The Jewel of Seven Stars

by Bram Stoker

An Egyptologist, attempting to raise from the dead the mummy of Tera, an ancient Egyptian queen, finds a fabulous gem and is stricken senseless by an unknown force. Amid bloody and eerie scenes, his daughter is possessed by Tera's soul, and her fate depends upon bringing Tera's mummified body to life.

Genres: Horror, Classics, Fiction, Gothic, Fantasy, Mystery, Audiobook

294 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Irish-born Abraham Stoker, known as Bram, of Britain wrote the gothic horror novel Dracula (1897).

The feminist Charlotte Mathilda Blake Thornely Stoker at 15 Marino crescent, then as now called "the crescent," in Fairview, a coastal suburb of Dublin, Ireland, bore this third of seven children. The parents, members of church of Ireland, attended the parish church of Saint John the Baptist, located on Seafield road west in Clontarf with their baptized children.

Stoker, an invalid, started school at the age of seven years in 1854, when he made a complete and astounding recovery. Of this time, Stoker wrote, "I was naturally thoughtful, and the leisure of long illness gave opportunity for many thoughts which were fruitful according to their kind in later years."

After his recovery, he, a normal young man, even excelled as a university athlete at Trinity college, Dublin form 1864 to 1870 and graduated with honors in mathematics. He served as auditor of the college historical society and as president of the university philosophical society with his first paper on "Sensationalism in Fiction and Society."

In 1876, while employed as a civil servant in Dublin, Stoker wrote a non-fiction book (The Duties of Clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland, published 1879) and theatre reviews for The Dublin Mail, a newspaper partly owned by fellow horror writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu. His interest in theatre led to a lifelong friendship with the English actor Henry Irving. He also wrote stories, and in 1872 "The Crystal Cup" was published by the London Society, followed by "The Chain of Destiny" in four parts in The Shamrock.

In 1878 Stoker married Florence Balcombe, a celebrated beauty whose former suitor was Oscar Wilde. The couple moved to London, where Stoker became business manager (at first as acting-manager) of Irving's Lyceum Theatre, a post he held for 27 years. The collaboration with Irving was very important for Stoker and through him he became involved in London's high society, where he met, among other notables, James McNeil Whistler, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the course of Irving's tours, Stoker got the chance to travel around the world.

The Stokers had one son, Irving Noel, who was born on December 31, 1879.

People cremated the body of Bram Stoker and placed his ashes placed in a display urn at Golders green crematorium. After death of Irving Noel Stoker in 1961, people added his ashes to that urn. Despite the original plan to keep ashes of his parents together, after death, people scattered ashes of Florence Stoker at the gardens of rest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bram_Stoker

Reviews

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

من عباءة هذه الرواية خرجت كل مومياء فرعونية ملفوفة في الاربطة في القرن العشرين و الواحد و العشرين..هكذا يكون برام ستوكر هو الاقوى أثرا على عالم الرعب شرقا و غربا

تبدأ الرواية بشكل فيكتوري تقليدي ..مارجريت تطلب المساعدة من المحامي لينجد والدها الذي تعرض لاعتداء وحشي بهدف القتل لكنه نجا باعجوبة..و في غرفة نومه:مسرح الحادث نجد ان رائحة المومياوات تملأ المكان..عطور مصرية و قار و ناردين و صمغ و طيب..
حقا يا له من مستكشف بريطاني احمق. .
قرر ان يقلق راحة مومياء الملكة تيرا... احمق لدرجة أنه لم يهتم ان الملكة تشبه ابنته بشكل غريب

لقائي الثالث مع برام ستوكر ♥
..من الجميل ان نقابله بعيدا عن مصاص الدماء الخبيث الشهير..كان من الاجمل التعرف على الجو المصري القديم بعيون ستوكر..
و ان أفسده علينا بعنصريته البريطانية البغيضة. .الأسلوب مناسب لقصة رعب تقليدية ..جو لعنات الفراعنة المعهود ..وفكرة النهايتين تبدو لارضاء جميع الاطراف

[Cornelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has two endings. When originally published in 1903 and in second publishing in 1904 it had an ending that was critics at the time as being too gruesome so when Stoker published it again,shortly before his death in 1912, he was forced by the publisher to add a new ending. I read this at Project Gutenberg which had the changed ending http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3781/3... but I was able to read the original ending also at http://bramstoker.org/novels/08stars.... - you can read it free there also - you can read both whole versions there, free. Neither of these sites are violating copy write. It's ok to read this free at the two sites I've listed above.

The changed ending is a little to much of a fairy tale ending. The original ending is not gruesome by today's standards but it is horribly sad. I think the first ending though is better. Both versions are the same except for the last chapter. After I read the book in full I read the original last chapter and I advise others to do the same or in the opposite order, either way.

Stoker is a master of suspense and elegant writing. He has wonderful page turning hooks at the end of each chapter. Stoker was talented at writing emotion and feelings of love. Stoker is at his best in this. It's a wonderful story and I highly recommend it. It's not as great as Dracula - that's just too special - but it's very good and it's pure Stoker. I loved it.

[TXGAL1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This particular ebook version could have been greatly enhanced with the help of simple proofreading.

The story takes place in the latter part of the 19th century and is filled with Victorian custom and verbiage. I felt that the end of the story was anti-climatic after the slow burn buildup.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Kensington with flashback into the Valley of the Sorcerer. A mysterious tomb is found. In the Great Experiment the forgotten Queen shall be brought back to life. Well, I really liked this story, it was a quick read and it had a fine gothic fin de siecle atmosphere. Clear recommendation!

[Marvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, I know Bram Stoker is a god among the horror writers. Dracula is deservedly a classic if only for its vast influence. The Jewel of Seven Stars is considered the first modern mummy novel just as Dracula set the stage for every vampire novel to follow.

But I gotta say it.

Bram Stoker can't write worth beans.

I find the dialogue in this novel especially excruciating; stiff and sometimes unintentionally hilarious. The plot drags like a corpse in a body bag and the characterizations are cardboard and boring. OK, so I didn't like this. I can appreciate its role in the annals of horror fiction but if I ever have to read this again, I'm going to do the Egyptian in double time right outta here.

