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The Essential Dracula
Here is the complete original text of Bram Stoker's classic 1897 novel, fully annotated with thousands of fascinating facts. Includes: background on Stoker's classic, and the literary history of the vampire novel; commentary by leading contemporary writers; a selected filmography of major vampire films; and dozens of illustrations.
484 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 1979
12 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Bram Stoker
2,637 books5,862 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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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 23, 2020
I have had a varied relationship with DRACULA over the years. Being one of the Monster Kids who grew up in the 1960’s, read “Famous Monsters of Filmland” devotedly, and couldn’t wait for 11:30 pm on Friday nights when a local station aired “Double Chiller Theatre,” I first read DRACULA as an early teen ... and was remarkably underwhelmed. I thought that the pacing was slow, that the diaries, letters and newspaper articles kept me at arm’s length instead of just telling me the story outright, and that Van Helsing (far from being a hero) was often silly.
Oh, I was aware that DRACULA had some really cool moments. The ones that stuck with me (all through the years) were the wall walk outside of the castle, food being brought for the vampire brides, the night walks of the “Bloofer Lady,” drinking blood from the slit chest, and anytime a vampire was dispatched. Consequently, I came back to the novel twice through the years ... each time in the audiobook format so that I wouldn’t have to listen too closely to the dull parts and could let my mind wander.
Then, about a year ago, I read a truly exceptional book called THE NEW ANNOTATED FRANKENSTEIN (which I very highly recommend!). FRANKENSTEIN has always been one of my favorite books, and I learned from my recent reading that there had been three published versions, and that the one I’d read multiple times was the third one (which was most often reprinted). Now, I had a chance to read the first version which I loved even more, enjoy the lavish images that brought scenes and locations to life, and discover cultural and philosophical considerations from the time when the book was written.
Well, it turns out that I had purchased one for DRACULA, too, years ago. I was just not motivated enough to read it. That was definitely my loss!
THE ESSENTIAL DRACULA should not be read as the Reader’s introduction to DRACULA. Spoilers abound in the extensive footnotes as a “compare and contrast” feature. Also, if the footnotes are all read, there are frequent interruptions to the narrative which shatters the pacing. (At one point, even a footnote has a footnote!)
However, I learned a great amount that I had never known before, and that vastly increased my appreciation of the novel to the point that it is now another one of my favorites. For instance, I discovered that THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins is the structural model for DRACULA. (Guess what book has been added to my reading list?) Cultural and literary references were fully explained, sometimes with samples of appropriate passages, which provided much greater depth to the events. The footnotes also plunge headlong into the erotic implications behind the blood-drinking (with the psychological dark longings of sexual desire connected to them) ... including how the transference of blood was a form of marriage rite, and that certainly cast a different view of many of the scenes!
Some other cool observations from the footnotes:
* Questionable and inaccurate medical practices are explained.
* Harker, early in his travels, mentions in his diary that he must secure recipes of exceptional meals for Mina. These recipes are provided.
* Why does so much folklore insist on using a wooden stake to kill a vampire?
* Calendar inaccuracies are explained.
* A bit like Dr. Watson’s roving wound in the Sherlock Holmes stories, Stoker sometimes contradicts facts that he has already established. These are mentioned.
* Women aren’t just there to be victims. Stoker’s two major female leads are much more multi-dimensional than I’d ever known!
* Heavy dialects are rephrased for much easier reading.
* Religious meanings are explained in detail ... including gross liberties taken by Stoker.
I only caught two instances when I disagreed with the editor, Leonard Wolf. At one point, he maintains that Stoker is inconsistent about how a person becomes a vampire or can be saved. I thought the description was very clear. Also, in the Filmography, he cites “Twins Of Dracula” with the Collinson twins. Yes, there was a U.K. poster that had that title, but it is much more popularly known as “Twins Of Evil.” ... Yes, I’m nitpicking. Wolf has done a masterful job!
In the Appendix offering is the original omitted first chapter of DRACULA now known as DRACULA’S GUEST. There is also a huge listing of book references ... with the most helpful ones highlighted by an asterisk.
Considering its length, I’ll always be surprised by DRACULA’s abrupt ending. Still, THE ESSENTIAL DRACULA has tremendously enhanced my appreciation and enjoyment! I highly recommend it for the DRACULA student.
