Dracula: The Novel & the Legend: A Study of Bram Stoker's Gothic Masterpiece

Vampire legends have repelled and attracted people throughout history, and Bram Stoker's 1897 novel based on those legends made Dracula into a popular figure. Here Leatherdale (Britain and Saudi Arabia 19251939) explores the folklore and superstitions surrounding the ""undead''traceable to Transylvanian Prince Vlad the Impaler, a particularly bloody fighter against the Turks during the 1400sand shows the role Christianity unwittingly played in furthering the myths. Noting the events and literary works that influenced Stoker, Leatherdale then considers the book itself, discussing its sexual symbolism, its psychoanalytical bases and the possibility that it is a Christian parody. A most intriguing look at a classic. November