Bram's Dracula

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Born in Dublin in 1847 Abraham Stoker, his name shortened to Bram in his childhood. Due to a mysterious illness, Bram spent most of his time in bed from birth until he was about seven years old. The illness left him as mysteriously as he had come. He went to Trinity College in 1864 where he studied history, mathematics, and physics. He excelled in football, did well in his studies, and left with honors. He worked as a civil servant for several years but it was a boring job and in 1878 he moved to London. He took a position as manager to Sir Henry Irving, a renowned and flamboyant actor. He had written a very positive review of Irving about his portrayal of Hamlet and this is how they met. They went on to have a long-running love-hate relationship until Irving's death. He also married Florence Valcom at that time and they had one son. Stoker also wrote articles and even wrote a two-volume memoir about their relationship. Oddly he wrote several articles on the need to sensor unwholesome literature and yet went on to write this now-famous horror tale. Bram Stoker did seven years of research before writing Dracula which was published in 1897. This was the Victorian Age when there were strict morals on the outside with button-up-to-the-chin respectability and life screamed of sexual repression. Manners and etiquette of the times meant that passion couldn't be expressed. But, it sure could be written about. The subject of the vampire actually started with John Polidori's The Vampyre in 1819. His story was about a mysterious aristocratic-type gentleman who preyed on lovely young women of Victorian society. Stoker just elaborated on this storyline. His book is legendary and its story has been used in the film for decades. Its a gruesome but very readable story of a monstrous character who feeds on human blood. It has become one of the most famous horror stories of all time. Right along with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The Gothic novel is the direct predecessor of modern horror fiction which is thriving up to this very day. Bram Stoker died on April 20,1912. The picture is from Wiki free downloads.