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious European study of the ancient Egyptian past began with Napoleon's campaign in Egypt in 1798. He had brought with him a number of scholars and linguists interested in the budding science of archaeology, who returned to France with various artifacts including the Rosetta Stone, which subsequently enabled the deciphering of the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Their writings, and the writings and discoveries of the researchers and explorers who followed in their footsteps throughout the following century, aroused a significant amount of popular interest in both England and America. Much of the public was particularly fascinated by the perfectly preserved mummies, and the whole cult of triumphing over death that surrounded them. The idea of resurrected mummies entered early into English-language speculative fiction, The Mummy!: A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century (1827) by Jane C. Webb Loudon being probably the first example, and Poe's tale "A Few Words with a Mummy" being another early treatment. Between 1860 and 1914, literally hundreds of such works were published. These often include the trope of mummies rising to inflict vengeance on the robbers of their tombs, inspired by the actual curses on such robbers inscribed on the burial places by their builders. Mummy fascination in England was intensified by the British occupation of Egypt in 1882, which facilitated the acquisition by museums and private collectors of numerous ancient Egyptian artifacts and art works, including mummies and their ornamented cases.

One fascinated Brit was Anglo-Irish writer Bram Stoker (!847-1912), who graduated in the class of 1870 from Dublin's Trinity College, which had a strong program in Orientalism, including Egyptology. He was close friends with the Orientalists Sir Richard Francis Burton and Sir William Wilde (the father of Oscar Wilde), who had discovered a mummy on a voyage to Egypt in 1837 and brought it back to Dublin; and he shared their interest in Egyptian antiquities, eventually becoming very well-read on the subject himself. (His personal library included numerous major works on ancient Egyptian archaeology, religion, hieroglyphics, etc., some of which he references in this novel.) Early in 1903, the discovery by archaeologist Howard Carter of the tomb of the 15th-century B.C. female Pharaoh Hatshepsut was probably the catalyst for the writing of this book, published later that year (the 1904 date sometimes given is for the first U.S. publication). Hatshepsut has some significant similarities to the fictional Queen Tera here, though Stoker dates the latter much earlier, back in the 11th Dynasty, which reigned during the first half of the third millennium B.C.

The Goodreads description of this book (at least for this edition) is rather sensationalized and in several points actually inaccurate; the reference to "reincarnation" is one inaccuracy, because what we have here is not reincarnation in the true sense of the term. It is, though, correct in one detail; the original ending, as faithfully reproduced here, was subsequently changed in at least a lot if not all of the later printings. Stoker wrote a new ending for the reprint in 1912, the year he died, which significantly changed almost every aspect of the original one, and IMO not for the better. I haven't read that version, but its ending is described in the Wikipedia article for this novel, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jew... . (That article provides an in-depth discussion of the themes of the novel, which I can recommend for serious readers though I don't agree with every detail; but like all Wikipedia's write-ups on literary works, it summarizes the whole plot, so contains spoilers galore and should be read only after you read the novel.)

Both novels by Stoker that I'd previously read, Dracula and The Lady of the Shroud, are written in epistolary style. This one, however, is a straightforward first-person narration by young barrister (that is, a lawyer specializing in criminal cases) Malcolm Ross, who judging by internal clues is about 29. (The only "epistolary" part is a long excerpt Ross reads from an old book in one chapter.) For me, the different style here is felicitous, at least for this particular book; it makes for a more continuous and tauter narrative flow and a consistent viewpoint. Readers may be confused by the first page, where Ross is dreaming, but on page 2 he's awakened by a knock on his front door. His recent acquaintance Margaret Trelawney (about 19 years old), with whom he's already romantically smitten and about whom he was dreaming, has sent a servant to appeal for his help. Her father, a widowed Egyptologist whose house is practically a museum of looted antiquities, has been mysteriously injured in his bedroom, and now lies in a strange coma. From there, the author spins a gripping tale of exotic mystery, danger, and ancient magic/science.

A quintessential writer in the Romantic tradition, Stoker evokes a strong, page-turning tension and suspense practically from the get-go, and creates very vital characters we come to like and care about, which arouses a strong emotional engagement with the story. The momentum builds to a conclusion that packs an emotional wallop, though I won't say how. (I can see why many readers didn't like it; but to my mind tampering with it in the manner of the 1912 revision robs it of its power, and seems like sacrilege.) Like Dracula, the basic plot structure can be described as "sympathetic modern characters confront danger from a powerful supernatural figure;" but where Dracula is a pure monster who evokes no sympathy, Queen Tera is much more nuanced (and even evoked my admiration in some ways). Rather than being a mere pot-boiler, this tale raises serious philosophical and religious questions, without supplying the reader with canned answers. (For purposes of the story, the ancient Egyptian gods are real, and affect the plot in real ways. Building on the New Testament's cryptic references to supernatural "principalities and powers," Christian readers can "suspend disbelief" by considering them (as a literary conceit) in that light; they aren't substitutes for God, but far lesser entities created by Him, and subordinate to Him as all created beings are.) Stoker's very solid embedding of his tale in a matrix of actual ancient Egyptian thought, religious beliefs, funerary and burying practices, astronomy, etc. (I know something about Egyptology, and his treatment dovetailed with historical reality in every place I could check; others who know much more about the subject say the same) is another great strength of the book.

One other comment is worth making. Modern sensibilities revolt against the typical European colonial attitude that they're perfectly justified in ripping off the archeological treasures of a subjugated nation. Mr. Trelawney is a poster boy for that attitude (though it doesn't go wholly unchallenged here --Tera, obviously, would beg to differ!) But I would submit that this shouldn't be the only consideration that shapes our view of the novel in its totality, any more than the fact that Moby Dick is about whale killers should be the sole factor in evaluating that work.

For my part, I actually appreciated this novel artistically more than Dracula, though that's definitely a minority position. Readers whose taste in the literature of the supernatural runs only to grisly-gory violence won't care for this (it has a high body count, but gory elements are muted), and readers allergic to fulsome, late-Victorian and Romantic diction also won't be at home here. But if you like classic Victorian and Edwardian supernatural fiction, I recommend this read!

