Dracula

by Bram Stoker, Stephanie Spinner (Adapter)

String garlic by the window and hang a cross around your neck! The most powerful vampire of all time returns in our Stepping Stone Classic adaption of the original tale by Bran Stoker. Follow Johnathan Harker, Mina Harker, and Dr. Abraham van Helsing as they discover the true nature of evil. Their battle to destroy Count Dracula takes them from the crags of his castle to the streets of London... and back again.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Supernatural

96 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 1982

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

[Arctic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series of chapter books for early readers wanting high interest stories.

[Olivia B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was the real Dracula but with pictures. Honestly it is pretty good if I thought it was the real Dracula. 2-stars because it is a children’s book in hindsight. Now I’m ready for big-girl dracula

[Diana Achter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adapted for a younger audience. I had checked out this one thinking it was the original. Discovered it wasn’t, so checked the original from Libby. But I read this one as well.

[Nik Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book when I was around 8. It was the same book, but a different cover. I loved it then and I love it now.

[Lightsey]

I remember a girl on the bus in middle school reading this book. Apparently that's when you should, because as an adult I just can't take Dracula seriously. Pace Joan Acocella (writing in The New Yorker), this is ridiculous. It analyzes itself. . . Van Helsing is so clearly Stoker's Mary Sue. . . and there's all that goo about the blood of four strong men mixing in Lucy--which Dracula of course slurps right up--and later they'll have to impale him. . . trace the relations! I mean, it's silly.

[Zeyu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is good book, it is about vampire. Although it is about vampire, it is interesting story. Now I am reading.....

[Diosanubiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great book, short and easy to read. Everybody could read it almost three days

[Abdulaziz Nasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved the Dracula story, this version isn’t bad at all, somehow it’s a short version of the original Dracula story. But I liked it.

[maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky thriller full of twists and turns! This classic book is sure to send shivers up your spine and stay there until the end of this book. I personally hope Dracula never returns!

[Chelsea]

Good God this is a terrible adaptation. I'm glad I read it before trying to use it in class like I was hoping...

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy and quick read with the main plot points of Dracula. It was entertaining and I enjoyed the art work. I would definitely recommend this to others!