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The Jewel of Seven Stars
An Egyptologist, attempting to raise from the dead the mummy of Tera, an ancient Egyptian queen, finds a fabulous gem and is stricken senseless by an unknown force. Amid bloody and eerie scenes, his daughter is possessed by Tera's soul, and her fate depends upon bringing Tera's mummified body to life.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1903
About the author
Bram Stoker
2,080 books4,709 followersIrish-born Abraham Stoker, known as Bram, of Britain wrote the gothic horror novel
Dracula
(1897).
The feminist Charlotte Mathilda Blake Thornely Stoker at 15 Marino crescent, then as now called "the crescent," in Fairview, a coastal suburb of Dublin, Ireland, bore this third of seven children. The parents, members of church of Ireland, attended the parish church of Saint John the Baptist, located on Seafield road west in Clontarf with their baptized children.
Stoker, an invalid, started school at the age of seven years in 1854, when he made a complete and astounding recovery. Of this time, Stoker wrote, "I was naturally thoughtful, and the leisure of long illness gave opportunity for many thoughts which were fruitful according to their kind in later years."
After his recovery, he, a normal young man, even excelled as a university athlete at Trinity college, Dublin form 1864 to 1870 and graduated with honors in mathematics. He served as auditor of the college historical society and as president of the university philosophical society with his first paper on "Sensationalism in Fiction and Society."
In 1876, while employed as a civil servant in Dublin, Stoker wrote a non-fiction book (The Duties of Clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland, published 1879) and theatre reviews for The Dublin Mail, a newspaper partly owned by fellow horror writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu. His interest in theatre led to a lifelong friendship with the English actor Henry Irving. He also wrote stories, and in 1872 "The Crystal Cup" was published by the London Society, followed by "The Chain of Destiny" in four parts in The Shamrock.
In 1878 Stoker married Florence Balcombe, a celebrated beauty whose former suitor was Oscar Wilde. The couple moved to London, where Stoker became business manager (at first as acting-manager) of Irving's Lyceum Theatre, a post he held for 27 years. The collaboration with Irving was very important for Stoker and through him he became involved in London's high society, where he met, among other notables, James McNeil Whistler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the course of Irving's tours, Stoker got the chance to travel around the world.
The Stokers had one son, Irving Noel, who was born on December 31, 1879.
People cremated the body of Bram Stoker and placed his ashes placed in a display urn at Golders green crematorium. After death of Irving Noel Stoker in 1961, people added his ashes to that urn. Despite the original plan to keep ashes of his parents together, after death, people scattered ashes of Florence Stoker at the gardens of rest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bram_Stoker
The feminist Charlotte Mathilda Blake Thornely Stoker at 15 Marino crescent, then as now called "the crescent," in Fairview, a coastal suburb of Dublin, Ireland, bore this third of seven children. The parents, members of church of Ireland, attended the parish church of Saint John the Baptist, located on Seafield road west in Clontarf with their baptized children.
Stoker, an invalid, started school at the age of seven years in 1854, when he made a complete and astounding recovery. Of this time, Stoker wrote, "I was naturally thoughtful, and the leisure of long illness gave opportunity for many thoughts which were fruitful according to their kind in later years."
After his recovery, he, a normal young man, even excelled as a university athlete at Trinity college, Dublin form 1864 to 1870 and graduated with honors in mathematics. He served as auditor of the college historical society and as president of the university philosophical society with his first paper on "Sensationalism in Fiction and Society."
In 1876, while employed as a civil servant in Dublin, Stoker wrote a non-fiction book (The Duties of Clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland, published 1879) and theatre reviews for The Dublin Mail, a newspaper partly owned by fellow horror writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu. His interest in theatre led to a lifelong friendship with the English actor Henry Irving. He also wrote stories, and in 1872 "The Crystal Cup" was published by the London Society, followed by "The Chain of Destiny" in four parts in The Shamrock.
In 1878 Stoker married Florence Balcombe, a celebrated beauty whose former suitor was Oscar Wilde. The couple moved to London, where Stoker became business manager (at first as acting-manager) of Irving's Lyceum Theatre, a post he held for 27 years. The collaboration with Irving was very important for Stoker and through him he became involved in London's high society, where he met, among other notables, James McNeil Whistler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the course of Irving's tours, Stoker got the chance to travel around the world.
The Stokers had one son, Irving Noel, who was born on December 31, 1879.
People cremated the body of Bram Stoker and placed his ashes placed in a display urn at Golders green crematorium. After death of Irving Noel Stoker in 1961, people added his ashes to that urn. Despite the original plan to keep ashes of his parents together, after death, people scattered ashes of Florence Stoker at the gardens of rest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bram_Stoker
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June 13, 2022
من عباءة هذه الرواية خرجت كل مومياء فرعونية ملفوفة في الاربطة في القرن العشرين و الواحد و العشرين..هكذا يكون برام ستوكر هو الاقوى أثرا على عالم الرعب شرقا و غربا
تبدأ الرواية بشكل فيكتوري تقليدي ..مارجريت تطلب المساعدة من المحامي لينجد والدها الذي تعرض لاعتداء وحشي بهدف القتل لكنه نجا باعجوبة..و في غرفة نومه:مسرح الحادث نجد ان رائحة المومياوات تملأ المكان..عطور مصرية و قار و ناردين و صمغ و طيب..
حقا يا له من مستكشف بريطاني احمق. .
قرر ان يقلق راحة مومياء الملكة تيرا... احمق لدرجة أنه لم يهتم ان الملكة تشبه ابنته بشكل غريب
لقائي الثالث مع برام ستوكر ♥
..من الجميل ان نقابله بعيدا عن مصاص الدماء الخبيث الشهير..كان من الاجمل التعرف على الجو المصري القديم بعيون ستوكر..
و ان أفسده علينا بعنصريته البريطانية البغيضة. .الأسلوب مناسب لقصة رعب تقليدية ..جو لعنات الفراعنة المعهود ..وفكرة النهايتين تبدو لارضاء جميع الاطراف
تبدأ الرواية بشكل فيكتوري تقليدي ..مارجريت تطلب المساعدة من المحامي لينجد والدها الذي تعرض لاعتداء وحشي بهدف القتل لكنه نجا باعجوبة..و في غرفة نومه:مسرح الحادث نجد ان رائحة المومياوات تملأ المكان..عطور مصرية و قار و ناردين و صمغ و طيب..
حقا يا له من مستكشف بريطاني احمق. .
قرر ان يقلق راحة مومياء الملكة تيرا... احمق لدرجة أنه لم يهتم ان الملكة تشبه ابنته بشكل غريب
لقائي الثالث مع برام ستوكر ♥
..من الجميل ان نقابله بعيدا عن مصاص الدماء الخبيث الشهير..كان من الاجمل التعرف على الجو المصري القديم بعيون ستوكر..
و ان أفسده علينا بعنصريته البريطانية البغيضة. .الأسلوب مناسب لقصة رعب تقليدية ..جو لعنات الفراعنة المعهود ..وفكرة النهايتين تبدو لارضاء جميع الاطراف
April 16, 2013
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 there also - you can read both whole versions there, free. Neither of these sites are violating copy write. It's ok to read this free at the two sites I've listed above.
The changed ending is a little to much of a fairy tale ending. The original ending is not gruesome by today's standards but it is horribly sad. I think the first ending though is better. Both versions are the same except for the last chapter. After I read the book in full I read the original last chapter and I advise others to do the same or in the opposite order, either way.
Stoker is a master of suspense and elegant writing. He has wonderful page turning hooks at the end of each chapter. Stoker was talented at writing emotion and feelings of love. Stoker is at his best in this. It's a wonderful story and I highly recommend it. It's not as great as Dracula - that's just too special - but it's very good and it's pure Stoker. I loved it.
The changed ending is a little to much of a fairy tale ending. The original ending is not gruesome by today's standards but it is horribly sad. I think the first ending though is better. Both versions are the same except for the last chapter. After I read the book in full I read the original last chapter and I advise others to do the same or in the opposite order, either way.
