Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Sto
Genres
Collection
Publication
W. W. Norton & Company (1996), Edition: 1st, 512 pages
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. Horror. Short Stories. HTML: Some literary historians believe that Dracula's Guest is an excerpt excised from the original manuscript of Bram Stoker's masterpiece Dracula by an overzealous editor. This short novel recounts the travels of an unnamed Englishman who crosses paths with a foreboding wolf-like creature on his way to Count Dracula's castle. The story is currently being developed into a television series that is slated to air on the CW network in 2010. A must-read for lovers of vampire lit. This edition also includes these short stories: The Judge's House, The Squaw, The Secret of the Growing Gold, The Gipsy Prophecy, The Coming of Abel Behenna, The Burial of the Rats, A Dream of Red Hands and Crooken Sands..… (more)
Subjects
Original publication date
1891-1914
User reviews
LibraryThing member Heptonj
An excellent anthology by the Master himself. From the title story through The Signalman to Crooken Sands - all are the classic, chilling tales recognizable as Bram Stokers'.
LibraryThing member something_
This is a collection of various tales, being Dracula's guest only one of them.
As for the tales themselves, my absolute favourite would definitely be the Judge's House, followed by the Dracula's Guest (which is a snippet that had been removed from Dracula).
Other noteworthy tales would also include
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The Squaw (extremely predictable, but with creepy imagery), The Burial of Rats (the reason for the title is pretty creepy, but lots of plus points for being the most action packed, since it features a chase scene), and The Secret of Growing Gold (reads much like a ghost story). Honourable mention for A Dream of Red Hands, which I found to be more original among the other tales, even if not exactly the most engaging. The rating would go something like this:4* The Judge's House
4* Dracula's Guest
4* The Burial of Rats
3* The Squaw
3* The Secret of Growing Gold
3* A Dream of Red Hands
2* The Coming of Abel Behenna
2* The Gipsy Prophecy
2* Crooken Sands
As I said, the stories follow much the same plotline for the most part, which makes them extremely predictable when reading them all in a row. To be honest, the more stories I read, the more bored I became, because I could foresee overall what was coming. By the end, I just wanted to finish the book already, since the only story able to get me out of my 'stupor' in the second half was The Burial of Rats.
I'd still highly recommend The Judge's House and Dracula's Guest to anyone who liked Dracula however, I found those have the same wonderful eery and creepy atmosphere I loved in that book. Just those two tales alone make this book worth reading.
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LibraryThing member tole_lege
If you want to read vintage Stoker, start here - it's often agreed that Dracula's guest is better than the whole novel (though there's disagreement about whether or not he meant it to be part of the original).
Not one for reading alone in a creaky old house... particularly if it has rats.........
Not one for reading alone in a creaky old house... particularly if it has rats.........
LibraryThing member boletus
I really enjoyed this book. For its time it had some very interesting ideas and was easy to read
LibraryThing member Lukerik
The title piece is an excised section of Dracula. Mrs S says in her preface that it was removed due to the length of the novel. I suspect though that it's excision was more provoked by the fact that it portrays Harker as an absolute muppet and really reveals far too much far too early. If you've
The remaining stories are for the most part overly predicable or pointless grisly stories. There are nice bits - the deaths in The Squaw are well done, for example and as Mrs S stresses, these are early and unrevised works. The humour of Crooken Sands is enjoyable too. I particularly enjoyed A Dream of Red Hands. I really do identify with Jacob Settle. Can't believe I'm admitting this online, but I do, so there. (I haven't actually murdered anyone.)
I think this would be most of interest to a Dracula fan. Stoker is obviously a man with something on his mind and there are elements of all the stories that put you in mind of that novel, not least of which is his obsession with the sense of dread, either in his characters or his audience.
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read Dracula you my well find that the opening part, Harker's Journal, is by far the most powerful part of the book and this would interrupt the flow.The remaining stories are for the most part overly predicable or pointless grisly stories. There are nice bits - the deaths in The Squaw are well done, for example and as Mrs S stresses, these are early and unrevised works. The humour of Crooken Sands is enjoyable too. I particularly enjoyed A Dream of Red Hands. I really do identify with Jacob Settle. Can't believe I'm admitting this online, but I do, so there. (I haven't actually murdered anyone.)
I think this would be most of interest to a Dracula fan. Stoker is obviously a man with something on his mind and there are elements of all the stories that put you in mind of that novel, not least of which is his obsession with the sense of dread, either in his characters or his audience.
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LibraryThing member pennsylady
3.5 ★
My favorite was Dracula's Guest
You just can't compete with the aristocratic vampire.
I found some short stories more interesting than others.
They had elements of the supernatural , physical terror and always an unsettling
aura.
Since Bram Stoker wrote a number of novels and many short stories,
5 AUDIO DISCS
My favorite was Dracula's Guest
You just can't compete with the aristocratic vampire.
I found some short stories more interesting than others.
They had elements of the supernatural , physical terror and always an unsettling
aura.
Since Bram Stoker wrote a number of novels and many short stories,
Show More
I'll search for more.5 AUDIO DISCS
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LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
I thought this collection was just okay. I enjoyed the story The Judge's House the most. A good rat story is always fun.
I was a bit disappointed in this collection. I'm a big fan of Dracula and I guess I just expected more.
I was a bit disappointed in this collection. I'm a big fan of Dracula and I guess I just expected more.
Pages
512