Oh, I was aware that DRACULA had some really cool moments. The ones that stuck with me (all through the years) were the wall walk outside of the castle, food being brought for the vampire brides, the night walks of the “Bloofer Lady,” drinking blood from the slit chest, and anytime a vampire was dispatched. Consequently, I came back to the novel twice through the years ... each time in the audiobook format so that I wouldn’t have to listen too closely to the dull parts and could let my mind wander.
Then, about a year ago, I read a truly exceptional book called THE NEW ANNOTATED FRANKENSTEIN (which I very highly recommend!). FRANKENSTEIN has always been one of my favorite books, and I learned from my recent reading that there had been three published versions, and that the one I’d read multiple times was the third one (which was most often reprinted). Now, I had a chance to read the first version which I loved even more, enjoy the lavish images that brought scenes and locations to life, and discover cultural and philosophical considerations from the time when the book was written.
Well, it turns out that I had purchased one for DRACULA, too, years ago. I was just not motivated enough to read it. That was definitely my loss!
THE ESSENTIAL DRACULA should not be read as the Reader’s introduction to DRACULA. Spoilers abound in the extensive footnotes as a “compare and contrast” feature. Also, if the footnotes are all read, there are frequent interruptions to the narrative which shatters the pacing. (At one point, even a footnote has a footnote!)
However, I learned a great amount that I had never known before, and that vastly increased my appreciation of the novel to the point that it is now another one of my favorites. For instance, I discovered that THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins is the structural model for DRACULA. (Guess what book has been added to my reading list?) Cultural and literary references were fully explained, sometimes with samples of appropriate passages, which provided much greater depth to the events. The footnotes also plunge headlong into the erotic implications behind the blood-drinking (with the psychological dark longings of sexual desire connected to them) ... including how the transference of blood was a form of marriage rite, and that certainly cast a different view of many of the scenes!
Some other cool observations from the footnotes:
* Questionable and inaccurate medical practices are explained.
* Harker, early in his travels, mentions in his diary that he must secure recipes of exceptional meals for Mina. These recipes are provided.
* Why does so much folklore insist on using a wooden stake to kill a vampire?
* Calendar inaccuracies are explained.
* A bit like Dr. Watson’s roving wound in the Sherlock Holmes stories, Stoker sometimes contradicts facts that he has already established. These are mentioned.
* Women aren’t just there to be victims. Stoker’s two major female leads are much more multi-dimensional than I’d ever known!
* Heavy dialects are rephrased for much easier reading.
* Religious meanings are explained in detail ... including gross liberties taken by Stoker.
I only caught two instances when I disagreed with the editor, Leonard Wolf. At one point, he maintains that Stoker is inconsistent about how a person becomes a vampire or can be saved. I thought the description was very clear. Also, in the Filmography, he cites “Twins Of Dracula” with the Collinson twins. Yes, there was a U.K. poster that had that title, but it is much more popularly known as “Twins Of Evil.” ... Yes, I’m nitpicking. Wolf has done a masterful job!
In the Appendix offering is the original omitted first chapter of DRACULA now known as DRACULA’S GUEST. There is also a huge listing of book references ... with the most helpful ones highlighted by an asterisk.
Considering its length, I’ll always be surprised by DRACULA’s abrupt ending. Still, THE ESSENTIAL DRACULA has tremendously enhanced my appreciation and enjoyment! I highly recommend it for the DRACULA student.
June 15, 2015
There is something about Dracula. It's not solely the fact that the book was genre breaking in a way that the vampire tales before it were not. Perhaps it is the characters, so multi-layered and, so many of them, so questionable. Is Van Helsing the great, good guy as he makes himself out to be? What really is the relationship between Lucy and her mother? Why do Harker and the Count mirror each other? What extactly is it with those wives? Everytime you read the book, there is something new.
For me, however, it is Stoker's choice of words. Every word seems to have been chosen with care. Take, for instance, where Mina reports of Dracula's attack on her. She reports that Dracula told her she would be avenged on the man. It is a wonderful choice. Revenge would be the wrong word. But avenge? Especially, after the men left her out of the hunt? Oh, yes. In that one word, Stoker shows the reader how cunning a devil Dracula is.