Stoker is a master of suspense and elegant writing. He has wonderful page turning hooks at the end of each chapter. Stoker was talented at writing emotion and feelings of love. Stoker is at his best in this. It's a wonderful story and I highly recommend it. It's not as great as Dracula - that's just too special - but it's very good and it's pure Stoker. I loved it.
July 25, 2021
This particular ebook version could have been greatly enhanced with the help of simple proofreading.
The story takes place in the latter part of the 19th century and is filled with Victorian custom and verbiage. I felt that the end of the story was anti-climatic after the slow burn buildup.
I would not recommend this book to anyone.
The story takes place in the latter part of the 19th century and is filled with Victorian custom and verbiage. I felt that the end of the story was anti-climatic after the slow burn buildup.
I would not recommend this book to anyone.
May 7, 2017
Set in Kensington with flashback into the Valley of the Sorcerer. A mysterious tomb is found. In the Great Experiment the forgotten Queen shall be brought back to life. Well, I really liked this story, it was a quick read and it had a fine gothic fin de siecle atmosphere. Clear recommendation!
May 2, 2012
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 and boring. OK, so I didn't like this. I can appreciate its role in the annals of horror fiction but if I ever have to read this again, I'm going to do the Egyptian in double time right outta here.
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 and boring. OK, so I didn't like this. I can appreciate its role in the annals of horror fiction but if I ever have to read this again, I'm going to do the Egyptian in double time right outta here.
October 7, 2019
Una novela que, al menos para mí, pasa sin pena ni gloria. En el libro se pueden identificar dos momentos muy marcados: los primeros capítulos narran los misteriosos ataques que sufre el egiptólogo Ariel Trelawny en su casa, que lo han llevado casi a desangrarse y que lo mantienen inconsciente, mientras su hija y varios personajes más intentan descifrar el enigma, a la vez que vigilan que no le vuelva a suceder nada. Aquí me sentía leyendo un libro de Agatha Christie que, al igual que me ha pasado con algunos libros de esta autora, la lectura no me produjo absolutamente nada; personajes totalmente planos, que no transmiten ninguna emoción y menos el desasosiego ante los extraños acontecimientos que están viviendo.
Pasada la mitad y junto con la recuperación del viejo Trelawny, la lectura se pone un poco más interesante, pero sólo porque tanto el egiptólogo y su fiel compañero de correrías, comienzan a narrar las aventuras que los llevaron a apoderarse de una momia junto con todos los objetos encontrados en su tumba. Los orígenes de la reina momificada hacen presagiar un buen desenlace... pero no; al final te quedas con cara de ¿y eso era todo?
Por último, realmente me cuesta comprender cómo esta novela puede clasificarse como de Terror.
Pasada la mitad y junto con la recuperación del viejo Trelawny, la lectura se pone un poco más interesante, pero sólo porque tanto el egiptólogo y su fiel compañero de correrías, comienzan a narrar las aventuras que los llevaron a apoderarse de una momia junto con todos los objetos encontrados en su tumba. Los orígenes de la reina momificada hacen presagiar un buen desenlace... pero no; al final te quedas con cara de ¿y eso era todo?
Por último, realmente me cuesta comprender cómo esta novela puede clasificarse como de Terror.
October 31, 2021
We all know Bram Stoker as the author of Dracula. I knew that he had written other books and decided that Halloween 2021 would be a fine time to try one of them out. I'm no stranger to Mummy tales, having read works as diverse as Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt, The Mummy by Anne Rice, and the short story Lost in a Pyramid or the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott. This one has a slightly different twist.
The pace of the story is slow and there is a lot of agonizing done by the narrator, Malcom Ross. The poor guy is deeply in love and is both concerned and thrilled when his lady love summons him in the middle of the night because she needs a strong shoulder to lean upon. Her father, an eccentric Egyptologist, has been injured and collapsed in their home. He seems to be in a coma of some kind, although there is no evidence of a head injury. When Ross arrives, a doctor and the police are summoned, with our man making sure that they are suitable. Since he is a well known lawyer, everyone falls in with his plans. However, things get weird(er). Mr. Trelawny has left a letter stating that if weirdness should happen, he is not to be removed from his room full of Egyptian curios and that none of those antiquities should be removed. His lawyer is consulted, only to tell them they must do things the great man's way. So there are many odd, vague goings on. Interestingly, there are two endings given. I didn't find either of them exceptionally satisfying, but given my druthers, I'd pick the happier of the two.
The novel seemed to me to be a bit like Frankenstein, with everyone willing to comply with Trelawny's experiment without really wondering if it was a good idea. I also thought about H. Rider Haggard's fiction, with his penchant for the mysterious, African settings, and Victorian “gentlemen" despoiling foreign countries to build their collections. The mysterious female mummy reminded me of Haggard's Ayesha, star of his novel She.
I can definitely see why this novel didn't achieve the same level of fame as Dracula. It's a bit nebulous concerning what is exactly going on and Stoker drags it on longer than necessary.
The pace of the story is slow and there is a lot of agonizing done by the narrator, Malcom Ross. The poor guy is deeply in love and is both concerned and thrilled when his lady love summons him in the middle of the night because she needs a strong shoulder to lean upon. Her father, an eccentric Egyptologist, has been injured and collapsed in their home. He seems to be in a coma of some kind, although there is no evidence of a head injury. When Ross arrives, a doctor and the police are summoned, with our man making sure that they are suitable. Since he is a well known lawyer, everyone falls in with his plans. However, things get weird(er). Mr. Trelawny has left a letter stating that if weirdness should happen, he is not to be removed from his room full of Egyptian curios and that none of those antiquities should be removed. His lawyer is consulted, only to tell them they must do things the great man's way. So there are many odd, vague goings on. Interestingly, there are two endings given. I didn't find either of them exceptionally satisfying, but given my druthers, I'd pick the happier of the two.
The novel seemed to me to be a bit like Frankenstein, with everyone willing to comply with Trelawny's experiment without really wondering if it was a good idea. I also thought about H. Rider Haggard's fiction, with his penchant for the mysterious, African settings, and Victorian “gentlemen" despoiling foreign countries to build their collections. The mysterious female mummy reminded me of Haggard's Ayesha, star of his novel She.
I can definitely see why this novel didn't achieve the same level of fame as Dracula. It's a bit nebulous concerning what is exactly going on and Stoker drags it on longer than necessary.
August 6, 2022
Mumie, starożytna klątwa, epoka wiktoriańska w epoce największej egiptomanii, a wszystko to spod pióra Brama Stokera (ojca „Drakuli”!).
O „Klejnocie siedmiu gwiazd” można by pisać i pisać bez końca… To perła gotyku imperialnego, jedna z powieści, którą można analizować, rozbebeszać, pod lupą doszukiwać się ukrytych za słowami lęków, fascynacji, nawiązań. W końcu to jedna z tych charakterystycznych lektur, których wysyp pojawił się u szczytu tamtej epoki. Nie będziemy tego jednak robić, w zamian warto tu wspomnieć, że wydanie książki zbiegło się z niezwykłym odkryciem archeologicznym, którego z pewnością Stoker był świadomy. Howard Carter – ten, który w Dolinie Królów odnalazł również grób Tutanchamona – odkrył grobowiec jednej z egipskich królowych, Hatszepsut. Była to postać co najmniej nietuzinkowa, nie chcę jednak zdradzać zbyt wiele. Dodam tylko, że to na jej niezwykłej historii dochodzenia do władzy (która była wówczas niedostępna dla kobiet), inspirowana jest postać królowej Tery.
Ciekawostką pozostaje fakt, że „Klejnot Siedmiu Gwiazd” posiada dwa zakończenia. Pierwsze pojawiło się przy pierwszym wydaniu książki w 1903 roku i zaskoczyło zarówno czytelników, jak i krytyków. Nie pasowało do pozostałych, podobnych opowieści, a jak wiemy – czytelnicy literatury gatunkowej przyzwyczajeni są do konkretnych schematów. Gotyk imperialny również rządził się swoimi prawami. Drugie zakończenie Bram Stoker dodał w wersji zredagowanej z 1912 roku. Oba zakończenia znajdziemy w polskim wydaniu książki, by samemu zadecydować, które pasuje do historii lepiej, które ma intensywniejszy w emocje wydźwięk.
