Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula [Facsimile] [Library Binding]

Robert Eighteen-Bisang (Author), Elizabeth Miller (Author), Michael Barsanti (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786434104 | ISBN-13: 978-0786434107 | Publication Date: August 8, 2008 | Edition: Facsimile

Bram Stoker's initial notes and outlines for his landmark horror novel Dracula were auctioned at Sotheby's in London in 1913 and eventually made their way to the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia, where they are housed today. Until now, few of the 124 pages have been transcribed or analyzed. This comprehensive work reproduces the handwritten notes both in facsimile and in annotated transcription. It also includes Stoker's typewritten research notes and thoroughly analyzes all of the materials, which range from Stoker's thoughts on the novel's characters and settings to a nine-page calendar of events that includes most of the now-familiar story. The coauthors draw on their extensive knowledge of Dracula and vampires to guide readers through the construction of the novel, and the changes that were made to its structure, plot, setting and characters. Nine appendices provide insight into Stoker's personal life, his other works and his early literary influences.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert Eighteen-Bisang, who is best-known as the owner of the world's largest private collection of vampire books, is an authority on Dracula and vampire literature. A member of the Horror Writers Association, he lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Elizabeth Miller is a retired English professor. She lectures regularly at universities throughout North America and Europe. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 342 pages
• Publisher: McFarland; Facsimile edition (August 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786434104
• ISBN-13: 978-0786434107
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Gothic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-read" for Dracula fans!, September 7, 2008

By 

Joel H. Emerson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula (Library Binding)

In our modern era of DVD and Blu-ray movies, we are often treated to a special features section after the film, in which one can find interviews where the director describes his thought process and journey of creation, as well as various alternate and deleted scenes. What a DVD's special features section does for a great movie, "Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula" does for Stoker's literary masterpiece. During the many years it took for Bram Stoker to write "Dracula," the author accumulated over a hundred pages of notes. In those pages can be found early character concepts and plot threads, many of which never made it into the published novel. Until recently, one had to travel to the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia to see those notes, and then had to attempt to decipher Stoker's notoriously sloppy handwriting. But now, thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth Miller and Robert Eighteen-Bisang, anyone can read through a printed (and thus legible!) transcript of the Notes, as well as gain further insight into Stoker's journey of creation through the transcribers' annotations and commentaries. Being an author myself, and having personally studied Stoker's original notes at the Rosenbach, I can say from experience that anyone who wishes to enjoy "Dracula" beyond a superficial level should seriously consider picking up a copy of "Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula." --- Joel H. Emerson The Un-Dead: The DRACULA novel, rewritten to include stoker's characters and events

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, an obvious labor of love..., September 9, 2008

By 

Robert Devereaux, author of Deadweight (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula (Library Binding)

Robert Eighteen-Bisang has spent an extraordinary life devoted to vampire lore and especially to Dracula.

Now, he and Elizabeth Miller, in a beautifully produced volume, annotate and transcribe Bram Stoker's notes for Dracula.

This book is a must-have for anyone interested in this seminal work of fiction and in how novels are put together.

Bravo!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Scholars and Fans, October 27, 2008

By 

H. Peter Golz "Associate Professor" (Victoria, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula (Library Binding)

Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Elizabeth Miller have accomplished the almost impossible - to present a new milestone in Stoker scholarship which will be indispensible reading for anybody seriously interested in the world's most important horror novel. The beautifully presented volume was obviously a labour of love.

First, we are presented with facsimile reproductions of Bram Stoker's original notes which, until now, were only available at the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia. The handwritten notes have been meticulously transcribed, no small feat if you take a look at Stoker's original handwriting. Stoker's typed research notes are also included.

But what makes this book a must for Dracula fans and scholars are the extensive, insightful annotations. They present many new insights and settle a number of long debates surrounding the novel, and make for a fascinating read. To complement the notes and annotations, there are also various appendices, ranging from the construction of the novel, the mysterious "Dracula's Guest", the novel's characters, an 1888 Encyclopedia Britannica entry on the term 'vampire', to literary influences, and more. A wonderfully stimulating read, fascinating, enlightening, and of course, always frightening.