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know Bram Stoker as the author of Dracula. I knew that he had written other books and decided that Halloween 2021 would be a fine time to try one of them out. I'm no stranger to Mummy tales, having read works as diverse as Curse of the Kings by Victoria Holt, The Mummy by Anne Rice, and the short story Lost in a Pyramid or the Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott. This one has a slightly different twist.

The pace of the story is slow and there is a lot of agonizing done by the narrator, Malcom Ross. The poor guy is deeply in love and is both concerned and thrilled when his lady love summons him in the middle of the night because she needs a strong shoulder to lean upon. Her father, an eccentric Egyptologist, has been injured and collapsed in their home. He seems to be in a coma of some kind, although there is no evidence of a head injury. When Ross arrives, a doctor and the police are summoned, with our man making sure that they are suitable. Since he is a well known lawyer, everyone falls in with his plans. However, things get weird(er). Mr. Trelawny has left a letter stating that if weirdness should happen, he is not to be removed from his room full of Egyptian curios and that none of those antiquities should be removed. His lawyer is consulted, only to tell them they must do things the great man's way. So there are many odd, vague goings on. Interestingly, there are two endings given. I didn't find either of them exceptionally satisfying, but given my druthers, I'd pick the happier of the two.

The novel seemed to me to be a bit like Frankenstein, with everyone willing to comply with Trelawny's experiment without really wondering if it was a good idea. I also thought about H. Rider Haggard's fiction, with his penchant for the mysterious, African settings, and Victorian “gentlemen" despoiling foreign countries to build their collections. The mysterious female mummy reminded me of Haggard's Ayesha, star of his novel She.

I can definitely see why this novel didn't achieve the same level of fame as Dracula. It's a bit nebulous concerning what is exactly going on and Stoker drags it on longer than necessary.

[Beatriz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una novela que, al menos para mí, pasa sin pena ni gloria. En el libro se pueden identificar dos momentos muy marcados: los primeros capítulos narran los misteriosos ataques que sufre el egiptólogo Ariel Trelawny en su casa, que lo han llevado casi a desangrarse y que lo mantienen inconsciente, mientras su hija y varios personajes más intentan descifrar el enigma, a la vez que vigilan que no le vuelva a suceder nada. Aquí me sentía leyendo un libro de Agatha Christie que, al igual que me ha pasado con algunos libros de esta autora, la lectura no me produjo absolutamente nada; personajes totalmente planos, que no transmiten ninguna emoción y menos el desasosiego ante los extraños acontecimientos que están viviendo.

Pasada la mitad y junto con la recuperación del viejo Trelawny, la lectura se pone un poco más interesante, pero sólo porque tanto el egiptólogo y su fiel compañero de correrías, comienzan a narrar las aventuras que los llevaron a apoderarse de una momia junto con todos los objetos encontrados en su tumba. Los orígenes de la reina momificada hacen presagiar un buen desenlace... pero no; al final te quedas con cara de ¿y eso era todo?

Por último, realmente me cuesta comprender cómo esta novela puede clasificarse como de Terror.

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mumie, starożytna klątwa, epoka wiktoriańska w epoce największej egiptomanii, a wszystko to spod pióra Brama Stokera (ojca „Drakuli”!).

O „Klejnocie siedmiu gwiazd” można by pisać i pisać bez końca… To perła gotyku imperialnego, jedna z powieści, którą można analizować, rozbebeszać, pod lupą doszukiwać się ukrytych za słowami lęków, fascynacji, nawiązań. W końcu to jedna z tych charakterystycznych lektur, których wysyp pojawił się u szczytu tamtej epoki. Nie będziemy tego jednak robić, w zamian warto tu wspomnieć, że wydanie książki zbiegło się z niezwykłym odkryciem archeologicznym, którego z pewnością Stoker był świadomy. Howard Carter – ten, który w Dolinie Królów odnalazł również grób Tutanchamona – odkrył grobowiec jednej z egipskich królowych, Hatszepsut. Była to postać co najmniej nietuzinkowa, nie chcę jednak zdradzać zbyt wiele. Dodam tylko, że to na jej niezwykłej historii dochodzenia do władzy (która była wówczas niedostępna dla kobiet), inspirowana jest postać królowej Tery.

Ciekawostką pozostaje fakt, że „Klejnot Siedmiu Gwiazd” posiada dwa zakończenia. Pierwsze pojawiło się przy pierwszym wydaniu książki w 1903 roku i zaskoczyło zarówno czytelników, jak i krytyków. Nie pasowało do pozostałych, podobnych opowieści, a jak wiemy – czytelnicy literatury gatunkowej przyzwyczajeni są do konkretnych schematów. Gotyk imperialny również rządził się swoimi prawami. Drugie zakończenie Bram Stoker dodał w wersji zredagowanej z 1912 roku. Oba zakończenia znajdziemy w polskim wydaniu książki, by samemu zadecydować, które pasuje do historii lepiej, które ma intensywniejszy w emocje wydźwięk.

Cieszę się niezmiernie, że „Klejnot Siedmiu Gwiazd” po tylu latach po raz pierwszy trafił w ręce polskiego czytelnika. Przed nami przekład rzetelny, nastrojowy, pasujący do epoki, w której powstała książka. Oddaje ducha tamtych lat, oddaje klimat, który unosił się wokół starożytnych artefaktów, tę tajemnicę, sekret, którego nawet my, po tych wszystkich latach nie możemy do końca przeniknąć. To mieszanka przygody, niesamowitości, romansu – groza snuje się wokół, otacza czytelnika oparem, trochę hipnotyzuje po drodze. To sama przyjemność niespiesznej lektury.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malcolm Ross es requerido con urgencia una noche para que acuda a casa de Margaret Trelawny. Al llegar, se le comunicará que el padre de ésta, coleccionista y arqueólogo, ha sido agredido y permanece inconsciente. Alrededor del enfermo se irán reuniendo un grupo de personas: además de Malcolm y Margaret, también están el doctor Winchester, el sargento Daw, y el servicio de la casa. Todos ellos, en una carta del arqueólogo, tienen instrucciones de vigilarle constantemente. Un misterio se cierne sobre los Trelawny, algo que parece tener que ver con la milenaria momia de la reina egipcia Tera.