Cieszę się niezmiernie, że „Klejnot Siedmiu Gwiazd” po tylu latach po raz pierwszy trafił w ręce polskiego czytelnika. Przed nami przekład rzetelny, nastrojowy, pasujący do epoki, w której powstała książka. Oddaje ducha tamtych lat, oddaje klimat, który unosił się wokół starożytnych artefaktów, tę tajemnicę, sekret, którego nawet my, po tych wszystkich latach nie możemy do końca przeniknąć. To mieszanka przygody, niesamowitości, romansu – groza snuje się wokół, otacza czytelnika oparem, trochę hipnotyzuje po drodze. To sama przyjemność niespiesznej lektury.
O „Klejnocie siedmiu gwiazd” można by pisać i pisać bez końca… To perła gotyku imperialnego, jedna z powieści, którą można analizować, rozbebeszać, pod lupą doszukiwać się ukrytych za słowami lęków, fascynacji, nawiązań. W końcu to jedna z tych charakterystycznych lektur, których wysyp pojawił się u szczytu tamtej epoki. Nie będziemy tego jednak robić, w zamian warto tu wspomnieć, że wydanie książki zbiegło się z niezwykłym odkryciem archeologicznym, którego z pewnością Stoker był świadomy. Howard Carter – ten, który w Dolinie Królów odnalazł również grób Tutanchamona – odkrył grobowiec jednej z egipskich królowych, Hatszepsut. Była to postać co najmniej nietuzinkowa, nie chcę jednak zdradzać zbyt wiele. Dodam tylko, że to na jej niezwykłej historii dochodzenia do władzy (która była wówczas niedostępna dla kobiet), inspirowana jest postać królowej Tery.
Ciekawostką pozostaje fakt, że „Klejnot Siedmiu Gwiazd” posiada dwa zakończenia. Pierwsze pojawiło się przy pierwszym wydaniu książki w 1903 roku i zaskoczyło zarówno czytelników, jak i krytyków. Nie pasowało do pozostałych, podobnych opowieści, a jak wiemy – czytelnicy literatury gatunkowej przyzwyczajeni są do konkretnych schematów. Gotyk imperialny również rządził się swoimi prawami. Drugie zakończenie Bram Stoker dodał w wersji zredagowanej z 1912 roku. Oba zakończenia znajdziemy w polskim wydaniu książki, by samemu zadecydować, które pasuje do historii lepiej, które ma intensywniejszy w emocje wydźwięk.
Cieszę się niezmiernie, że „Klejnot Siedmiu Gwiazd” po tylu latach po raz pierwszy trafił w ręce polskiego czytelnika. Przed nami przekład rzetelny, nastrojowy, pasujący do epoki, w której powstała książka. Oddaje ducha tamtych lat, oddaje klimat, który unosił się wokół starożytnych artefaktów, tę tajemnicę, sekret, którego nawet my, po tych wszystkich latach nie możemy do końca przeniknąć. To mieszanka przygody, niesamowitości, romansu – groza snuje się wokół, otacza czytelnika oparem, trochę hipnotyzuje po drodze. To sama przyjemność niespiesznej lektury.
March 18, 2015
Malcolm Ross es requerido con urgencia una noche para que acuda a casa de Margaret Trelawny. Al llegar, se le comunicará que el padre de ésta, coleccionista y arqueólogo, ha sido agredido y permanece inconsciente. Alrededor del enfermo se irán reuniendo un grupo de personas: además de Malcolm y Margaret, también están el doctor Winchester, el sargento Daw, y el servicio de la casa. Todos ellos, en una carta del arqueólogo, tienen instrucciones de vigilarle constantemente. Un misterio se cierne sobre los Trelawny, algo que parece tener que ver con la milenaria momia de la reina egipcia Tera.
‘La Joya de las Siete Estrellas’ (The Jewel of Seven Stars, 1903), del irlandés Bram Stoker, tiene una primera parte casi policíaca, con el misterio de saber qué exactamente está atentado contra la vida del viejo Trelawny. Esta parte es la que más me ha gustado de la novela. En la segunda parte del libro, sabremos más de Egipto y de la reina Tera, pero le falta algo más emoción a las explicaciones.
En resumen, una buena novela del creador de ‘Drácula’, aunque sin llegar a los niveles de excelencia de ésta.
‘La Joya de las Siete Estrellas’ (The Jewel of Seven Stars, 1903), del irlandés Bram Stoker, tiene una primera parte casi policíaca, con el misterio de saber qué exactamente está atentado contra la vida del viejo Trelawny. Esta parte es la que más me ha gustado de la novela. En la segunda parte del libro, sabremos más de Egipto y de la reina Tera, pero le falta algo más emoción a las explicaciones.
En resumen, una buena novela del creador de ‘Drácula’, aunque sin llegar a los niveles de excelencia de ésta.
April 4, 2017
A very long time ago, I read this as a young teen in my post- Dark Shadows 1970s world. Idiotic plotting sometimes gives way to atrocious writing -- there is a reason that Dracula is the more renowned work -- but undeniably influential on the horror genre. Love Margaret's dual nature, the descriptions of the tomb, the inane attempts at scientific discussion, and the gas masks, most of all the gas masks. I must seek out the alternate "conventional" ending. Long live Queen Tera. (Hatshepsut was too long and difficult to pronounce.)
September 8, 2023
Entertaining boring listening 🎶🔰
This novel is free on Amazon.
After reading 👓 reviews on Goodreads I made the decision to not listen to this novel. 2023
This novel is free on Amazon.
After reading 👓 reviews on Goodreads I made the decision to not listen to this novel. 2023
August 21, 2023
Pues me ha gustado bastante, por esa mezcla de magia y misticismo, muy propia de la época, y sobre todo del círculo con el que se rodeaba Stoker.
Solo me hubiera gustado que terminara un poco diferente, eso le hubiera dado las cinco estrellas, o las siete, tal vez, jajaja.
Solo me hubiera gustado que terminara un poco diferente, eso le hubiera dado las cinco estrellas, o las siete, tal vez, jajaja.
April 16, 2023
প্রাচীন মিশর, ইতিহাস, মমি ও ব্রাম স্টোকার.... দীর্ঘদিন ফেলে রাখার পর খুবই আগ্রহ নিয়ে বইটা শুরু করেছিলাম। ধুর... পুরাই হতাশ। না ইতিহাসের ব্যাখ্যা স্পষ্ট, না আছে ভয়, না আছে সাসপেন্স। কিছু জায়গায় চরিত্রদের কার্যকলাপ শিশুতোষ। ড্রাকুলার পর ব্রাম স্টোকারের সবথেকে সেরা কাজের এই হাল দেখে হতাশ। সময় নষ্ট।
June 25, 2021
I first read THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS when I was in junior high school, and I was highly disappointed. There were a number of moments that I quite enjoyed, but I felt cheated by the ending.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was reviewing the recent Blu-ray release of the 1980 movie, THE AWAKENING. This movie was based on THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, and I was very surprised to learn that the original novel published in 1903 had a very different ending. When Bram Stoker wanted to reprint the book in 1912, his publisher insisted that the ending be changed because so many Readers had been disappointed with the 1903 ending! Stoker acquiesced … and that later “revised” ending was the one I had read (and been so disappointed by) years ago.
Well, there was no help for it. I had to discover what I had missed from the original work. I was very pleased to find this version which included both endings as a comparison. My recommendation is to completely ignore the trite 1912 ending as the 1903 one is so much more true to the events that occurred before and was much more satisfying overall.
Stoker, of course, is the writer who gave the world DRACULA. In the original version of THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, he has created another potentially iconic supernatural character in the person of Queen Tera, an Egyptian Pharaoh and Sorcerer so notorious that the Priests have sought to efface her name from human memory.
