Bram Stoker’s Notes for Dracula

Bram Stoker’s initial notes and outlines for his landmark horror novel Dracula were auctioned at Sotheby’s in London in 1913 and eventually made their way to the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia, where they are housed today. Until now, few of the 124 pages have been transcribed or analyzed. This painstaking work reproduces the handwritten notes both in facsimile and in annotated transcription. It also includes Stoker’s typewritten research notes and thoroughly analyzes all of the materials, which range from Stoker’s thoughts on the novel’s characters and settings to a nine-page calendar of events that includes most of the now-familiar story. Ample annotations guide readers through the construction of the novel and the changes that were made to its structure, plot, setting and characters. Nine appendices provide insight into Stoker’s personal life, his other works and his early literary influences.

The late Bram Stoker was an Irish writer of novels and short stories and the business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London.

Robert Eighteen-Bisang, owner of the world’s largest private collection of vampire books, is an authority on Dracula and vampire literature. A member of the Horror Writers Association, he lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Elizabeth Miller, professor emeritus (Memorial University of Newfoundland), is recognized internationally as a leading Stoker and Dracula scholar. She lectures regularly on both sides of the Atlantic and has published several books. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Bram Stoker

Annotated and Transcribed by Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Elizabeth Miller

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 342
Bibliographic Info: 124 photo facsimiles, annotations, 16 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, indexes
Copyright Date: 2013 [2008]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7730-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1418-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Foreword by Michael Barsanti      1
Introduction      3
Methodology      7

Bram Stoker’s Original Foundation Notes & Data for His “Dracula”
Part I: Handwritten Notes on the Plot      13
Part II: Handwritten Research Notes (“‘Dracula’ Notes, etc.”)      119
Part III: Typed Research Notes (“‘Dracula’ Notes. etc.”)      199

Overview      275
The Myth of Dracula      291

Appendices:
I. The Rosenbach Page Numbers      295
II. Bram Stoker: A Brief Biography      299
III. Bram Stoker: A Brief Bibliography      301
IV. Bram Stoker’s Nonfiction Sources for Dracula      304
V. “Vampire” from the Encyclopædia Britannica (1888)      306
VI. Possible Literary Influences      309
VII. Bram Stoker’s Library      313
VIII. Dracula: The Novel vs. the Notes      315
IX. Dracula: The Novel We Could Have Read      318

Works Cited      321
Index of Bram Stoker’s Original Notes (as Transcribed)      325
Index of Editors’ Annotations      328

• Lord Ruthven Award — International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts
• Best Book of the Year—Famous Monsters of Filmland
• “The book is a thing of beauty…a serious book…is a real treasure…an amazing variety of material. Both authors are experts in vampire lore…a scholarly, well-organized and aesthetically pleasing marvel of a reference…a must-read”—macabreink.com
• “It is a tool to study the birth of a literary classic…invaluable…stir the imagination and cast new light on a beloved tale”—Rue Morgue
• “Valuable and enthralling examination”—The Tomb of Dark Delights
• “Fascinating…a must”—Midwest Book Review; “meticulous research…an extraordinary work of scholarship”—Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts
• “A very interesting compilation…a very interesting look into the creative process”—Critical Mass
• “Recommend[ed]”—Vampire Empire
• “Essential…a must-have companion piece”—www.vampyres.ca
• “Invaluable source. Both thumbs up on this book”—Patricia’s Vampire Notes
• “With the wonderful annotations and insights of the coauthors you can picture yourself looking over Bram’s shoulder as he works. The painstaking work and detail put into this book is mind boggling and was surely a labor of love…exceptional…the absolute must companion piece for Bram Stoker’s epic tale. A mind boggling journey through Bram Stoker’s handwritten notes. A must book to own if you own Dracula”—Famous Monsters of Filmland
• “I cannot help but imagine the array of new scholarship this book will engender. Given the limited number of texts that deal directly with Stoker’s Notes, this book will certainly expand an already thriving field of study to new possibilities, making it an invaluable addition to any collection”—Studies in the Fantastic
• “A great job organizing and laying out the progression of the notes, it will be the benchmark for all researchers and fans alike”—Dacre Stoker, (Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew); “Eighteen-Bisang…may well be the world’s leading authority on Dracula”—The Republic of East Vancouver Newspaper
• “Fascinating in-depth view”—Vampyres