Bram Stoker's Dracula (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Can there be a more terrifying and seductive tale than this? The story of the notorious vampire Count Dracula, lord of the undead, who rises from his coffin at night to suck the blood of the living is, undoubtedly, the stuff of nightmares.

Narrated from several different viewpoints, Dracula is a complex story that many know but few have actually read. Jan Needle's newly edited version makes the gripping events accessible to the twenty-first century reader without losing the incomparably chilling atmosphere of Bram Stoker's original novel - brilliantly captured in the dramatic illustrations of award-winning artist Gary Blythe.

Not for the faint of heart!

From the Publisher

This handsome abridged edition features blood-red and black inks and over fifty black and white illustrations. The dustjacket features raised text and the spine features silver embossing.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763625086
• ISBN-13: 978-0763625085
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #328,416 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Reader Beware!, October 3, 2005

By	L. Davis (Commerce Township, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bram Stoker wrote the perfect gothic novel, and Jan Needle (so-called "editor") has butchered it in this edition. This is NOT Bram Stoker's original novel, it is an abridged version. Whole passages are missing, condensed or summarized. The language has been modernized, and the story has lost much of its period flavor. Poor Mr. Stoker must be turning in his grave.
Admittedly, some younger readers might appreciate not having to cope with a novel written in Victorian English, and the simplified delivery might suit some readers. But remember- this is a PERIOD novel, and translating it into contempory language inevitably and irredeemably changes its character.
On a plus side, the wonderful illustrations lend atmosphere, and the blood-soaked pages are suitably grisly.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dracula, May 31, 2006

By	Colleen - See all my reviews

Have you ever witnessed the horror of a tale such as Dracula? So many know the name, but few have actually read it. This book begins with a warning from Jan Needle. "The stuff of nightmares", he calls Dracula. This is a horror story you won't forget.

The central character of the book is not the Count Dracula, despite the title. It's starts with a young man by the name of Jonathan Harker. He is visiting the Count for business, his employer having given him the job of completing the sale of some property to Dracula. On his trip to Transylvania, he encounters strangers blessing him and warning him not to go where he is headed. An old lady gives him a crucifix and begs him to wear it. All Jonathan wants to do is fix the sale and get back to his fiance, Mina Murray as soon as possible so he does not take time to ponder the meaning of these events. Jonathan soon realizes that the Count is not normal and that he is trapped inside his castle. He knows he needs to escape. Viewpoints shift as the story continues. They change around from Jonathan, to Mina, to Dr. Van Helsing (a specialist in vampires), to Lucy Westenra (Mina's unfortunate friend), to Dr. Jack Seward (a suitor of Lucy). They, with Quincey Morris (another suitor of Lucy) and Arthur Holmwood (Lucy's eventual fiance) are in a fight to save lives and souls. Dracula must be defeated no matter what the consequences and complications are.

I truly enjoyed this book despite the fact that I didn't really think I would. I always thought that scary stories were no more than ways to spook or thrill people, but the story of Dracula is more than that. There are character relationships and emotion. This story brings you on a roller coaster of fright, love, sadness, and desperation. This haunting piece has become one of my favorites. I do have one word of warning though: avoid reading before bed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lords of the night, July 28, 2005

By	Rasha Awad "¤Me¤" (Lebanon, Beirut) - See all my reviews

Not being such a strong hearted person i doubted thousands of times before reading such a book. Oh what the hell, i said to myself, I watched vampires movies and they were scary a lot but can it be alike in a book. nah of course not! well people i was wrong. This masterpiece of Gothic horror is the story of archetypal evil and the eternal struggle between life and death. It is the lefend of the vampire, who feeds a diabolic craving into the veins of his victims while drawing from them the human blood that is his only sustenance. The hypnotic spell that Dracula casts over the reader will linger through many black and stormy nights. I recoon, i am not such a brave person i do get scared while reading horror books which are my favorites but believe me when i say, this book is worth it!!