The book begins as a supernatural mystery, and then explores the possibility of rebirth into a new life centuries later. The mystery is uncanny and the story of the discovery of Tera’s tomb is both fascinating and chilling. But, it is the original ending that really “sells” the story.
The writing does have some drawbacks. Stoker tends to compose a number of scenes (and dialogue) as if they are being composed for the theatrical stage. That sometimes leads to exaggerated melodrama and an embarrassing carryover of some of the worst Victorian ideals. (Thank goodness men are there to aid helpless women!) And there is one incredibly tedious chapter discussing scientific versus metaphysical principles. Thankfully, that may be the shortest chapter in the book.
Still, I found the original climax and resolution to be stunning. In fact, there is a surprising negation of those “worst Victorian ideals” as opposed to the rewritten latter ending that completely supports them.
There is plenty to enjoy in THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS. It is a crackling good adventure, an intriguing mystery, and an unnerving exposure to the supernatural.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was reviewing the recent Blu-ray release of the 1980 movie, THE AWAKENING. This movie was based on THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, and I was very surprised to learn that the original novel published in 1903 had a very different ending. When Bram Stoker wanted to reprint the book in 1912, his publisher insisted that the ending be changed because so many Readers had been disappointed with the 1903 ending! Stoker acquiesced … and that later “revised” ending was the one I had read (and been so disappointed by) years ago.
Well, there was no help for it. I had to discover what I had missed from the original work. I was very pleased to find this version which included both endings as a comparison. My recommendation is to completely ignore the trite 1912 ending as the 1903 one is so much more true to the events that occurred before and was much more satisfying overall.
Stoker, of course, is the writer who gave the world DRACULA. In the original version of THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, he has created another potentially iconic supernatural character in the person of Queen Tera, an Egyptian Pharaoh and Sorcerer so notorious that the Priests have sought to efface her name from human memory.
The book begins as a supernatural mystery, and then explores the possibility of rebirth into a new life centuries later. The mystery is uncanny and the story of the discovery of Tera’s tomb is both fascinating and chilling. But, it is the original ending that really “sells” the story.
The writing does have some drawbacks. Stoker tends to compose a number of scenes (and dialogue) as if they are being composed for the theatrical stage. That sometimes leads to exaggerated melodrama and an embarrassing carryover of some of the worst Victorian ideals. (Thank goodness men are there to aid helpless women!) And there is one incredibly tedious chapter discussing scientific versus metaphysical principles. Thankfully, that may be the shortest chapter in the book.
Still, I found the original climax and resolution to be stunning. In fact, there is a surprising negation of those “worst Victorian ideals” as opposed to the rewritten latter ending that completely supports them.
There is plenty to enjoy in THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS. It is a crackling good adventure, an intriguing mystery, and an unnerving exposure to the supernatural.
September 24, 2015
Ever wondered why Bram Stoker is only ever remembered for Dracula?
Wonder no more. Read The Jewel of the Seven Stars and it will become abundantly clear just why. Better still, don't read it, just take my word for it, this is a wretchedly awful novel.
A renowned Egyptologist is found by his daughter after being attacked in his room and placed in a cataleptic state seemingly induced by - I kid you not - 'mummy smell'.
His room is crowded with ancient artifacts from the tomb of a sorcerer queen named Tera, including the sarcophagus of the lady herself, which has a severed hand with seven fingers.
I won't even bother to explain the rest, other than to say that it made no sense at all, was plotted by a simpleton with concussion and written in the most cringingly wretched prose throughout.
Don't believe me? Here are a couple of samples which ought to convince you. Firstly, this lame, meaningless observation:
'The sight which met my eyes had the horror of a dream within a dream, with the certainty of reality added.'
Lame certainly, but perhaps comparatively inoffensive? Oh, but it became worse still whenever Stoker attempted to grasp after something loftier:
'What would become of us all, poor atoms of earthly dust whirled in the wind which cometh whence and goeth whither no man may know.'
Stoker certainly generated a lot of wind when writing this rubbish, and I know exactly from where it 'cometh whence'.
Like too much garlic on a date, best avoided.
Wonder no more. Read The Jewel of the Seven Stars and it will become abundantly clear just why. Better still, don't read it, just take my word for it, this is a wretchedly awful novel.
A renowned Egyptologist is found by his daughter after being attacked in his room and placed in a cataleptic state seemingly induced by - I kid you not - 'mummy smell'.
His room is crowded with ancient artifacts from the tomb of a sorcerer queen named Tera, including the sarcophagus of the lady herself, which has a severed hand with seven fingers.
I won't even bother to explain the rest, other than to say that it made no sense at all, was plotted by a simpleton with concussion and written in the most cringingly wretched prose throughout.
Don't believe me? Here are a couple of samples which ought to convince you. Firstly, this lame, meaningless observation:
'The sight which met my eyes had the horror of a dream within a dream, with the certainty of reality added.'
Lame certainly, but perhaps comparatively inoffensive? Oh, but it became worse still whenever Stoker attempted to grasp after something loftier:
'What would become of us all, poor atoms of earthly dust whirled in the wind which cometh whence and goeth whither no man may know.'
Stoker certainly generated a lot of wind when writing this rubbish, and I know exactly from where it 'cometh whence'.
Like too much garlic on a date, best avoided.
June 5, 2017
I can remember one of my English Literature lecturers telling our study group that in literary terms, Bram Stoker was a one hit wonder.
Lately I've been wondering whether that meant he just wrote the kind of books I like and one of them happened to break through.
So, I thought I'd try another.
But on the evidence of THE JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS, one hit wonder is a generous term.
I can't recall the last time I read a book quite as annoyingly tedious as this. Although there is incident, Stoker’s turgid prose manages to suck all drama and excitement from it, so that the book basically becomes some boring people sitting around a house waiting for something to happen.
A few weeks back I criticised the Hammer Horror film, BLOOD FROM A MUMMY’S TOMB, which was based on this, for some tonal inconsistencies. But actually, that film is really interesting. Having now read the source material, I’m filled with wonder at its director/screenwriter for building something good on such bedrock.
Maybe Stoker sold his soul to the devil to be able to write DRACULA. Perhaps that was worth it. But he really should have asked for a two-book deal.
If you get chance, please visit my blog for book, TV and film reviews - as well as whatever else takes my fancy - at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.
Lately I've been wondering whether that meant he just wrote the kind of books I like and one of them happened to break through.
So, I thought I'd try another.
But on the evidence of THE JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS, one hit wonder is a generous term.
I can't recall the last time I read a book quite as annoyingly tedious as this. Although there is incident, Stoker’s turgid prose manages to suck all drama and excitement from it, so that the book basically becomes some boring people sitting around a house waiting for something to happen.
A few weeks back I criticised the Hammer Horror film, BLOOD FROM A MUMMY’S TOMB, which was based on this, for some tonal inconsistencies. But actually, that film is really interesting. Having now read the source material, I’m filled with wonder at its director/screenwriter for building something good on such bedrock.
Maybe Stoker sold his soul to the devil to be able to write DRACULA. Perhaps that was worth it. But he really should have asked for a two-book deal.
If you get chance, please visit my blog for book, TV and film reviews - as well as whatever else takes my fancy - at frjameson.com
LIke my Facebook page
Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram: @frjameson.
September 3, 2020
Great story, creepy 💀 .
October 6, 2019
Sólo había leído Drácula de este autor, a pesar de lo mucho que me gustó ese libro nunca tuve la curiosidad por leer alguno de sus otros libros, hasta ahora.
Si bien es verdad que el estilo es inconfundible, lo cierto es que este libro nada tiene que ver con Drácula que no sea ese terror fino.
En esta ocasión Stoker nos lleva a una historia relacionada con maldiciones de momias Egipcias, la verdad es que es bastante buena, si bien creo que es muy predecible hoy en día, no se que tanto podría haberlo sido en la época en que este libro fue escrito, sobre todo considerando que la maldición más conocida es la de Tutankamon y eso no sucedió sino varios años después de haberse escrito este libro.
