The Illustrated Dracula (Penguin Illustrated Classics) (Paperback)

by Bram Stoker (Author), Jae Lee (Illustrator) "3 May. Bistritz.-Left Munich at 8.35 p.m. on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6.46, but train was an..." (more)
Key Phrases: bloofer lady, golden crucifix, Van Helsing, Madam Mina, Lord Godalming (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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I love Jae Lee’s work, and I think this is going to be a dynamite partnership. Frankly, I can’t wait. -- Stephen King, on his work with Lee for the Dark Tower series

Review
I love Jae Lee’s work, and I think this is going to be a dynamite partnership. Frankly, I can’t wait. (Stephen King, on his work with Lee for the Dark Tower series)

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Studio (September 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142005150
• ISBN-13: 978-0142005156
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #138,856 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illustrated, illuminated, October 30, 2006

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Dracula" was not the first vampire novel, nor was it Bram Stoker's first book. But after years of research, Stoker managed to craft the ultimate vampire novel, which has spawned countless movies, spinoffs, and books -- and here, his immortal story is enhanced by the creepy, jagged art of Jae Lee.

Real estate agent Jonathan Harker arrives in Transylvania, to arrange a London house sale to Count Dracula. But as the days go by, Harker witnesses increasingly horrific events, leading him to believe that Dracula is not actually human. His fiancee Mina arrives in Transylvania, and finds that he has been feverish. Meanwhile the count has vanished.

And soon afterwards, strange things happen: a ship piloted by a dead man crashes on the shore, after a mysterious thing killed the crew. A lunatic talks about "Him" coming. And Mina's pal Lucy dies of mysterious blood loss, only to come back as an undead seductress. Dracula has arrived in England -- and he's not going to be stopped easily.

"Dracula" is the grandaddy is Lestat and Jean-Claude, but that isn't the sole reason why it is a classic. It's also incredibly atmospheric, and very well-written. Not only is it very freaky, in an ornate Victorian style, but it is also full of restrained, quiet horror and creepy eroticism. What's more, it's shaped the portrayal of vampires in movies and books, even to this day.

Despite already knowing what's going on for the first half of the book, it's actually kind of creepy to see these people whose lives are being disrupted by Dracula, but don't know about vampires. It's a bit tempting to yell "It's a vampire, you idiots!" every now and then, but you can't really blame them. Then the second half kicks in, with accented professor Van Helsing taking our heroes on a quest to save Mina from Dracula.

And along the way, while our heroes try to figure stuff out, Stoker spins up all these creepy hints of Dracula's arrival. Though he wrote in the late 19th-century manner, very verbose and a bit stuffy, his skill shines through. The book is crammed with intense, evocative language, with moments like Dracula creeping down a wall, or the dead captain found tied to the wheel. Once read, they stick in your mind throughout the book.

It's also a credit to Stoker that he keeps his characters from seeming like idiots or freaks, which they could have easily seemed like. Instead, he puts little moments of humanity in them, like Van Helsing admitting that his wife is in an asylum. Even the letters and diaries are written in different styles; for example, Seward's is restrained and analytical, while Mina's is exuberant and bright.

Jae Lee has done work for other creepy, grimy stories like Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. And those shadowy, sharp-edged pictures are well-suited for this story; a few are in muted colours, but most are black-and-white. Lee creates chilling portraits of the looming vampire, his brides, ships in the mist, and Renfield eating a giant beetle; the most shocking is a bloody-mouthed Lucy clutching a baby.

Intelligent, frightening and very well-written, "Dracula" is the well-deserved godfather of all modern vampire books and movies -- and arguably among the best.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Dracula, January 25, 2007

By	C. Bragg "Phantom Phreak" (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I know that the detail about this book says its for junior level reading, but I'm 20 and absolutely love it. I'm not going to take the time to tell you about the story itself, seeing as it IS Dracula through and through. The illustrations in this book are amazing. True, there aren't a million of them (and more would be fantastic), but the artist's renditions of Dracula are like none I've ever seen. The mood of the novel is reflected perfectly within the paintings. The point: BUY THIS COPY OF DRACULA! and bring it home...FOREVER! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

5.0 out of 5 stars And the art's great too, June 23, 2009

By	Anthony T. Milazzo "Tone" (San Diego) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the first time I've ever read Dracula and wow this book has aged very, very well. It get a little slow toward the end but that's probably just because after so many movies I knew what to expect.