Dracula by Bram Stoker
Written in 1897, Dracula by Bram Stoker is a vampire novel about Count Dracula and is told through a series of letters and memoirs. Aside from its exploration of the classic vampire figure, Dracula is also about Victorian culture, namely the women, sexuality, colonialism and history. The novel has been a major influence for future novels and films.The story is set during Victorian times and begins with Jonathan Harker who takes a train to the castle of Count Dracula in the Carpathian Mountains. Harker’s task is to complete a real estate transaction but he soon becomes a prisoner of the count. He tries to escape from the castle, but is put under a spell by the Brides of Dracula. He also finds out about the Count’s true nature.
In the meantime, Dracula gets on board a Russian cargo ship that is sailing to London. Dracula wants to seek Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray and her friend Lucy Westenra. The novel continues with Dracula’s relationship with the women, who are faced with threat as soon as the count arrives.
Dracula is currently a classic and the most popular vampire novel, but this was not the case when the novel was first released. It is said that the novel is more significant for contemporary readers than it was for Victorians. Despite its fictional premise, Dracula contains many historical references including the Order of the Dragon, which was an order of knights that inspired the name “Dracula.” The Order of the Dragon’s mission was to maintain Christianity and defend the Hungarian Empire from the Ottoman Turks.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula has inspired other novels and has film adaptations including Nosferatu, Dracula (1931), The Horror of Dracula and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.