‘La Joya de las Siete Estrellas’ (The Jewel of Seven Stars, 1903), del irlandés Bram Stoker, tiene una primera parte casi policíaca, con el misterio de saber qué exactamente está atentado contra la vida del viejo Trelawny. Esta parte es la que más me ha gustado de la novela. En la segunda parte del libro, sabremos más de Egipto y de la reina Tera, pero le falta algo más emoción a las explicaciones.

En resumen, una buena novela del creador de ‘Drácula’, aunque sin llegar a los niveles de excelencia de ésta.

[bookstories_travels🪐 · Rating 3 out of 5]

#retoegipcio2023 de @inquilinas_netherfield. Premisa “Clásico Publicado antes de 1960”.

Cuando decidí hacer el #retoegipcio este fue el primer libro que escogí para leer a lo largo de este 2023. Y lo reserve precisamente para estas fechas tan especiales y tenebrosas. He tenido desde hace muchos años “La Joya de las Siete Estrellas” en mi estantería, y muchas veces he estado a punto de leerlo por Halloween. Pero al final me decantaba por otras lecturas, ha sido como si el libro estuviera esperando a que hiciera un reto de libros sobre Egipto. A que por fin llegase el momento indicado para leerlo.

Abel Trelawny es un egiptólogo que ha consagrado su vida al estudio de los misterios egipcios y a la momia de la reina Tera, la primera mujer que gobernó Egipto y que lo dejó todo dispuesto para poder resucitar varios milenios después de su deceso. Las pesquisas de Trelawny acabaran por envolver a varios personajes que le ayudaran a conseguir que Tera vuelva al mundo de los vivos, incluida su hija Margaret (con un parecido abrumador con la momia) y a su enamorado, Malcolm Ross, un abogado que es el narrador de esta historia de misterios detectivescos y sobrenaturales.

Tercer libro que leo de Bran Stoker, después de su hiper conocido “Dracula” (que lo he leído dos veces) y una antología de relatos editada por el sello Valdemar. Y aunque esta novela tiene las mejores características del autor irlandés, regala buenos momentos y la he disfrutado en su mayor parte, debo decir que de los tres libros, es probablemente el que menos he disfrutado leyendo. Creo que esto se ha debido más a una circunstancia personal, ya que llevo las últimas semanas sin muchas ganas de leer. Si no, me explico cómo he podido tardar casi una semana en leer este libro de 400 páginas, escrito con una pluma ágil y vibrante, y cuya trama no presenta muchas dificultades. Pero lo cierto es que en muchos momentos se me ha hecho muy cuesta arriba la narración. De todas maneras, eso no quiere decir que esta lectura me había parecido mala, ni mucho menos. Simplemente que ha tenido muchos momentos en que se me ha hecho muy lenta, demasiado enfocada en lo descriptivo, en las elucubraciones de todo tipo y en general atmósfera. En esos momentos me ha faltado tuviera más enfoque en la pura acción y en el desarrollo de la trama. Quizás, de una manera inconsciente, no he podido evitar comparar este libro con la criatura más famosa de su autor. Y sinceramente creo que eso te hace un flaco favor tanto a esta novela como al propio Stoker, un autor profilico que nos dejó un gran legado literario a modo de novelas y relatos cortos, muchos de ellos tán meritorios como su “Dracula”. Todas formas, hay que reconocer que a nivel tramas y personajes, hay muchos parecidos entre ambos libros, siendo estos protagonizados por un grupo de cinco personas con roles similares: el líder, que es una suerte de estudioso, obsesivo y con grandes conocimientos; su discípulo o ayudante; la joven, dama del grupo, bella y virtuosa; su enamorado; y un último personaje, que en un momento determinado, se convierte en un gran apoyo para que el estudioso lleve a cabo sus propósitos. Y frente a ellos, una figura oscura, de la que el lector poco sabe, pero cuya presencia lo envuelve todo, y que está basada en un personaje que existió realmente y sobre el que existen gran cantidad de leyendas. Y eso me pareció uno de los datos más curiosos con los que me en tope en mi búsqueda de información sobre este libro.

De la misma forma que el personaje del conde drácula se basa en la segunda del Voida transilvano Vlad el Empalador, parece que Stoker uso como fuente de inspiración la figura de Sobekneferu, quien todos los inicios arqueológicos históricos, colocan como la primera gobernante femenina del alto y bajo Egipto. Muchos de los datos que tenemos del carácter de Terq coinciden, con lo que se sabía en la época sobre Sobekneferu. El nombre del faraón Antef está relacionado de una forma u otra con ambas (figura real y ficticia) ; las dos fueron parte de la XII Dinastía real egipcia y vivieron en fechas similares. La obsesión de sendas mujeres con las siete estrellas de la Osa Mayor está demostrada, en el caso de Sobekneferu por su veneración por el dios cocodrilo Sobek, relacionado con dicha constelación, ya que los egipcios creían que representaba a un cocodrilo subiéndose a la espalda de un hipopótamo hembra, que sería la esposa de Sobekneferu, la diosa hipopótamo Tawaret . “El estudioso Massey señaló a la reina Sobekneferu como reviviendo el antiguo culto "tifoniano", que se centraba en la diosa hipopótamo Tawaret o Reret y el dios cocodrilo en forma tanto de Set como de Sobek . Massey también escribe que una palabra que se usa para expresar "tiempo" en el antiguo idioma egipcio es "Tera", al igual que la reina Tera en la novela de Stoker. Esto hace que sea probable que, a través de su conexión con los ocultistas de Londres, Stoker se familiarice con las obras de Massey”. *