For me, however, it is Stoker's choice of words. Every word seems to have been chosen with care. Take, for instance, where Mina reports of Dracula's attack on her. She reports that Dracula told her she would be avenged on the man. It is a wonderful choice. Revenge would be the wrong word. But avenge? Especially, after the men left her out of the hunt? Oh, yes. In that one word, Stoker shows the reader how cunning a devil Dracula is.
September 13, 2019
The first time I read this, however many years ago, was also my first time reading Dracula and I got lost in the annotations. They're enlightening, but they also disrupt the story if you keep reading them as you go. This time, I was just about the story and I enjoyed it even more.
Two highlights: First, it's a feminist work. After reading about Stoker as a fictionalized character in The Sherlockian and then reading Dracula again, I'm fascinated by him. Mina Murray Harker is (by Van Helsing's own admission) the smartest of the hunters, but she's sidelined by the well-meaning men of her group who want to protect her. And as long as that's the case, Dracula succeeds in his schemes. It's not until Mina is brought back into the party that they start to make headway against the Count. This isn't subtext. Stoker underlines it, circles it, and draws big red arrows pointing at it.
My other big take-away this time is how the epistolary (essentially "found footage") approach of the novel forces readers to put pieces together for themselves. It's not hard work and Stoker explains enough that you're never in danger of losing the whole story, but there are all of these little revelatory moments where I went, "Oh, that's what that was about!" I love that.
Two highlights: First, it's a feminist work. After reading about Stoker as a fictionalized character in The Sherlockian and then reading Dracula again, I'm fascinated by him. Mina Murray Harker is (by Van Helsing's own admission) the smartest of the hunters, but she's sidelined by the well-meaning men of her group who want to protect her. And as long as that's the case, Dracula succeeds in his schemes. It's not until Mina is brought back into the party that they start to make headway against the Count. This isn't subtext. Stoker underlines it, circles it, and draws big red arrows pointing at it.
My other big take-away this time is how the epistolary (essentially "found footage") approach of the novel forces readers to put pieces together for themselves. It's not hard work and Stoker explains enough that you're never in danger of losing the whole story, but there are all of these little revelatory moments where I went, "Oh, that's what that was about!" I love that.
August 22, 2008
Dracula, of course, is the all-time best vampire novel I've ever read. The atmosphere, the style, everything is flawless. And THE ESSENTIAL DRACULA is the perfect addition for the Dracula fan. It has detailed footnotes throughout (when a meal is being eaten, it even offers the most probable recipe!), the original first chapter that had been deleted, "Dracula's Guest," as well as an essay by Harlan Ellison.
If you can only have one copy of Dracula, this is the one to get.
If you can only have one copy of Dracula, this is the one to get.
November 25, 2019
I have a first edition of this lovely book, from 1897, but my darling daughter tore out the copyright page when she was 18 months old back in 1993, and tore it into four pieces, which I still have, with the reference to “Homiepeg.” I’d love this book, and another original first edition. Maybe one day.
September 6, 2020
I was inspired to read Bram Stoker's magnum opus after watching the 1931 film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. I have read and enjoyed other vampire tales, everything from 'Salem's Lot to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I greatly appreciated the super annotated edition of Stoker's novel provided by Professor Leonard Wolf. Professor Wolf made it a point to visit every location in London mentioned in the novel, provide photographs of the locations, provide maps, explanatory notes, and a calendar listing the dates and events of Stoker's novel. When I finished the book I felt I had taken a college course on Dracula studies. If you have attempted to read this novel previously and couldn't get through it, I would highly recommend Professor Leonard Wolf's definitive annotated edition.
July 8, 2024
My favorite novel
November 8, 2024
This year I did Dracula Daily but unsubscribed from the actual Dracula Daily substack, instead reading along in my ancient copy of The Essential Dracula, an annotated version of the book with notes and a bunch of front and end matter by Radu T. Florescu and Raymond T. McNally, who were apparently bigshot Dracula scholars in the ‘70s or thereabouts.
The book itself continues to be phenomenal even reading it the third year in a row. Every year I find myself getting excited about stuff I’d completely forgotten from the previous year. I’m excited to rediscover next year what I’ve already forgotten since May.