Todo el libro me ha parecido extraordinario, la única parte que me ha costado un poco es un largo monólogo que hace el señor Trelawny, padre de Margaret cuando despierta de su estado catatónico, si bien la explicación que nos entrega este personaje es crucial para lo que viene en el libro, me ha resultada larga en exceso, pero no es más que parte del estilo tanto de este autor como de muchos de la época.
Contada en primera persona por Malcom Ross un abogado que se enamora de Margaret,vamos conociendo todo el relato de lo sucedido con el descubrimiento de una tumba Egipcia y sus consecuencias futuras.
La última frase de este libro es brutal
“ Tuve la suerte de que se me evitara el dolor de la esperanza”
Sin embargo el final me ha quedado a deber mucho, esperaba mucho más y mi imaginación no me ayuda, realmente esperaba otra cosa, no es que sea malo, es que es como si le hubieran faltado páginas o un epílogo, ya de menos.
Sin embargo, ha sido una delicia y leer nuevamente a Stocker a valido la pena
Si bien es verdad que el estilo es inconfundible, lo cierto es que este libro nada tiene que ver con Drácula que no sea ese terror fino.
En esta ocasión Stoker nos lleva a una historia relacionada con maldiciones de momias Egipcias, la verdad es que es bastante buena, si bien creo que es muy predecible hoy en día, no se que tanto podría haberlo sido en la época en que este libro fue escrito, sobre todo considerando que la maldición más conocida es la de Tutankamon y eso no sucedió sino varios años después de haberse escrito este libro.
Todo el libro me ha parecido extraordinario, la única parte que me ha costado un poco es un largo monólogo que hace el señor Trelawny, padre de Margaret cuando despierta de su estado catatónico, si bien la explicación que nos entrega este personaje es crucial para lo que viene en el libro, me ha resultada larga en exceso, pero no es más que parte del estilo tanto de este autor como de muchos de la época.
Contada en primera persona por Malcom Ross un abogado que se enamora de Margaret,vamos conociendo todo el relato de lo sucedido con el descubrimiento de una tumba Egipcia y sus consecuencias futuras.
La última frase de este libro es brutal
“ Tuve la suerte de que se me evitara el dolor de la esperanza”
Sin embargo el final me ha quedado a deber mucho, esperaba mucho más y mi imaginación no me ayuda, realmente esperaba otra cosa, no es que sea malo, es que es como si le hubieran faltado páginas o un epílogo, ya de menos.
Sin embargo, ha sido una delicia y leer nuevamente a Stocker a valido la pena
September 28, 2013
It seems a little strange to me that Jewel of the Seven Stars is so much less well-known than Dracula. I mean, yes, it's managed to stay in print, and it's even been adapted into a couple of low-budget horror movies, but the book certainly isn't a household name (and neither are any of Stoker's other books, for that matter.)
However, it's every bit as entertaining and dramatic a read.
The narrator is summoned by a young woman in distress, a recent acquaintance of his whom he is quite taken with. His delight in her seeming interest is only slightly tempered by the situation - the woman, Margaret's, father has fallen mysteriously ill... or has possibly been violently attacked. Doctors and the law are summoned, but, starting with some strange instructions left to his lawyer, an occult web unravels, relating to the father's occupation as an Egyptologist. A tale emerges of the mummy of Tera, a beautiful queen and powerful sorceress of ancient Egypt, who sought to extend her power beyond the grave - but whether for good or for evil is unknown. But now, it may be that there will be no choice but to discover, for her spirit seems in some strange way entwined with that of the innocent Margaret, who was born at the very moment of the violation of Tera's tomb.
Apparently, when the book was first published in 1903, the publisher was unhappy with the ending, and in subsequent editions, a new "happier" ending was tagged on. My copy of the book contained the original ending, but I have to say, I wasn't that satisfied with it either - not because of it being "unhappy," but because it was too vague, leaving unanswered too many questions that the book set up as if answers were forthcoming. Still, overall, I found it to be very enjoyable.
However, it's every bit as entertaining and dramatic a read.
The narrator is summoned by a young woman in distress, a recent acquaintance of his whom he is quite taken with. His delight in her seeming interest is only slightly tempered by the situation - the woman, Margaret's, father has fallen mysteriously ill... or has possibly been violently attacked. Doctors and the law are summoned, but, starting with some strange instructions left to his lawyer, an occult web unravels, relating to the father's occupation as an Egyptologist. A tale emerges of the mummy of Tera, a beautiful queen and powerful sorceress of ancient Egypt, who sought to extend her power beyond the grave - but whether for good or for evil is unknown. But now, it may be that there will be no choice but to discover, for her spirit seems in some strange way entwined with that of the innocent Margaret, who was born at the very moment of the violation of Tera's tomb.
Apparently, when the book was first published in 1903, the publisher was unhappy with the ending, and in subsequent editions, a new "happier" ending was tagged on. My copy of the book contained the original ending, but I have to say, I wasn't that satisfied with it either - not because of it being "unhappy," but because it was too vague, leaving unanswered too many questions that the book set up as if answers were forthcoming. Still, overall, I found it to be very enjoyable.
January 20, 2023
3.5
La joya de las siete estrellas fue publicada en 1903, unos seis años después de Drácula, obra con la que comparte algunos rasgos que no comentaré para no dar pistas de cómo se desarrolla el argumento. No obstante, personalmente, no creo que alcance el nivel de la anterior obra de Stoker.
Si bien el comienzo de La joya de las siete estrellas es muy bueno, con abundancia de misterios y aventuras combinados de sabia forma con rasgos de la novela detectivesca, al avanzar el relato cambia, renuncia al tono detectivesco y se ve lastrado por explicaciones farragosas que se alargan y enredan en sí mismas, lo que lo lleva a perder una buena dosis de intensidad.
El final, por su parte, es inesperado, pero demasiado abrupto para resultar plenamente satisfactorio, al menos para algunos lectores, entre los que me encuentro. Sin entrar en detalle de qué ocurre en este desenlace, en la época en la que se publicó fue tan impactante que Stoker se vio obligado a escribir un final alternativo, más convencional.
Aunque no es una historia redonda, al menos para mí, no la desaconsejaría, y la recomendaría a quienes gustan de las novelas clásicas o de misterio, y sobre todo a los que gustan de combinar ambas, porque, si bien es posible que la novela se haga algo pesada en la segunda mitad, merece la pena conocerla. Además, tampoco faltan las opiniones que la colocan por encima de Drácula.
La joya de las siete estrellas fue publicada en 1903, unos seis años después de Drácula, obra con la que comparte algunos rasgos que no comentaré para no dar pistas de cómo se desarrolla el argumento. No obstante, personalmente, no creo que alcance el nivel de la anterior obra de Stoker.
Si bien el comienzo de La joya de las siete estrellas es muy bueno, con abundancia de misterios y aventuras combinados de sabia forma con rasgos de la novela detectivesca, al avanzar el relato cambia, renuncia al tono detectivesco y se ve lastrado por explicaciones farragosas que se alargan y enredan en sí mismas, lo que lo lleva a perder una buena dosis de intensidad.
El final, por su parte, es inesperado, pero demasiado abrupto para resultar plenamente satisfactorio, al menos para algunos lectores, entre los que me encuentro. Sin entrar en detalle de qué ocurre en este desenlace, en la época en la que se publicó fue tan impactante que Stoker se vio obligado a escribir un final alternativo, más convencional.
Aunque no es una historia redonda, al menos para mí, no la desaconsejaría, y la recomendaría a quienes gustan de las novelas clásicas o de misterio, y sobre todo a los que gustan de combinar ambas, porque, si bien es posible que la novela se haga algo pesada en la segunda mitad, merece la pena conocerla. Además, tampoco faltan las opiniones que la colocan por encima de Drácula.
October 11, 2019
Intrigante pero el final no me terminó de convencer
July 11, 2014
I was very curious to read another book by Bram Stoker, needless to say, I love Dracula. The Jewel of Seven Stars is a curious intriguing book. But it suffers from the pesky The Casual Vacancy syndrome, and is underrated, because, well - it's not Dracula.
Of course it isn't Dracula, but you can see it's the same writer. The switching of perspectives is smooth, we slip easily into two long stories - one by an old explorer when he first unearthed Queen Tera's tomb and the other by Mr. Trelawney's friend about their journeys through Egypt. Malcolm Ross's first person narration resembles Jonathan Harker's in its deep detailed descriptions. But I love how we have a very biased view of the story, partial to the admirable Margaret Trelawney whom the lawyer never doubts. We see every character through the almost self-deprecating eyes of Ross, who gives so little away about himself - we only know of his intellect and experience through the others' easy confidence in him. Stoker is good with characters in Dracula, and this is no less.
Another truly enchanting quality of the book is its mood. The atmosphere is rich with suspense and mythical exoticness. The glimpses into the old unfamiliar culture are evident not only through the travels to Egypt but in that antique quality possessed by the Trelawneys' house and lives.
The book questions belief and experimentation, questions science and skeptics, and contrasts the knowledge of the Old and New worlds. It also has a very feministic quality, and Margaret Trelawney is a remarkable character, comparable with Mina, if in nothing other than her strength.
What the book lacks is perhaps a coherent structure. The plot is confusing, its pace inconsistent. It almost feels as if not enough work went into it. And then there's the ending - abrupt, bizarre, surprising and actually effective. I don't think Stoker ever intended for Margaret's 'connection' with Queen Tera to be a secret - but even with only thirty pages left in the book, we find it hard to imagine what might happen next and when the ending does come it leaves us aghast - in a good way, if that's possible. Think: every Stephen King ending, it's so simple, you wouldn't have dreamt a whole book would built up to that. Now I prefer such an ending to an unexpected unlikely twist. But I can see how others wouldn't. Apparently: Stoker was forced to rewrite his disturbing, depressing ending to make it more appealing to the masses. (I wish he hadn't fallen for that.)
My copy had both endings. The first shocked me, so I tried the next. But: the alternate ending is mind-numbingly sappy, a fairy tale wrap-up so enormously disappointing, it spoils the overall effect of the book - like a delicious dessert with a bad after-taste, which makes you wish you hadn't eaten that thing in the first place.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, if you know what to expect. It's not outright horror, more a mix of dark fantasy, adventure and mystery. It's also not Dracula. If you do decide to read this, though, I'd suggest making sure you read the first ending, the one that Stoker originally intended. What you want is the 1903 version, which you can find here.
Of course it isn't Dracula, but you can see it's the same writer. The switching of perspectives is smooth, we slip easily into two long stories - one by an old explorer when he first unearthed Queen Tera's tomb and the other by Mr. Trelawney's friend about their journeys through Egypt. Malcolm Ross's first person narration resembles Jonathan Harker's in its deep detailed descriptions. But I love how we have a very biased view of the story, partial to the admirable Margaret Trelawney whom the lawyer never doubts. We see every character through the almost self-deprecating eyes of Ross, who gives so little away about himself - we only know of his intellect and experience through the others' easy confidence in him. Stoker is good with characters in Dracula, and this is no less.
Another truly enchanting quality of the book is its mood. The atmosphere is rich with suspense and mythical exoticness. The glimpses into the old unfamiliar culture are evident not only through the travels to Egypt but in that antique quality possessed by the Trelawneys' house and lives.
The book questions belief and experimentation, questions science and skeptics, and contrasts the knowledge of the Old and New worlds. It also has a very feministic quality, and Margaret Trelawney is a remarkable character, comparable with Mina, if in nothing other than her strength.
What the book lacks is perhaps a coherent structure. The plot is confusing, its pace inconsistent. It almost feels as if not enough work went into it. And then there's the ending - abrupt, bizarre, surprising and actually effective. I don't think Stoker ever intended for Margaret's 'connection' with Queen Tera to be a secret - but even with only thirty pages left in the book, we find it hard to imagine what might happen next and when the ending does come it leaves us aghast - in a good way, if that's possible. Think: every Stephen King ending, it's so simple, you wouldn't have dreamt a whole book would built up to that. Now I prefer such an ending to an unexpected unlikely twist. But I can see how others wouldn't. Apparently: Stoker was forced to rewrite his disturbing, depressing ending to make it more appealing to the masses. (I wish he hadn't fallen for that.)
My copy had both endings. The first shocked me, so I tried the next. But: the alternate ending is mind-numbingly sappy, a fairy tale wrap-up so enormously disappointing, it spoils the overall effect of the book - like a delicious dessert with a bad after-taste, which makes you wish you hadn't eaten that thing in the first place.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, if you know what to expect. It's not outright horror, more a mix of dark fantasy, adventure and mystery. It's also not Dracula. If you do decide to read this, though, I'd suggest making sure you read the first ending, the one that Stoker originally intended. What you want is the 1903 version, which you can find here.
May 10, 2016
This is another classic Victorian Gothic tale from one of my favourite writers of the time and embraces everything I love about Stoker's style, characters and flare for story-telling. And as an added bonus it throws in a load of Egyptian mythology, the fascination of which I gladly share with the Victorians. The story follows Margaret Trelawney and Malcolm Ross as they try to unravel the mystery of what has happened to her father while they try to protect him from further harm by a mysterious presence that is only ever hinted at. As they do, they realise there is much more to the story than they first realised and that they are battling an ancient power beyond their comprehension. Told with Stoker's trademark character driven feelings this story gets beneath your skin and inside your head until you don't know what's real and what's not.
This volume has both the original ending as published in 1903 and the revised ending from 1912 (which may or may not have been written by Stoker himself, although I doubt it). Personally I prefer the original ending as it is more inkeeping with the story and with the genre. The 1912 version seems somewhat forced and false and doesn't sit as well with the overall tale. But fear not, you don't have to read the alternative (I'd possibly even advise against it).
This volume has both the original ending as published in 1903 and the revised ending from 1912 (which may or may not have been written by Stoker himself, although I doubt it). Personally I prefer the original ending as it is more inkeeping with the story and with the genre. The 1912 version seems somewhat forced and false and doesn't sit as well with the overall tale. But fear not, you don't have to read the alternative (I'd possibly even advise against it).
June 4, 2023
Непогано, непогано. :) "Дракулу" я поки не читала, але вже запланувала до прочитання, бо й ця книжка цілком непогана. Вона легко й швидко читається, про деякі нюанси я здогадалася мало не з самого початку, та це враження не зіпсувало. Мені цікава тема єгипетських фараонів, їхніх поховань і загалом того періоду історії, тому сподобалася й обрана автором тема твору, й стиль автора, й обраний жанр - готичний роман. Кінцівка щоправда виявилася занадто романтичною і я б із задоволенням прочитала і перший похмуріший варіант "Самоцвіту семи зірок", який був дещо змінений разом із кінцівкою Бремом Стокером у 1912 році.
August 26, 2022
النهايتين ظلموا الرواية رغم أن النهاية الأولى تظل الأفضل .. وترجمة د. أحمد رائعة كالعادة
تبدأ أحداث الرواية بإستعانة مارجريت بالمحامي الذى لم تقابله الا مرة واحدة لنجدة والدها المحاط بالمومياوات والروائح العطرية النفاذة، وتدور الاحداث لإعادة بعث مومياء الملكة تيرا التى تشبه مارجريت إلى حد لا يُوصف إلى حد يبعث القلق فى النفوس...
تبدأ أحداث الرواية بإستعانة مارجريت بالمحامي الذى لم تقابله الا مرة واحدة لنجدة والدها المحاط بالمومياوات والروائح العطرية النفاذة، وتدور الاحداث لإعادة بعث مومياء الملكة تيرا التى تشبه مارجريت إلى حد لا يُوصف إلى حد يبعث القلق فى النفوس...
October 20, 2022
Una momia egipcia y acontecimientos sobrenaturales, me gustó mucho sobre todo por el estilo que tiene Sroker para narrarlos.
