The author of Dracula is Irish writer Bram Stoker. He wrote a fascinating story about the vampire count at the end of the 19th century. The book was first published in 1897. Today it is one of the most popular subjects of world literature.
The novel "Dracula"
The author of "Dracula" began work on the work back in 1890. It was then that the first images of the future immortal novel appeared before him. He came up with an old man, slowly rising from the tomb, and a girl who hugs a loved one and reaches for his throat to bite.
There is an initial version of this novel in which the main character remains anonymous, but he already has the title of count. At the same time, the action of the work did not develop in Romanian Transylvania, but in the Austrian land of Styria.
Already at the end of 1890 the concept of the novel changed. The author of "Dracula" Bram Stoker carefully studied East European folklore. There he found a book about the rulers of Wallachia and Moldova. It was from there that he meticulously wrote out all the information about the Wallachian prince Vlad Tepes, who became the prototype of the protagonist of the novel.
Also, some researchers claim that the author of "Dracula" decided to change the original plan after a meeting with the Hungarian local historian, the famous traveler Arminius Vamberi. It was he who told the writer about episodes of the history of the Subunavia.
According to another version, the author of the novel "Dracula" was influenced by a visit to the Scottish castle of Slanes. And Stocker's son claimed that his father's idea was born when he saw in a dream a vampire king rising from the tomb.
Description of the novel
Jonathan Harker, a novice lawyer from the English capital, comes to Transylvania. So begins the novel "Dracula". The author of the book describes the reasons for his business trip. Harker needs to complete a real estate deal for a local aristocrat named Dracula.
Earl acquires an abandoned abbey. He is immortal, therefore, he constantly needs new possessions. Dracula leaves Harker to three of his brides and leaves the castle in a box with his native land.
At this time, the lawyer’s bride comes to her friend Lucy, who lives in the coastal city of Whitby. A ship arrives there, on which there is not a single crew member, and the captain lies dead near the helm.
At this time, Lucy begins to lose a lot of blood. To help her, the groom Arthur Holmwood seeks help from Dr. Seward, who owns a clinic for the mentally ill.
Seward, meanwhile, is a curious patient. His name is Renfield. For an unknown reason, he eats spiders and flies and repeats that he is waiting for the arrival of his almighty master. Seward examines Lucy, but cannot figure out what is wrong with her. For consultation, he invites his colleague, Professor Van Helsing. He specializes in rare diseases. Van Helsing establishes that Lucy's affliction is connected with otherworldly forces. He makes her a blood transfusion, takes absolutely incomprehensible measures for the rest. For example, spreads garlic throughout her room. But all in vain. Lucy dies of an unexplained disease.
Letter from Harker
The bride of a young lawyer receives a letter from her fiance. It turns out that he spent a month and a half in a Budapest hospital in fever. She comes to him, the young people play a wedding and go home. At the same time, Harker is always in a depressed state. In London, he recognizes Count Dracula in one of the passers-by. The author of the book, Bram Stoker, talks about how strange things begin to happen after Lucy’s funeral. Newspaper reports of mysterious attacks on children that the "ghostly lady" bites on the neck.
The heroes of the novel discover an empty coffin in the grave of Lucy. It turns out that the girl became a vampire. Van Helsing is forced to kill her by piercing the heart with an aspen stake. Then he chopped off her head and stuffed her mouth with garlic. The professor realizes that Count Dracula is behind all this. At the moment, the vampire is hiding in Carfax Abbey, which he bought with the help of Harker.
Suddenly, the count attacks Mina and frees his slave Renfield.
Escape to Transylvania
From pursuers, Dracula is trying to hide in his ancestral estate in Transylvania. But the heroes of the novel follow him, seeking to punish evil.
Mina comes to the castle with the professor. Van Helsing deals with three count brides. At this time, men are trying to overtake a gypsy camp in which they carry a box with Dracula.
The decisive battle begins near the castle. Most gypsies die, Morris gets a mortal blow. The sunset is approaching - a time when vampires can gain all their strength. Literally moments before dark, Harker manages to open the box in which Dracula is located. With a special Gurkh dagger, he cuts a vampire's throat. Morris finishes, piercing the heart with a hunting knife.
Dracula in the blink of an eye turns to dust. And Morris calmly dies, surrounded by friends.
Count Dracula
The author of Count Dracula, Bram Stoker, describes his character as a creepy aristocrat who feeds on the blood of ordinary mortal people.
The generally accepted fact that Vlad Tepes became the prototype of the vampire. This is a real historical person. In history, he was also known as Dracula. In the literal translation from Romanian it means "dragon".
At the same time, characterizing this hero, many researchers urge not to associate a fictional character with a real ruler. Although a reservation about the alleged identity is even in the text of the novel itself. But in most versions of this chilling story, this subtlety is completely ignored.
Van Helsing
The main opponent of Dracula in the novel is Professor Van Helsing. He is a philosophical metaphysician, doctor of sciences. Specializes in the study of occultism. At the very beginning of the novel is in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam.
He comes to England to help cure Lucy Westenra, who is suffering from an unknown ailment. He is presented to the characters as a specialist in rare and mysterious diseases. It is Van Helsing who discovers signs of a vampire bite in Lucy's disease. This characterizes him as an astute and attentive researcher.
It is believed that the prototype of this character could be the Hungarian historian Arminius Wambury, who told Stoker a lot about Hungary and East European folklore.