubt Stoker had no intentions of this being another 'Dracula', instead with a female villain). With the horror and romance becoming somewhat overshadowed by the politics, there are moments when its feels as if you have been reading two different books. Had the novel consisted of chapters two through to five, it would have instead been a vastly superior novella of gothic horror and romance, all the more enjoyable for that alone.



View all my reviews
Visit me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram