Dracula

6b Bram Stoker. London: Westminster, 1897. First Edition Second Impression.

Notes

Dracula, first published in 1897, is the iconic Gothic novel by Bram Stoker telling the story of Count Dracula and his attempt to spread vampirism from Transylvania to England. Structured through letters, journals, and documents, the novel reflects late Victorian anxieties surrounding science, disease, sexuality, and the fear of foreign invasion. Emerging at a time when concerns about immigration, degeneration, and the spread of illness—such as tuberculosis and other infectious diseases—were prominent, Dracula channels these cultural tensions into a narrative of invasion and contamination. Its blend of folklore, modern technology, and psychological unease helped define the vampire myth for generations and secured its lasting place in literary and popular culture.

Bram Stoker (1847–1912) was an Irish writer and theatre manager whose life experiences and environment significantly shaped his most famous work. Raised in Dublin during a period of social and political change, and later working in London’s theatrical world under the famed actor Henry Irving, Stoker was exposed to both the dramatic arts and a wide range of intellectual influences. His interest in European folklore, travel, and contemporary scientific thought informed the construction of Dracula, while the era’s broader concerns about empire, morality, and the unknown are reflected throughout the novel. Though he wrote several works, it is Dracula that ensured his enduring legacy, establishing him as a central figure in the development of Gothic and horror literature.

Description 

Original yellow canvas binding with red lettering to covers and spine. Significant sun fading to spine with lettering largely deteriorated. Fraying to head and foot of spine as well as edges and points. Bowed points. Some foxing in margins and wear to edges of pages but all intact and no tearing. Fogging to boards. Upper hinge visible through pages. Fair condition overall.