February 3, 2023
I want my mummy!
Our narrator, barrister Malcolm Ross, is sent a message by the girl he’s already well on the way to falling in love with, Margaret Trelawny, begging him to come to her aid. Her father has been attacked and seriously injured. Malcolm rushes to her side, as do the doctor and the police. Abel Trelawny’s physical injuries are severe but not life-threatening, but he is in a strange comatose condition. He has, oddly, left instructions on what must be done in just such an eventuality. He must not be removed from his room, which is full of Egyptian treasures he has “collected” from tombs, including several sarcophagi. And two people must watch over him each night. So Malcolm offers to stay at the house, and helps with the watching while carrying on his wooing. Slowly he and Margaret learn that her father has been studying one mummy in particular, Queen Tera, and believes that she had magical skills. He believes that she intends to come back from the dead, and Trelawny intends to help her…
This would have made a great short story or novella, but at full-novel length it’s incredibly over-stretched and repetitive. It’s well written, of course, and the narration from Simon Vance is great – it may in fact have been the only thing that got me through all the repetition. There are parts that are very good, like the flashback to when Trelawny and his associate stole – sorry, I mean “collected” – the contents of Tera’s tomb, including Tera herself! Then there are parts where Malcolm tells us for the umpteenth time all about how sweet his Margaret is, to the point where I was about ready to put an Egyptian curse on both of them myself.
However my desire to know what would happen when Trelawny carried out his experiment held my interest throughout. Who doesn’t love a resurrected mummy?? But what an anti-climax! After eight hours of listening, the experiment is packed into the last quarter of an hour, and the actual climax takes about two minutes! And I don’t mean to quibble, but the happy ending seemed wildly inappropriate to the big build-up! I had already learned from another review that the story apparently had two endings, so after I’d finished I did a bit of checking. It turns out the original ending from 1903 was far from happy – in fact, it was so bleak the publisher refused to reissue the book in 1912 unless Stoker altered it. So he did, and now the happy ending is the one most commonly used. I found a copy of the original online, and while it certainly suits the tone better and is more Stoker-ish, it’s just as rushed and tacked on at the last moment as the later ending. I seem to remember complaining about the abrupt way Dracula finishes too, so maybe it was a deliberate stylistic choice of Stoker’s to end stories this way, but it felt like an unsatisfactory pay-off after a lengthy (though mostly enjoyable) listen. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
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Our narrator, barrister Malcolm Ross, is sent a message by the girl he’s already well on the way to falling in love with, Margaret Trelawny, begging him to come to her aid. Her father has been attacked and seriously injured. Malcolm rushes to her side, as do the doctor and the police. Abel Trelawny’s physical injuries are severe but not life-threatening, but he is in a strange comatose condition. He has, oddly, left instructions on what must be done in just such an eventuality. He must not be removed from his room, which is full of Egyptian treasures he has “collected” from tombs, including several sarcophagi. And two people must watch over him each night. So Malcolm offers to stay at the house, and helps with the watching while carrying on his wooing. Slowly he and Margaret learn that her father has been studying one mummy in particular, Queen Tera, and believes that she had magical skills. He believes that she intends to come back from the dead, and Trelawny intends to help her…
This would have made a great short story or novella, but at full-novel length it’s incredibly over-stretched and repetitive. It’s well written, of course, and the narration from Simon Vance is great – it may in fact have been the only thing that got me through all the repetition. There are parts that are very good, like the flashback to when Trelawny and his associate stole – sorry, I mean “collected” – the contents of Tera’s tomb, including Tera herself! Then there are parts where Malcolm tells us for the umpteenth time all about how sweet his Margaret is, to the point where I was about ready to put an Egyptian curse on both of them myself.
However my desire to know what would happen when Trelawny carried out his experiment held my interest throughout. Who doesn’t love a resurrected mummy?? But what an anti-climax! After eight hours of listening, the experiment is packed into the last quarter of an hour, and the actual climax takes about two minutes! And I don’t mean to quibble, but the happy ending seemed wildly inappropriate to the big build-up! I had already learned from another review that the story apparently had two endings, so after I’d finished I did a bit of checking. It turns out the original ending from 1903 was far from happy – in fact, it was so bleak the publisher refused to reissue the book in 1912 unless Stoker altered it. So he did, and now the happy ending is the one most commonly used. I found a copy of the original online, and while it certainly suits the tone better and is more Stoker-ish, it’s just as rushed and tacked on at the last moment as the later ending. I seem to remember complaining about the abrupt way Dracula finishes too, so maybe it was a deliberate stylistic choice of Stoker’s to end stories this way, but it felt like an unsatisfactory pay-off after a lengthy (though mostly enjoyable) listen. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
October 13, 2015
বইটির কাহিনী শুরু হয় এক ভদ্রলোককে নিয়ে। লোকটার মেয়ের সাথে গল্পের নায়কের খাতির। মেয়েটাকে ভালোবাসে ও। মেয়েটাও ওর প্রতি সম্ভবত দুর্বল, কিন্তু নিশ্চিত হতে পারে না নায়ক! যাকগে। ভদ্রলোক অজ্ঞান হয়ে আছেন। তার চারপাশে অদ্ভুত সব ঘটনা ঘটছে। অজ্ঞান হবার আগে মেয়ের জন্য চিঠি লিখে রেখে গেছেন। যেন কোনও অবস্থাতেই তাকে নিজের ঘর থেকে সরানো না হয়। এমনকী তার ঘরের কোনও জিনিশও যেন সরানো না হয়। অদ্ভুত এই আদেশ পালন করতে ব্যতিব্যস্ত হয়ে উঠল সবাই। এঁকে এঁকে ঘটে চলল আরও ঘটনা, যোগ হল আরও লোক। এগিয়ে চলল কাহিনী।
গল্পটা শুরুর থেকেই আকর্ষণীয়। তবে মাঝখানে কিছুটা ঢিলেঢালা মনে হয়েছে। অর্ধেকের পরে গিয়ে তুমুল গতি পেয়েছি কাহিনী। একদম শেষ পর্যন্ত ছিল টান টান উত্তেজনা। গল্পের রহস্য গুলো কয়েক ভাগে বিভক্ত। কিছু রহস্য আগাগোড়া ছিল। কিছু রহস্য পরের দিকে শুরু হয়েছে, এবং শেষ পর্যন্ত চলেছে। আর কিছু রহস্য ক্রমাগত সমাধান হয়েছে।
এছাড়াও গল্পের ভেতরে আছে আরও গল্প। ডায়েরি, আত্মকথন কিংবা অন্যের মুখে আলাপচারিতার ছলে। সেগুলো বেশ রোমাঞ্চকর। অ্যাডভেঞ্চারে ভরপুর।
সত্যি কথা বলতে ব্রাম স্ট্রোকারের এই গল্পটা আমার ড্রাকুলার থেকেও ভালো লেগেছে। তবে ড্রাকুলা পড়েছিলাম বহু আগে, সব ঘটনা খেয়াল নেই এখন।
এবার আসি অনুবাদের কথায়। এক কথায়, অনবদ্য। ব্রাম স্ট্রোকার বহু আগের লেখক যদিও সেই আমল অনুসারে তার লেখনী যথেষ্ট সাবলীল। তবুও নিজে ভদ্রলোকের একটা গল্প অনুবাদ করতে গিয়ে বুঝেছি, একই কথা বার বার বলা। একই জিনিশের বর্ণনা বহুবার দেওয়া। কিংবা ক্ষেত্রবিশেষে ঘুড়িয়ে পেঁচিয়ে বাক্যগঠন তার অন্যতম বৈশিষ্ট্য। অথচ এই বইটি অনুবাদক ইসমাইল আরমান এমনভাবে রুপান্তর করেছেন যে গল্প পড়তে বিন্দুমাত্র সমস্যা হয় না। নদীর অবাধ স্রোতের মত সাবলীল এগিয়েছে গল্পকথা। তা স্রেফ আনন্দ দিয়েছে, কখনও বিরক্তির উদ্রেক করেনি।
