Customer Reviews

Dracula 2009 Wall Calendar

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This "Dracula" 2009 wall calendar features 12 photographs by Sir Simon Marsden, the 4th Baronet of Grimsby who has made a name for himself as a photographer of eerie scenes that exude a sense of mystery and the supernatural. The photos in the calendar are in grainy black-and-white infrared on the theme of Bram Stoker's Victorian vampire "Dracula". Seven of the photos are of Transylvania and the Carpathian mountains in Romania, where Jonathan Harker traveled to meet Count Dracula. There are two photographs from England, including one of Whitby, two from Scotland, and one from Ireland. You may be wondering what photos of Scotland and Ireland are doing in a calendar about Dracula. The only thing I can say is that the photos all do a good job of conveying the preternatural dread that one might feel around a vampire -or a good vampire novel.

The images are full-page. On the pages of the calendar, itself, there is a column of text running down the right side that quotes passages from Stoker's novel, in some cases accompanied by comments from Marsden. This makes the format of the calendar a little squished; the boxes for each date are narrower than they would normally be, but there is still space to write in them. The quality of the printing is uncommonly good for an inexpensive calendar. It's published by Amber Lotus Publishing, a member of the Green Press Initiative, so it's printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. I only wish that more of the images depicted locations from Bram Stoker's novel. Some of historical London might have been nice. Some photos relate to Vlad Tepes, the 15th century Wallachian Prince who unwillingly lent his name to Bram Stoker's vampire Count. That's fine, but I would have welcomed more photos related to the novel, especially of England. Size is 12 inches square when closed.

...at least in THIS calendar! The atmosphere created by the photographs in this work of art is authentic. I intend on framing several of these to use as seasonal/Halloween "decorations." The front cover is repeated inside and is VERY impressive. I love it!