Dracula – Bram Stoker

I am absolutely certain that Bram Stoker, when he released his book Dracula, never imagined that more than 120 years later, it would still be enchanting, or terrifying, generations of readers passionate about classic or gothic horror literature. Dracula shaped the form and gave fame to the most terrible, and often desired, villain of all time, starting with literature and extending to all kinds of existing media and every new one created for entertainment. Even though it was not the first book written about vampires, Stoker, after extensive research on legends and especially on the Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad III, better known as Vlad the Impaler, defined, with his vision of an immortal being that lives on the blood of living beings to remain ‘alive’ for centuries, an entire generation of gothic and fantastic literature that endures to this day.But despite all its brilliance, Bram Stoker’s Dracula only saw the light of success in the early 20th century with the advent of cinema in the world. Incredibly, this book brought practically nothing, in financial terms, to Bram Stoker, who at the end of his life was so poor that after his death, his widow had to sell all his notes and drafts about the book at a Sotheby’s auction for literally a pittance. Dracula began to gain fame when his widow sued the filmmakers of Nosferatu, claiming similarities to her late husband’s novel. However, when fame arrived, it was here to stay.
Stoker takes us on a long journey in search of the destruction of an evil that could become pandemic in 18th century England, were it not for the actions of a group of friends who, after a terrible and painful loss, discover the nefarious plans of a count from Transylvania.
The supernatural is masterfully displayed in practically all the appearances of the great villain after his arrival, which, it should be noted, was equally dramatic and terrible, in London. His invisible claws are felt even at long distances when this abject being wishes, and usually, when this occurs, tragedy also presents itself promptly.
The entire novel is dictated by letters or diaries of the characters in the plot, which was very common at that time. But this format in no way diminishes or spoils the narrative of this fantastic novel.
Despite being a horror book, Stoker presents a romantic writing style in many moments of the story, especially when it comes to demonstrating the love between the ‘good guys’ in the hunt for the villain. It is in this sense that we can see how society related at that time. The love between friends was something almost unreal today. People were raised to honor their names, their friends, companions, and this is constantly demonstrated throughout the plot of Dracula.
But the great brilliance of Bram Stoker, my dear readers, is presenting a gothic novel that outlined generations of world literature, having shaped a classic monster, which even today is reshaped and reused to exhaustion, without practically having used it directly throughout the plot of Dracula; this is truly a touch of absolute genius. Read it and tell me if it isn’t, please.
I will never tire of reading this great classic of gothic literature, which is why I say that Bram Stoker’s Dracula is in no way to be missed; it is indeed mandatory.
About the Author: Bram Stoker (11/08/1847 – 04/20/1912) was an Irish writer known for having written the classic horror ‘Dracula’; his work created the literary myth of the vampire as we know it today. He wrote his first at the age of 16. He became the manager of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in London, a job he divided with the stories he wrote, generally involving vampires.
Jeffa Koontz
Literary Critic
www.sagaliteraria.com.br