Customer Reviews

The Essential Dracula: The Definitive Annotated Edition

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Essential Dracula" is the latest edition of "Dracula" to be annotated with copious footnotes by renowned "Dracula" scholar Leonard Wolf. In 1975, Wolf published the first thoroughly annotated edition of the novel, called, appropriately, "The Annotated Dracula". "The Essential Dracula" has retained and augmented the thousands of comments and explanations offered in that book, but lacks "The Annotated Dracula"'s more than 100 illustrations, most notably full-page artwork by the artist Sätty. Instead, the artwork of Christopher Bing introduces each chapter in "The Essential Dracula". There are also small illustrations scattered throughout, but "The Essential Dracula"'s illustrations are more decoration than material. Don't be misled by the blurb from Ingram on the back cover that oddly refers to the 1975 edition's "100 photos, maps, and drawings", not to this edition. Comments on "Dracula" by 19 writers and artists are an interesting addition between the chapters. Leonard Wolf or his publisher have perfectly chosen a handsome, modern, black and red cover to announce this novel's arrival in the 21st century.

Leonard Wolf's copious footnotes provide the reader with an ongoing lesson in social history. He addresses every imaginable allusion in the text, sometimes with short essays. The notes are more elaborate and cover a broader variety of subjects than the footnotes in the Norton Critical Edition of "Dracula". Some intriguing notes include: recipes for the Romanian dishes on which Jonathan Harker dines, population demographics for Transylvania in the late 19th century, translations of old Mr. Swales' dialect, explanations of Victorian figures of speech, and the particulars of Victorian typewriters that Mina employs so frequently. Leonard Wolf's annotations are blessing to "Dracula" fans. My only reservation about them is that the notes in "The Essential Dracula" cannot be easily read. Unlike its predecessor "The Annotated Dracula", which placed its sizable notes in the margins, "The Essential Dracula"'s notes are truly footnotes. They are written in a miniscule font at the bottom of the pages. One cannot simply peruse the notes, as I so enjoy with "The Annotated Dracula". It is too difficult to determine what text is being referenced. So you really do have to read these notes as you read the novel, which I find impractical and not as enjoyable as studying them later.

"The Essential Dracula" offers 3 Appendices. Appendix A is the legendary and entirely superfluous deleted first chapter of "Dracula", entitled "Dracula's Guest". Appendix B provides a selected Dracula filmography and a list of notable theatrical dramatizations. The filmography includes title, alternative title, director, studio, country, and leading performers for 71 Dracula films, 1920-1992, that feature Count Dracula but are not necessarily based on Bram Stoker's novel. Appendix C is a bibliography.

While this exhaustively (at times exhaustingly) annotated book may overwhelm the reader coming to Stoker's novel for the first time, those who are past reading for the plot alone will definitely appreciate Wolf's additions, which include detailed footnotes on everything from the train schedules to literary allusions to inconsistencies in continuity. Most chapters feature brief articles by modern fantasy writers, who comment on the novel's influence in their lives and writing. The filmography and introduction are excellent. Those who enjoy looking at the fine details will certainly appreciate this scrupulously researched book.

This is far and away the best edition of the original novel you could read. In addition all it's footnotes and explanations provide a trail for any curious reader to explore for just about any particular aspect of the novel. From legends of Vampires, historical facts of Vlad Dracul III, all the way to obscure but curious details of the lendary Scholomance School Of Magic taught by the Devil himself!

First of all, let me say that I give DRACULA, the novel, 5 stars. Unlike many "classic" works of literature, it holds up very well today. Stoker spins a web of suspense, romance and drama that has rarely been equalled in popular fiction.

And if you ever wanted to know more about Bram Stoker or his most famous story, The Essential Dracula is certainly everything its name implies. So why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, it mainly has to with the critcial asides that pepper the massive amount of footnotes in the book. As long as the editor sticks to illuminating historical facts about the time in which the story takes place, or offers helpful translations of words or phrases that are not part of our 21st-century lexicon, all is well. But he too often lapses into the role of critic, questioning characters' motivations or the logic of certain actions they take. Now, I'm not saying DRACULA is beyond criticism; it's NOT a perfect book. But I just feel too much time is spent on this, and it actually detracts from my enjoyment of the book.