Bram Stoker es un escritor muy dinámico, que entra con esta obra pisando fuerte desde sus primeros párrafos. Si algo me llamó la atención mientras leía es que los libros los primeros capítulos de la obra pueden inscribirse dentro del género detectives. Hay un misterio de corte sobrenatural, pero este se enfoca en ser estudiado desde unos términos muy realistas y lógicos. Nos encontramos con una trama totalmente digna de cualquiera de los misterios protagonizados por Sherlock Holmes, en serio. Pero poco a poco la atmósfera hacia lo sobrenatural, convirtiéndose en una historia claramente encuadrada en el género gótico. “La Joya de las Siete Estrellas” tiene mucho de los ingredientes característicos de la bibliografía de Stoker: un misterio sobre natural que bebe de fuentes folclóricas (en este caso, en el antiguo y magnético mundo de la cultura egipcia);unos toques, detectivescos que hacen que la lectura recuerde, en no pocos momentos, a las novelas de sir Arthur Conan Doyle y Wilkie Collins; una trama que dentro de su sencillez está llena de misterios que van apareciendo poco a poco hasta conseguir enganchar al lector; una atmósfera irrespirables en las que la tensión puede cortarse con un cuchillo y una ¿antagonista? de lo más tétrica y que está envuelta en una bruma de misterio que la hace muy interesante, cuya presencia acaba envolviendo todos los recovecos del libro, convirtiéndose lo más rescatable de la historia con diferencia.

Siempre he mantenido a nivel personal que “Dracula”, la obra con la que Stoker que ha pasado en la posteridad, fue escrita sin más pretensiones que entretener y enganchar al lector victoriano. Y sinceramente, creo que es lo mismo que sucede con la obra que tenemos entre manos. Aunque muchos han querido ver diferentes lecturas dentro de las andanzas del Conde de Transilvania (que yo personalmente no comparto) debo reconocer que en “La Joya de las Siete Estrellas” sí que he visto ciertos detalles y situaciones que hacen que sea una obra más compleja de lo que pueda parecer, a simple vista, y que convierten su lectura en un vistazo a varias cuestiones de interés histórico y social dentro de la Inglaterra de los primeros años sin la omnipresente figura de la reina Victoria.

Para empezar hay que entender que la novela fue escrita en un periodo en que se proporcionaba a la arqueología muchos impulsos sociales y económicos. La sociedad, cada vez estaba más interesada en esa ciencia, en los periódicos se daba cuenta de los muchos hallazgos que se realizaban en Egipto por parte de excavaciones realizadas y financiadas por diversas organizaciones y mecenas británicos. De hecho, la Egypt Exploration Society, fue fundada por esas fechas, Siendo la primera organización arqueológica seriamente enfocada en la investigación arqueológica y la divulgación de los hallazgos encontrados en la tierra del río Nilo. En este contrato encintáramos en el libro una velada crítica hecha entre líneas al colonialismo Ingles, al expolio que los investigadores británicos realizaron sin piedad en las tumbas y restos arqueológicos que pueblan Egipto. Stoker no habla abiertamente del tema, pero algunos comentarios y el tono de varias frases dejan ver que no comparte la avaricia del imperialismo por hacerse con todos los hallazgos históricos y arqueológicos que puedan, con arramblar, sin ninguna compasión, con los objetos que encuentren en las cámaras funerarias, con la forma en que se adueñan de todo, sin ningún tipo de miramiento y lo llevan hasta sus países, muchas veces, con el simple fin de convertirlos en reliquias que adornen sus salones y habitaciones privadas. Lo cual no quita para que esto que no comparta, ciertos aspectos mentales típicos de su época. Esto se ve en algunos de los comentarios que hace sobre los beduinos y los egipcios autóctonos, la manera condescendiente en que habla de ellos y como los representa como gente avariciosa, sanguinaria y dispuesta a atacar salvajemente al occidental que osa poner el pie en su tierra, muchas veces con fines puramente científicos o benévolos.

Otro aspecto que me ha parecido mucha, pero muy interesante de esta lectura ha sido el personaje femenino principal, el de la joven Margaret Trelawny. Sé que he dicho más arriba que no está bien comparar este libro con “Dracula”, Pero en sus personajes femeninos me ha sido imposible, sin quererlo, ver muchas coincidencias entre Margaret y los caracteres de luz y mina. Las tres son mujeres inteligentes, idealizadas y encantadoras, que encandilan al resto de personajes masculinos y hacen que se comporten hacia ellas de una forma caballeresca y paternalista, convirtiéndolas en una suerte de damas en apuros, que necesitan la protección y guia de los valientes y confiables varones. Esta tónica era lo que primaba en “Dracula”, pero aquí Stoker se permite un giro de tuerca que me parece muy interesante y llamativo para lo que es el arco evolutivo del personaje de Margaret. Y es que a medida que la influencia de la momia de Tera va haciéndose más palpable en ella tras interrumpir en su vida, Margaret va volviéndose una mujer con más carácter, más individual y más proclive a dar su opinión o expresar sus sentimientos, sin preocuparse tanto por parecer una joven virtuosa y dulce, que trata de no molestar al resto de personajes masculinos que la rodean, sino ayudarles y apoyarles. Esto respondería al “New Woman” , una nueva ideología de corte feminista que surge en el siglo XIX en la que la mujer ganaba más protagonismo e independencia, forzando los límites patriarcales que hasta la fecha había ocupado socialmente. Margaret atreve a ir contra la idea preconcebida que siempre se ha tenido de ella, y es entonces cuando empieza la tensión con su amado, el abogado Ross, el cual, en muchos momentos no se siente a gusto con una mujer que le gustaba cuando era más sumisa y centrada en las cosas que la rodeaban y concernían a los hombres. Y sin embargo, es cuando vemos que el personaje de Margaret gana individualidad y se convierte en un carácter con más capas, al alejarse del aura pastelosa en la que está envuelta en las primeras páginas de la novela. Margaret se convierte en un personaje mucho más interesante y que gana en volumen a medida que va desarrollándose la narrativa. Le pese a quien le pese.

