Bram Stoker's Dracula: A Reader's Guide

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Description

Dracula (1897) is one of the most commonly studied gothic novels and has been hugely influential through adaptations in fiction, on stage and in cinema. Offering an authoritative, up-to-date guide for students, this book introduces its context, language, themes, criticism and afterlife, leading students to a more sophisticated understanding of the text. It is the ideal guide to reading and studying the novel, setting Dracula in its historical, intellectual and cultural contexts, offering analyses of its themes, style and structure, providing exemplary close readings, presenting an up-to-date account of its critical reception. It also includes an introduction to its substantial history as an adapted text on stage and screen, focusing on the portrayal of the vampire from Nosferatu to Interview with a Vampire. It includes points for discussion, suggestions for further study and an annotated guide to relevant reading.

Reviews

"Bram Stoker's Dracula is an essential guide to criticism of Stoker's novel and provides an astute and critically subtle reading of the novel's complexities. However, it is also much more than that because Hughes's skilful location of Dracula within its literary, cultural, and historical contexts makes us think again about how we approach late Victorian fiction. Scholarly, clear and concise this book makes a significant contribution to how we understand Dracula and its complex Gothic contexts." - Professor Andrew Smith, University of Glamorgan, UK.
"Hughes's guide provides just about anything a reader might wish to know about Stoker's famous novel. Connections bonding Dracula with Stoker's other writings are assessed. Issues of Medicine, Religion, Sex, Gothicism, Gender are covered; useful editions of the novel, stage-film adaptations and critical commentaries are cited. The presentation is convincing. I predict a long shelf life." - Professor Benjamin F. Fisher, Department of English, University of Mississippi, USA.

Author Bio

WILLIAM HUGHES is Professor of Gothic Studies at Bath Spa University, UK.