The annotated version is honestly hilarious. Some of the annotations are really cool and interesting, because they’re about what was in Bram Stoker’s notes, which these editors seem to have been the first published people to have access to. Others are sort of goofy reading comprehension tidbits, and some are just the editors’ personal opinions on stuff. The book comes with an “annotated filmography,” which provides an interesting tour of vampire movies (not just Dracula adaptations) up to somewhere around when the Interview with the Vampire movie was announced but was still expected to star John Travolta. It is also shamelessly full of the editors’ personal opinions, as is the bibliography, which is even funnier because the bibliography contains the editors’ own books (unsurprisingly, they think their own books are great). There is also an interestingly dated guide to doing “Dracula tours” of England and what was at the time of publication the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Anyway, I am very glad I read this even if it’s not necessarily something I’d recommend to someone who’s new to Dracula today. It’s a great historical piece from the history of people being obsessed with Dracula , and also you get to read Dracula again.
Originally posted at Annotations from beyond the grave.
The book itself continues to be phenomenal even reading it the third year in a row. Every year I find myself getting excited about stuff I’d completely forgotten from the previous year. I’m excited to rediscover next year what I’ve already forgotten since May.
The annotated version is honestly hilarious. Some of the annotations are really cool and interesting, because they’re about what was in Bram Stoker’s notes, which these editors seem to have been the first published people to have access to. Others are sort of goofy reading comprehension tidbits, and some are just the editors’ personal opinions on stuff. The book comes with an “annotated filmography,” which provides an interesting tour of vampire movies (not just Dracula adaptations) up to somewhere around when the Interview with the Vampire movie was announced but was still expected to star John Travolta. It is also shamelessly full of the editors’ personal opinions, as is the bibliography, which is even funnier because the bibliography contains the editors’ own books (unsurprisingly, they think their own books are great). There is also an interestingly dated guide to doing “Dracula tours” of England and what was at the time of publication the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Anyway, I am very glad I read this even if it’s not necessarily something I’d recommend to someone who’s new to Dracula today. It’s a great historical piece from the history of people being obsessed with Dracula , and also you get to read Dracula again.
Originally posted at Annotations from beyond the grave.
December 7, 2019
I've read Dracula several times over, and if there could possibly be a better version of the story than the original novel on its own - - that would of course be this definitive annotated edition with so many incredible footnotes. Given that there's a historical perspective lost when a novel becomes a classic, the annotations bring an extra context back that makes it so much more enjoyable.
September 5, 2020
This is probably my fourth read of Dracula. The problems with the book stood out more on this read. However the structure of the novel still impresses me. And there are not too many books I can say I have revisited as much. So I'll stick with five stars.
March 15, 2020
An excellent annotated edition of Stoker’s classic
November 2, 2025
Always a fun Halloween read. One kinda forgets it was written over 100 years ago. Truly a revolutionary format for the times.
November 4, 2025
The ultimate guide to all things Dracula.
October 27, 2009
I'm really glad I dipped into this book; I almost never read anything Victorian and this was a good introduction to the period. It came right at the end of the period, too, so it undercuts as many of the conventions as it supports. I am usually not a big fan of epistolary novels or things written only in journals, but this novel's organization wasn't too overbearing. It's tough at times to get past the idea that you're reading Dracula, as the myth of the work can get in the way of just enjoying the prose, but there really are some genuinely frightening moments in here. Recommended to anyone, really.
However, one last note: do not read the same edition I did, the "Essential Dracula" edited by Leonard Wolf, if it's your first time reading the novel. The footnotes are, at their best, annoying, and at their worst they give away plot points hundreds of pages away. Damn you, Leonard Wolf, damn you.
November 11, 2025
I read Dracula every year (in October of course!), but this is my favorite edition with the many notes by Leonard Wolf. The are interesting, informative, and helpful, most especially when translating the (English!) by Mr. Swales, who speaks in a thick Yorkshire dialect that may have been understood in England in the 1890s, but is almost incomprehensible today!
August 20, 2009
Rating, of course, for the annotations, not the novel itself. More forthcoming.
March 9, 2010
The annotations really make this book more accessible as a modern reader, and clued me into facts I had completely overlooked before (I have read this book many, many times).
November 30, 2021
Let Mina help you ffs
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews