Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Book Review - The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker

About the Book
Recently a long-lost journal belonging to Dracula author Bram Stoker was discovered in his great-grandson Noel’s dusty attic.The text of this extraordinary lost journal, written between 1871 and 1881, mostly in his native Dublin, will captivate scholars of Gothic literature and Dracula fans alike.

Painstakingly transcribed and researched, the journal offers intriguing new insights into the complex nature of the man who wrote Dracula more than one hundred years ago. Assisted by a team of scholars and Stoker historians, Dacre Stoker and Professor Elizabeth Miller neatly connect the dots between the contents of the journal and Bram Stoker’s later work, most significantly Dracula.

Until now, discussion of the very private Bram Stoker has, by necessity, been largely speculative. Other than names and dates provided by biographers, and Bram Stoker’s own sparse self-revelation in his non-fiction, little has been available to support character studies of this fascinating Victorian gentleman. His personal journal shows Stoker’s private thoughts and his developing style, and is a veritable treasure trove of oddities, musings and anecdotes.

About the Editors
Elizabeth Miller, Professor Emeritus at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, is one of the world’s foremost experts on Bram Stoker and Dracula. She has published several books, and lectures in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. She is managing editor of the Journal of Dracula Studies, and lives in Toronto.

Dacre Stoker is the great grandson of Bram Stoker’s youngest brother, Dr George Stoker. Co-author of the sequel to Dracula, entitled Dracula the Un-Dead (2009), Dacre is a member of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula and the Horror Writers’ Association. He lives in South Carolina.

My Take on the Book
I read Dracula number of years ago and simply love the story as well as the writing of this author. When I heard about this journal I was quite excited to get inside the mind of the author himself. The way in which the editors shared this author allows the reader to truly understand him so much better than you ever could have it any other writings about him that are out on the market today ( at least that I've seen). The book was quite easy to read and very insightful. I enjoyed the interspersed interjections of the editors in the story as well as it helps to clarify some of things that you read in this text. The text also gives you a much better glimpse into the family dynamic in which this author was raised which again allowed me to better understand some of things that Stoker had wrote in the past. All-in-all this was a great book that I would highly recommend to all!


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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