Bram Stoker’s Notes for Dracula - Robert Eighteen-Bisang & Elizabeth Miller
A short while ago, a package arrived at my door. I get a lot of books, some that I buy, some that I get the privilege of seeing ahead of time and reviewing, some that people want me to consider for awards. As much as I love books, the thrill of new books entering the to be read pile can lose it’s shine over time.
Imagine my surprise and pleasure at receiving my friend and long time associate Robert Eighteen-Bisang’s first published book, “Bram Stoker’s Notes for Dracula: A Facsimile Edition,” which he wrote with Elizabeth Miller.
For starters, the book is a thing of beauty. It is bound in maroon boards with gold gilt lettering - very elegant. There is no dust-jacket since it’s a reference book, but that would just detract, I think. It’s a serious book, and I’m a serious lover of all things Dracula.
As a writer, this is a real treasure. Inside these covers are Bram Stokers initial hand-written notes planning out the novel Dracula in beautifully reproduced facsimile images. Then, along with those notes the authors have transcribed the hand-written body of the work and added annotations, analysis, and cross-references. This book has an amazing variety of material. There are notes on the characters and settings, seemingly unrelated bits of research, a calendar of events (sort of a time-line of the novel) - all organized in a fashion that makes exquisite sense of the material.
Both authors are experts in vampire lore. Rob has one of (if not by now THE) most extensive collection of vampire fiction in the world - and definitely knows more about Dracula, the man and the novel, than anyone I’ve met in a lifetime of loving vampires and vampire fiction. He owns the first Colonial Edition of Dracula to be found (there are others now) because I found it for him on eBay. He has a presentation copy of the first edition. My point is - the man knows what he’s doing.
This book is a scholarly, well-organized and aesthetically pleasing marvel of a reference. If you love Dracula, or are just interested in the process by which one of the greatest modern horror classics came into being - this book is a must-read.
Be forewarned, it’s not cheap. It’s a reference, and it was meant for reference libraries. Dracula - however - is a work of vast influence. There are a lot of people interested in this book, the author, and the Count. If you are one such, you need to read this.
Click the cover image to buy the book on Amazon. You can also find information on the book at www.mcfarlandpub.com - or order it from their order line at 1-800-253-2187
-DNW
