Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Plume (1993), Edition: Annotated, 512 pages
Description
Here is the complete original text of Bram Stoker's classic 1897 novel, fully annotated with thousands of fascinating facts. Includes: background on Stoker's classic, and the literary history of the vampire novel; commentary by leading contemporary writers; a selected filmography of major vampire films; and dozens of illustrations.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Ann_Louise
This is not nearly as complete a Dracula reference compared to the older Annotated Dracula. I was disappointed by the sparse amount of material - if you want an "essential" version, hunt down a used copy of the Annotated Dracula
LibraryThing member jimrgill
With this—probably my second or third—reading of “Dracula,” certain surprising aspects of the novel (which would elude most first-time readers) became glaringly apparent to me. I will forego a summary of the plot, since the tale is almost universally known. Instead, I’ll simply identify
“We were struck with the fact, that in all the mass of material of which the record is composed, there is hardly one authentic document; nothing but a mass of type-writing, except the later note-books of Mina and Seward and myself, and Van Helsing’s memorandum. We could hardly ask any one, even did we wish to, to accept these as proofs of so wild a story.” (pp. 444-445)
This edition is particularly rich and rewarding for readers who are returning to “Dracula” for subsequent readings. Leonard Wolf’s introduction and his abundant footnotes enrich the tale and supplement the story in a highly entertaining fashion. It’s like reading the novel with a literary tour guide looking over your shoulder and making sure you don’t miss any point of interest.
Ultimately, a careful rereading of “Dracula” reveals just how little it contains of what we now consider conventional about the vampire myth. The “horror” it contains is also quite tame—much of the terror throughout the novel is masterfully implied rather than blatant, and Dracula himself is hardly even present for the majority of the action. “Dracula” is indeed a classic—one that rewards rereadings, reconsideration, and constant review.
Show More
those aspects of the novel that seem to go unrecognized in the wake of its legacy and undeniable impact on the horror genre and our culture’s insatiable fascination with vampires. First of all, the narrative structure of “Dracula,” despite its being a conventional Victorian romance, is quite postmodern—the titular character is, in fact, the antagonist of the story rather than the protagonist; the tale is told from the perspectives of numerous narrators, and this poly-vocal, cobbled-together story features numerous narrative voices (none more annoying than Van Helsing’s convoluted and at times unintelligibly purple prose) and genres (diaries, letters, newspaper stories). And, shockingly, the conclusion of the novel deconstructs the entirety of the narrative that has preceded it. Jonathan Harker writes:“We were struck with the fact, that in all the mass of material of which the record is composed, there is hardly one authentic document; nothing but a mass of type-writing, except the later note-books of Mina and Seward and myself, and Van Helsing’s memorandum. We could hardly ask any one, even did we wish to, to accept these as proofs of so wild a story.” (pp. 444-445)
This edition is particularly rich and rewarding for readers who are returning to “Dracula” for subsequent readings. Leonard Wolf’s introduction and his abundant footnotes enrich the tale and supplement the story in a highly entertaining fashion. It’s like reading the novel with a literary tour guide looking over your shoulder and making sure you don’t miss any point of interest.
Ultimately, a careful rereading of “Dracula” reveals just how little it contains of what we now consider conventional about the vampire myth. The “horror” it contains is also quite tame—much of the terror throughout the novel is masterfully implied rather than blatant, and Dracula himself is hardly even present for the majority of the action. “Dracula” is indeed a classic—one that rewards rereadings, reconsideration, and constant review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member VincentDarlage
The annotations really make this book more accessible as a modern reader, and clued me into facts I had completely overlooked before (I have read this book many, many times).
LibraryThing member tnilsson
I am not a fan of the original book, which I think has major flaws. But this is by far the best edition of the book I have ever read, and the annotations are both helpful and interesting (my rating is a blended rating of the book and the annotations; I'd give the annotations 5 stars). I especially
Show More
liked how the annotations include recipes for unfamiliar dishes mentioned in the story, which was a nice addition that I've never seen in any other annotated book. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1980
Physical description
512 p.; 8.96 inches
ISBN
0452269431 / 9780452269439