Para acabar, señalar que “La Joya de las Siete Estrellas” causó bastante controversia entre la crítica y el público en el momento de su publicación. Muchos leyeron esta historia como una crítica hacia los ideales sociales y religiosos imperantes en la época. Y muchos lectores se quejaron del final, ya que el que apareció en la primera edición era más truculento y desgraciado. Por ello Stoker se vio obligado a quitar un capitulo (el número 16) y a reescribir el final para contentar a ambas facciones. Ambos textos pueden encontrarse en la presente edición de Alianza. Y tengo que decir que si nos hubiéramos quedado con el segundo final de Stalker, la historia subiera desvirtuado totalmente . Para mí, este final ha tenido una sutileza, una atmósfera devastadoramente melancólica y misteriosa que hace que todo el conjunto se convierta en una historia que nos habla sobre y como el hombre trata de forzar los límites de la razón y las leyes naturales, y como esto puede tener un precio mayúscula.


*texto entrecomillado sacado de https://www.ancient-origins.es/histor...

[Karen Witzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very long time ago, I read this as a young teen in my post- Dark Shadows 1970s world. Idiotic plotting sometimes gives way to atrocious writing -- there is a reason that Dracula is the more renowned work -- but undeniably influential on the horror genre. Love Margaret's dual nature, the descriptions of the tomb, the inane attempts at scientific discussion, and the gas masks, most of all the gas masks. I must seek out the alternate "conventional" ending. Long live Queen Tera. (Hatshepsut was too long and difficult to pronounce.)

[Ishraque Aornob · Rating 2 out of 5]

প্রাচীন মিশর, ইতিহাস, মমি ও ব্রাম স্টোকার.... দীর্ঘদিন ফেলে রাখার পর খুবই আগ্রহ নিয়ে বইটা শুরু করেছিলাম। ধুর... পুরাই হতাশ। না ইতিহাসের ব্যাখ্যা স্পষ্ট, না আছে ভয়, না আছে সাসপেন্স। কিছু জায়গায় চরিত্রদের কার্যকলাপ শিশুতোষ। ড্রাকুলার পর ব্রাম স্টোকারের সবথেকে সেরা কাজের এই হাল দেখে হতাশ। সময় নষ্ট।

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

Entertaining boring listening 🎶🔰

This novel is free on Amazon.

After reading 👓 reviews on Goodreads I made the decision to not listen to this novel. 2023

[Malice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pues me ha gustado bastante, por esa mezcla de magia y misticismo, muy propia de la época, y sobre todo del círculo con el que se rodeaba Stoker.
Solo me hubiera gustado que terminara un poco diferente, eso le hubiera dado las cinco estrellas, o las siete, tal vez, jajaja.

[Jim Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS when I was in junior high school, and I was highly disappointed. There were a number of moments that I quite enjoyed, but I felt cheated by the ending.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was reviewing the recent Blu-ray release of the 1980 movie, THE AWAKENING. This movie was based on THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, and I was very surprised to learn that the original novel published in 1903 had a very different ending. When Bram Stoker wanted to reprint the book in 1912, his publisher insisted that the ending be changed because so many Readers had been disappointed with the 1903 ending! Stoker acquiesced … and that later “revised” ending was the one I had read (and been so disappointed by) years ago.

Well, there was no help for it. I had to discover what I had missed from the original work. I was very pleased to find this version which included both endings as a comparison. My recommendation is to completely ignore the trite 1912 ending as the 1903 one is so much more true to the events that occurred before and was much more satisfying overall.

Stoker, of course, is the writer who gave the world DRACULA. In the original version of THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, he has created another potentially iconic supernatural character in the person of Queen Tera, an Egyptian Pharaoh and Sorcerer so notorious that the Priests have sought to efface her name from human memory.

The book begins as a supernatural mystery, and then explores the possibility of rebirth into a new life centuries later. The mystery is uncanny and the story of the discovery of Tera’s tomb is both fascinating and chilling. But, it is the original ending that really “sells” the story.

The writing does have some drawbacks. Stoker tends to compose a number of scenes (and dialogue) as if they are being composed for the theatrical stage. That sometimes leads to exaggerated melodrama and an embarrassing carryover of some of the worst Victorian ideals. (Thank goodness men are there to aid helpless women!) And there is one incredibly tedious chapter discussing scientific versus metaphysical principles. Thankfully, that may be the shortest chapter in the book.

Still, I found the original climax and resolution to be stunning. In fact, there is a surprising negation of those “worst Victorian ideals” as opposed to the rewritten latter ending that completely supports them.

There is plenty to enjoy in THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS. It is a crackling good adventure, an intriguing mystery, and an unnerving exposure to the supernatural.

[Perry Whitford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ever wondered why Bram Stoker is only ever remembered for Dracula?

Wonder no more. Read The Jewel of the Seven Stars and it will become abundantly clear just why. Better still, don't read it, just take my word for it, this is a wretchedly awful novel.

A renowned Egyptologist is found by his daughter after being attacked in his room and placed in a cataleptic state seemingly induced by - I kid you not - 'mummy smell'.

His room is crowded with ancient artifacts from the tomb of a sorcerer queen named Tera, including the sarcophagus of the lady herself, which has a severed hand with seven fingers.

I won't even bother to explain the rest, other than to say that it made no sense at all, was plotted by a simpleton with concussion and written in the most cringingly wretched prose throughout.

Don't believe me? Here are a couple of samples which ought to convince you. Firstly, this lame, meaningless observation:
'The sight which met my eyes had the horror of a dream within a dream, with the certainty of reality added.'

Lame certainly, but perhaps comparatively inoffensive? Oh, but it became worse still whenever Stoker attempted to grasp after something loftier:
'What would become of us all, poor atoms of earthly dust whirled in the wind which cometh whence and goeth whither no man may know.'

Stoker certainly generated a lot of wind when writing this rubbish, and I know exactly from where it 'cometh whence'.

Like too much garlic on a date, best avoided.

[F.R. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can remember one of my English Literature lecturers telling our study group that in literary terms, Bram Stoker was a one hit wonder.

Lately I've been wondering whether that meant he just wrote the kind of books I like and one of them happened to break through.

So, I thought I'd try another.

But on the evidence of THE JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS, one hit wonder is a generous term.

I can't recall the last time I read a book quite as annoyingly tedious as this. Although there is incident, Stoker’s turgid prose manages to suck all drama and excitement from it, so that the book basically becomes some boring people sitting around a house waiting for something to happen.

A few weeks back I criticised the Hammer Horror film, BLOOD FROM A MUMMY’S TOMB, which was based on this, for some tonal inconsistencies. But actually, that film is really interesting. Having now read the source material, I’m filled with wonder at its director/screenwriter for building something good on such bedrock.

Maybe Stoker sold his soul to the devil to be able to write DRACULA. Perhaps that was worth it. But he really should have asked for a two-book deal.


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[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, creepy 💀 .

[Bren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sólo había leído Drácula de este autor, a pesar de lo mucho que me gustó ese libro nunca tuve la curiosidad por leer alguno de sus otros libros, hasta ahora.

Si bien es verdad que el estilo es inconfundible, lo cierto es que este libro nada tiene que ver con Drácula que no sea ese terror fino.

En esta ocasión Stoker nos lleva a una historia relacionada con maldiciones de momias Egipcias, la verdad es que es bastante buena, si bien creo que es muy predecible hoy en día, no se que tanto podría haberlo sido en la época en que este libro fue escrito, sobre todo considerando que la maldición más conocida es la de Tutankamon y eso no sucedió sino varios años después de haberse escrito este libro.

Todo el libro me ha parecido extraordinario, la única parte que me ha costado un poco es un largo monólogo que hace el señor Trelawny, padre de Margaret cuando despierta de su estado catatónico, si bien la explicación que nos entrega este personaje es crucial para lo que viene en el libro, me ha resultada larga en exceso, pero no es más que parte del estilo tanto de este autor como de muchos de la época.

Contada en primera persona por Malcom Ross un abogado que se enamora de Margaret,vamos conociendo todo el relato de lo sucedido con el descubrimiento de una tumba Egipcia y sus consecuencias futuras.

La última frase de este libro es brutal

“ Tuve la suerte de que se me evitara el dolor de la esperanza”

Sin embargo el final me ha quedado a deber mucho, esperaba mucho más y mi imaginación no me ayuda, realmente esperaba otra cosa, no es que sea malo, es que es como si le hubieran faltado páginas o un epílogo, ya de menos.

Sin embargo, ha sido una delicia y leer nuevamente a Stocker a valido la pena

[Pulek · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Książka wprost skrojona dla miłośników Starożytnego Egiptu. Atmosfera przesycona niepokojem, tajemnica grobowców , mumii, ukradzionych artefaktów, ale też magią? Jednocześnie to kameralna historia rozgrywająca się w większości czasu w jednym mieszkaniu. Trzymała mnie w napięciu od pierwszych stron i fascynowała z każdym kolejnym rozdziałem. Odejmuje 0,5 oceny za mistyczne farmazony i przywiązywania zbyt dużego nacisku na wygląd niektórych postaci :) Moje pierwsze duże zaskoczenie tego roku :)

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, now I know why I'd never heard of any other Bram Stoker novels. Because this one is terrible. A mysterious attack on an Egyptologist leads a local judge and the victim's daughter into a previously unknown world featuring a supernatural mummy queen who will do anything to get back her titular jewel.

It's not that there aren't good parts to The Jewel of Seven Stars – it's just that the legitimately creepy parts of this novel (e.g., a disembodied seven-fingered hand that strangles people in their sleep) only serve to heighten the disappointment I felt as the plot unraveled (pun intended). It almost takes a perverse kind of talent to turn such an interesting concept into such a deadly dull story.

Add in a heaping dose of overbearing Victorian sexism and imperialism, and I was left hanging on for the final chapter to see what happened when the protagonists attempted to resurrect the mummy in question. I won't spoil anything, but suffice it to say I found it about as exciting as excavating a pyramid to find nothing but an empty shroud. This is a book best left consigned to be buried in the sands of literary history.

[EDIT to add that upon reading Cornelia's review, I apparently listened to the revised version of Stoker's ending, which as I said above was lacking, to say the least – and apparently written to satisfy squeamish editors and/or readers. Having now read the original ending, I can testify it is indeed much better – good enough to push this to a two-star novel. So still not great, but not as terrible as the version I ended up listening to. I've added the extra star because that was Stoker's original vision for this novel, and it seems unfair to penalize him for actions taken subsequent to its initial release.]

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems a little strange to me that Jewel of the Seven Stars is so much less well-known than Dracula. I mean, yes, it's managed to stay in print, and it's even been adapted into a couple of low-budget horror movies, but the book certainly isn't a household name (and neither are any of Stoker's other books, for that matter.)
However, it's every bit as entertaining and dramatic a read.
The narrator is summoned by a young woman in distress, a recent acquaintance of his whom he is quite taken with. His delight in her seeming interest is only slightly tempered by the situation - the woman, Margaret's, father has fallen mysteriously ill... or has possibly been violently attacked. Doctors and the law are summoned, but, starting with some strange instructions left to his lawyer, an occult web unravels, relating to the father's occupation as an Egyptologist. A tale emerges of the mummy of Tera, a beautiful queen and powerful sorceress of ancient Egypt, who sought to extend her power beyond the grave - but whether for good or for evil is unknown. But now, it may be that there will be no choice but to discover, for her spirit seems in some strange way entwined with that of the innocent Margaret, who was born at the very moment of the violation of Tera's tomb.
Apparently, when the book was first published in 1903, the publisher was unhappy with the ending, and in subsequent editions, a new "happier" ending was tagged on. My copy of the book contained the original ending, but I have to say, I wasn't that satisfied with it either - not because of it being "unhappy," but because it was too vague, leaving unanswered too many questions that the book set up as if answers were forthcoming. Still, overall, I found it to be very enjoyable.

[Anabel Samani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

La joya de las siete estrellas fue publicada en 1903, unos seis años después de Drácula, obra con la que comparte algunos rasgos que no comentaré para no dar pistas de cómo se desarrolla el argumento. No obstante, personalmente, no creo que alcance el nivel de la anterior obra de Stoker.

Si bien el comienzo de La joya de las siete estrellas es muy bueno, con abundancia de misterios y aventuras combinados de sabia forma con rasgos de la novela detectivesca, al avanzar el relato cambia, renuncia al tono detectivesco y se ve lastrado por explicaciones farragosas que se alargan y enredan en sí mismas, lo que lo lleva a perder una buena dosis de intensidad.

El final, por su parte, es inesperado, pero demasiado abrupto para resultar plenamente satisfactorio, al menos para algunos lectores, entre los que me encuentro. Sin entrar en detalle de qué ocurre en este desenlace, en la época en la que se publicó fue tan impactante que Stoker se vio obligado a escribir un final alternativo, más convencional.

Aunque no es una historia redonda, al menos para mí, no la desaconsejaría, y la recomendaría a quienes gustan de las novelas clásicas o de misterio, y sobre todo a los que gustan de combinar ambas, porque, si bien es posible que la novela se haga algo pesada en la segunda mitad, merece la pena conocerla. Además, tampoco faltan las opiniones que la colocan por encima de Drácula.

[Annie Machuca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intrigante pero el final no me terminó de convencer

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very curious to read another book by Bram Stoker, needless to say, I love Dracula. The Jewel of Seven Stars is a curious intriguing book. But it suffers from the pesky The Casual Vacancy syndrome, and is underrated, because, well - it's not Dracula.

Of course it isn't Dracula, but you can see it's the same writer. The switching of perspectives is smooth, we slip easily into two long stories - one by an old explorer when he first unearthed Queen Tera's tomb and the other by Mr. Trelawney's friend about their journeys through Egypt. Malcolm Ross's first person narration resembles Jonathan Harker's in its deep detailed descriptions. But I love how we have a very biased view of the story, partial to the admirable Margaret Trelawney whom the lawyer never doubts. We see every character through the almost self-deprecating eyes of Ross, who gives so little away about himself - we only know of his intellect and experience through the others' easy confidence in him. Stoker is good with characters in Dracula, and this is no less.

Another truly enchanting quality of the book is its mood. The atmosphere is rich with suspense and mythical exoticness. The glimpses into the old unfamiliar culture are evident not only through the travels to Egypt but in that antique quality possessed by the Trelawneys' house and lives.

The book questions belief and experimentation, questions science and skeptics, and contrasts the knowledge of the Old and New worlds. It also has a very feministic quality, and Margaret Trelawney is a remarkable character, comparable with Mina, if in nothing other than her strength.

What the book lacks is perhaps a coherent structure. The plot is confusing, its pace inconsistent. It almost feels as if not enough work went into it. And then there's the ending - abrupt, bizarre, surprising and actually effective. I don't think Stoker ever intended for Margaret's 'connection' with Queen Tera to be a secret - but even with only thirty pages left in the book, we find it hard to imagine what might happen next and when the ending does come it leaves us aghast - in a good way, if that's possible. Think: every Stephen King ending, it's so simple, you wouldn't have dreamt a whole book would built up to that. Now I prefer such an ending to an unexpected unlikely twist. But I can see how others wouldn't. Apparently: Stoker was forced to rewrite his disturbing, depressing ending to make it more appealing to the masses. (I wish he hadn't fallen for that.)

My copy had both endings. The first shocked me, so I tried the next. But: the alternate ending is mind-numbingly sappy, a fairy tale wrap-up so enormously disappointing, it spoils the overall effect of the book - like a delicious dessert with a bad after-taste, which makes you wish you hadn't eaten that thing in the first place.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, if you know what to expect. It's not outright horror, more a mix of dark fantasy, adventure and mystery. It's also not Dracula. If you do decide to read this, though, I'd suggest making sure you read the first ending, the one that Stoker originally intended. What you want is the 1903 version, which you can find here.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another classic Victorian Gothic tale from one of my favourite writers of the time and embraces everything I love about Stoker's style, characters and flare for story-telling. And as an added bonus it throws in a load of Egyptian mythology, the fascination of which I gladly share with the Victorians. The story follows Margaret Trelawney and Malcolm Ross as they try to unravel the mystery of what has happened to her father while they try to protect him from further harm by a mysterious presence that is only ever hinted at. As they do, they realise there is much more to the story than they first realised and that they are battling an ancient power beyond their comprehension. Told with Stoker's trademark character driven feelings this story gets beneath your skin and inside your head until you don't know what's real and what's not.

This volume has both the original ending as published in 1903 and the revised ending from 1912 (which may or may not have been written by Stoker himself, although I doubt it). Personally I prefer the original ending as it is more inkeeping with the story and with the genre. The 1912 version seems somewhat forced and false and doesn't sit as well with the overall tale. But fear not, you don't have to read the alternative (I'd possibly even advise against it).

[Ksenia Bliznets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Непогано, непогано. :) "Дракулу" я поки не читала, але вже запланувала до прочитання, бо й ця книжка цілком непогана. Вона легко й швидко читається, про деякі нюанси я здогадалася мало не з самого початку, та це враження не зіпсувало. Мені цікава тема єгипетських фараонів, їхніх поховань і загалом того періоду історії, тому сподобалася й обрана автором тема твору, й стиль автора, й обраний жанр - готичний роман. Кінцівка щоправда виявилася занадто романтичною і я б із задоволенням прочитала і перший похмуріший варіант "Самоцвіту семи зірок", який був дещо змінений разом із кінцівкою Бремом Стокером у 1912 році.

[Nada madhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

النهايتين ظلموا الرواية رغم أن النهاية الأولى تظل الأفضل .. وترجمة د. أحمد رائعة كالعادة
تبدأ أحداث الرواية بإستعانة مارجريت بالمحامي الذى لم تقابله الا مرة واحدة لنجدة والدها المحاط بالمومياوات والروائح العطرية النفاذة، وتدور الاحداث لإعادة بعث مومياء الملكة تيرا التى تشبه مارجريت إلى حد لا يُوصف إلى حد يبعث القلق فى النفوس...

[Doña libros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una momia egipcia y acontecimientos sobrenaturales, me gustó mucho sobre todo por el estilo que tiene Sroker para narrarlos.