I recently read Bram Stokerâs Dracula (my thoughts), so here is a special Halloween edition of Fun Facts Friday.
Buy Dracula from Amazon.com*
More books by Bram Stoker*
1 ) Dracula was part of a genre in which fantastic creatures threatened England. At the time âInvasion Literatureâ was at its peak.
2) Bram Stoker spent 7 years researching vampire stories and European folklore. The most influential was Transylvania Superstitions, an 1885 essay by Emily Gerard
3 ) Actor Henry Irving of the Lyceum Theatre where Stoker worked was the inspiration for Draculaâs mannerisms.
4 ) One of the original titles for the book was The Dead Un-Dead.
5 ) Dracula was originally named Count Wampyr. Stoker changed the name after reading the book Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia with Political Observations Relative to Them by Willima Wilkinson.
6 ) In Romanian the name dracul (dragon + âulâ) can mean either âthe dragonâ or âthe devilâ.
7 ) Stoker failed to properly fie for copyright in the United States, hence the novel was in the public domain since its publication.
8 ) The classic horror film Nosferatu (1922) was an unauthorized adaptation of the book.
9 ) Storkerâs widow sued trying to remove the film from circulation. The popularity of the book soared due to the controversy.
10) The book did not meet immediate commercial success, it actually became iconic when the movie versions came out.
Buy Dracula from Amazon.com*
More books by Bram Stoker*
Zohar â Man of la Book
*AmaÂzon links point to an affilÂiÂate account, the money is usually spent on books
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- Review: Victorian Undead II: Sherlock Holmes vs Dracula! (csilibrarian.wordpress.com)
4 Comments
Dracula is one of my favourite books, so I look forward to reading your thoughts on it.
And Iâve always found âCount Wampyrâ funny â nothing with that name could possibly be scary!
I think itâs just in the connotation. Dracula isnât a scary name until you put in context. While Stoker didnât invent the vampire, he certainly did create the genre.
Thanks for posting these. Very Interesting!
Thanks for sharing these. Of all the vampire lore Iâve read or watched, this is the one book Iâve loved the most.