The inclusion of the orginal first chapter, "Dracula's Guest," is a mixed blessing. For the hardcore fan, it's an interesting find. But it doesn't fit well with the rest of the story. Most jarring is the fact that, although it's told in first-person by Jonathan Harker, it's not done in the form of a journal entry, like the rest of the story. And I didn't learn anything that wasn't already included in Harker's first few journal entries to Mina.

On the plus side, I absolutely love the addition of recipes for the exotic meals on which Jonathan Harker dines. And the simple black & white illustrations are a welcome touch. Concise essays from famous (or supposedly famous...I haven't heard of many of them) fans speak to the novel's universal and seemingly timeless appeal.

If you can stand the absolute overkill of information, this is definitely a must-have. If Leonard Wolf will just "trim the fat," as it were, future editions might just be perfect.

Loved the Stoker's two-dozen spectacular line drawings and some interesting background on Bram and the legends of his subject!
 

ON THE NOVEL:

Dracula is deeply impressed upon the world as its most famous novel and literary character, and for good reason. The original story represents perfectly the amazing explosion of popular Victorian adventure and horror literature which characterized the turn of the 20th century (which also produced Doyle, Verne, Stevenson, and many others), and is indeed one of the greatest novels of all time. Its format, which collects letters, diaries, logs, news articles, and personal accounts rather than offering a traditional narrative, adds richly to the experience.

The first act is very tense and expertly paced, increasingly chilling as Jonathan Harker, a young realty consultant helping Count Dracula purchase property in London, gradually realizes he's not a guest but a prisoner in Dracula's castle. A game of wits follows as Dracula reveals more of his evil nature and Harker pretends not to catch on - but tries to stay one step ahead of his captor.

In the middle act, Dracula terrorizes London, cruelly focusing in particular on Harker's own circle of friends back home (who, despite their late introduction, are the novel's primary protagonist). They seek help from the eccentric Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, who is not only an expert physician but a man of great faith and student of ancient lore and the occult. Whereas Dracula is utterly detestable and malignant, Van Helsing is his antithesis - a very compassionate and lovable character.

In the action-driven final act (and for full reasons better left for the reader to discover), the group is galvanized into action to destroy Dracula for good.

There are a lot of really rich dramatic themes that a quick plot summary simply can't communicate: former rivals brought together by shared tragedy, Van Helsing's assumed role as a surrogate father in the loss and absence of other parental figures, spiritual warfare against a demonic force, and the most obvious one of all: Dracula is a wholly evil and loathsome villain with no redeeming or sympathetic qualities. There is even a groundbreaking "superteam" element at play - our group of heroes includes two academics, a gunslinger, a wealthy financier, and even a sort of telepath (one character becomes psychically linked to Dracula). It never ceases to shock me that no film adaptation of the novel has fully capitalized on even one of these wonderful concepts - all the more reason to read the original.

ON THE ESSENTIAL EDITION:

Simply put, it's the authoritative version, whether for casual reading or study. Leonard Wolf's insightful annotations are a tremendous addition to the text, commenting on the geographical, historical, and social settings in which the novel takes place. New readers can refer to the notes for clarification, while seasoned fans can delve deeper into the details.

In short, the best edition of my favorite novel. A very enthusiastic FIVE STARS.

Why do I like this so much? Maybe because it is a classic? Hard to say why, just really enjoy how that is done, the cast of hunters, etc. It is the one I have multiple versions of, including a hardback annotated, so that certainly says something. The style, told in letters and journals to large degree just seems to work for some reason, when it can be horrible elsewhere. Highly recommended.

Apart from that, the Essential Dracula has annotations and notes for each page, which are quite interesting. If you just want to concentrate on the novel, you may find this setup distracting, so try a plain version just for that.

Tells how about a Dracula walking tour in London, and other fun things.

Few authors have ever been able to come close to this piece of absolute brilliance that surcomes even those with no foul thought on mind.A timeless concept of complete masterpiece.THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE HIGHEST STANDERD OF DARK INSPIRING LOVE.

This book is an amazing classic full of romance, suspense, and horror. Everybody from 11 to 111 should read this awesome classic! Take my word for it,after you start this book, you won't be able to put it down(litterally!).