গল্পের শেষটা যৌক্তিক। মেনে নিয়েছি। তবে হয়তো আরও ভালো হতে পারতো! কিন্তু কীভাবে ভালো হতে পারতো তা ���েবে উঠতে পারছ��� না।
যাই হোক। যদি সুপারন্যাচারাল রহস্য উপন্যাস পছন্দ করেন, তাহলে এই ক্লাসিক বইটি পড়া অবশ্য কর্তব্য। সেজন্যই এত ঝক্কি পোহানোর পরেও আমি যথেষ্টই খুশি। বিনোদিত।
গল্পটা শুরুর থেকেই আকর্ষণীয়। তবে মাঝখানে কিছুটা ঢিলেঢালা মনে হয়েছে। অর্ধেকের পরে গিয়ে তুমুল গতি পেয়েছি কাহিনী। একদম শেষ পর্যন্ত ছিল টান টান উত্তেজনা। গল্পের রহস্য গুলো কয়েক ভাগে বিভক্ত। কিছু রহস্য আগাগোড়া ছিল। কিছু রহস্য পরের দিকে শুরু হয়েছে, এবং শেষ পর্যন্ত চলেছে। আর কিছু রহস্য ক্রমাগত সমাধান হয়েছে।
এছাড়াও গল্পের ভেতরে আছে আরও গল্প। ডায়েরি, আত্মকথন কিংবা অন্যের মুখে আলাপচারিতার ছলে। সেগুলো বেশ রোমাঞ্চকর। অ্যাডভেঞ্চারে ভরপুর।
সত্যি কথা বলতে ব্রাম স্ট্রোকারের এই গল্পটা আমার ড্রাকুলার থেকেও ভালো লেগেছে। তবে ড্রাকুলা পড়েছিলাম বহু আগে, সব ঘটনা খেয়াল নেই এখন।
এবার আসি অনুবাদের কথায়। এক কথায়, অনবদ্য। ব্রাম স্ট্রোকার বহু আগের লেখক যদিও সেই আমল অনুসারে তার লেখনী যথেষ্ট সাবলীল। তবুও নিজে ভদ্রলোকের একটা গল্প অনুবাদ করতে গিয়ে বুঝেছি, একই কথা বার বার বলা। একই জিনিশের বর্ণনা বহুবার দেওয়া। কিংবা ক্ষেত্রবিশেষে ঘুড়িয়ে পেঁচিয়ে বাক্যগঠন তার অন্যতম বৈশিষ্ট্য। অথচ এই বইটি অনুবাদক ইসমাইল আরমান এমনভাবে রুপান্তর করেছেন যে গল্প পড়তে বিন্দুমাত্র সমস্যা হয় না। নদীর অবাধ স্রোতের মত সাবলীল এগিয়েছে গল্পকথা। তা স্রেফ আনন্দ দিয়েছে, কখনও বিরক্তির উদ্রেক করেনি।
গল্পের শেষটা যৌক্তিক। মেনে নিয়েছি। তবে হয়তো আরও ভালো হতে পারতো! কিন্তু কীভাবে ভালো হতে পারতো তা ���েবে উঠতে পারছ��� না।
যাই হোক। যদি সুপারন্যাচারাল রহস্য উপন্যাস পছন্দ করেন, তাহলে এই ক্লাসিক বইটি পড়া অবশ্য কর্তব্য। সেজন্যই এত ঝক্কি পোহানোর পরেও আমি যথেষ্টই খুশি। বিনোদিত।
April 30, 2018
Well, now I know why I'd never heard of any other Bram Stoker novels. Because this one is terrible. A mysterious attack on an Egyptologist leads a local judge and the victim's daughter into a previously unknown world featuring a supernatural mummy queen who will do anything to get back her titular jewel.
It's not that there aren't good parts to The Jewel of Seven Stars – it's just that the legitimately creepy parts of this novel (e.g., a disembodied seven-fingered hand that strangles people in their sleep) only serve to heighten the disappointment I felt as the plot unraveled (pun intended). It almost takes a perverse kind of talent to turn such an interesting concept into such a deadly dull story.
Add in a heaping dose of overbearing Victorian sexism and imperialism, and I was left hanging on for the final chapter to see what happened when the protagonists attempted to resurrect the mummy in question. I won't spoil anything, but suffice it to say I found it about as exciting as excavating a pyramid to find nothing but an empty shroud. This is a book best left consigned to be buried in the sands of literary history.
[EDIT to add that upon reading Cornelia's review, I apparently listened to the revised version of Stoker's ending, which as I said above was lacking, to say the least – and apparently written to satisfy squeamish editors and/or readers. Having now read the original ending, I can testify it is indeed much better – good enough to push this to a two-star novel. So still not great, but not as terrible as the version I ended up listening to. I've added the extra star because that was Stoker's original vision for this novel, and it seems unfair to penalize him for actions taken subsequent to its initial release.]
It's not that there aren't good parts to The Jewel of Seven Stars – it's just that the legitimately creepy parts of this novel (e.g., a disembodied seven-fingered hand that strangles people in their sleep) only serve to heighten the disappointment I felt as the plot unraveled (pun intended). It almost takes a perverse kind of talent to turn such an interesting concept into such a deadly dull story.
Add in a heaping dose of overbearing Victorian sexism and imperialism, and I was left hanging on for the final chapter to see what happened when the protagonists attempted to resurrect the mummy in question. I won't spoil anything, but suffice it to say I found it about as exciting as excavating a pyramid to find nothing but an empty shroud. This is a book best left consigned to be buried in the sands of literary history.
[EDIT to add that upon reading Cornelia's review, I apparently listened to the revised version of Stoker's ending, which as I said above was lacking, to say the least – and apparently written to satisfy squeamish editors and/or readers. Having now read the original ending, I can testify it is indeed much better – good enough to push this to a two-star novel. So still not great, but not as terrible as the version I ended up listening to. I've added the extra star because that was Stoker's original vision for this novel, and it seems unfair to penalize him for actions taken subsequent to its initial release.]
February 9, 2019
I read this as a teen, together with my best friend Laura, and we both found it funny / interesting / hilarious / dreamy. It's not great by far, but it deserves its place among the classics.
Of course, after you read it, you can totally understand why Bram Stoker is considered a one hit wonder kind of writer, but this incursion into Goth literature was so much in line with the 'horror' stories my uncle Florin created for me on the spot when I was growing up, that I just couldn't resist reading it. Looking back, I think it also spurred my interest in distant cultures, Egypt in anthropology.
For me, the story is the more horror version of another short novel me and Laura read around the same time, written by 19th-century French author Theophile Gautier (The Romance of a Mummy), which I can't now find on Goodreads to rate as well. To be perfectly frank, maybe this says something about the quality of said novel, but we liked it. It's a less horror less fantasy version of the same fascinations which gripped the hearts of writers around that time - past lives, ancient Egypt, transcendence, astral projections etc., combined with a bit of romance. If you enjoyed Bram Stoker's The Jewel of Seven Stars at least a little bit, I highly recommend you to read Gautier's novel as well.
Of course, after you read it, you can totally understand why Bram Stoker is considered a one hit wonder kind of writer, but this incursion into Goth literature was so much in line with the 'horror' stories my uncle Florin created for me on the spot when I was growing up, that I just couldn't resist reading it. Looking back, I think it also spurred my interest in distant cultures, Egypt in anthropology.
For me, the story is the more horror version of another short novel me and Laura read around the same time, written by 19th-century French author Theophile Gautier (The Romance of a Mummy), which I can't now find on Goodreads to rate as well. To be perfectly frank, maybe this says something about the quality of said novel, but we liked it. It's a less horror less fantasy version of the same fascinations which gripped the hearts of writers around that time - past lives, ancient Egypt, transcendence, astral projections etc., combined with a bit of romance. If you enjoyed Bram Stoker's The Jewel of Seven Stars at least a little bit, I highly recommend you to read Gautier's novel as well.
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