Something in the Blood

Name: Something in the Blood
Brand: Unknown
SKU: 9781631493867
Price: 41.99 NZD
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The Untold Story of Bram Stoker, the Man Who Wrote Dracula

By David J. Skal

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Summary

Something in the Blood by David J. Skal is an insightful exploration of the life of Bram Stoker, delving into the experiences and influences that shaped the creator of Dracula. The biography examines Stoker's Victorian-era world, its artistic circles, and the gothic elements prevalent during his time, offering a comprehensive view of a figure often overshadowed by his legendary creation.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$41⁹⁹

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Something in the Blood

$41⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you're fascinated by the origins of Gothic horror, you might enjoy this in-depth exploration of Bram Stoker's life, which reveals the influences that shaped his iconic creation, Dracula. The book delves into Stoker's personal history and cultural context, offering a vivid portrait of Victorian society and the shadows that inspired his dark imagination.

Something in the Blood

A ground-breaking biography revealing the haunted origins of the man who created Dracula.

Description

An "essential examination" (New York Times Book Review), this revelatory biography exhumes the haunted origins of the man behind the immortal myth.

In this "sumptuous" (Publishers Weekly) portrait of the man who birthed an undying cultural icon, David J. Skal "pulls back the curtain to reveal the author who dreamed up this vampire" (Time).

A fascinating character whose own anxieties and obsessions were perfectly in tune with his late Victorian era (Boston Globe), Stoker's infirm childhood unfolds against a tableau of Victorian medical mysteries and horrors: cholera and famine fever, childhood opium abuse, frantic bloodletting, mesmeric quack cures, and the gnawing obsession with “bad blood” that pervades Dracula.

Stoker's ambiguous sexuality is explored through his passionate youthful correspondence with Walt Whitman, his adoration of the actor Sir Henry Irving, and his romantic rivalry with lifelong acquaintance Oscar Wilde—here portrayed as a stranger-than-fiction doppelgänger.

Recalling the psychosexual contours of Stoker's life and art in splendidly gothic detail, Something in the Blood is "a keepsake for any Dracula enthusiast" (Seattle Times) and the definitive biography for years to come.

16 pages of colour and 80 black-and-white illustrations

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

David J. Skal's biography of Bram Stoker is praised for its engaging and thorough exploration of Stoker's life and legacy, with reviewers highlighting its success in bringing new insights and uncovering hidden aspects of Stoker's world. Skal's extensive knowledge of literary and theatrical history enriches this "untold story", combining literary analysis with a detective-like investigation into Stoker's motivations. The book is noted for being both entertaining and richly illustrated, offering a well-rounded and informative depiction of Stoker, extending beyond his most famous creation, Dracula.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781631493867

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 October 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: Liveright Publishing Corporation

Illustration: 16 pages of color and 80 black-and-white illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 46.0mm

Width: 147.0mm

Height: 226.0mm

Weight: 905g

Pages: 672

Collections

Biography & Memoir David J. Skal Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction

About the Author

David J. Skal was one of the world’s preeminent authorities on Bram Stoker, Dracula, and monsters in popular culture. His book Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen (Norton, 1990) was hailed as “the ultimate book on Dracula” by Newsweek; The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror (Norton, 1993) has had multiple translations and is widely considered the standard historical and critical survey. As a filmmaker, he wrote, produced, and directed a dozen DVD and Blu-ray documentaries on Universal’s classic horror and science fiction films, as well as a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the Academy Award–winning film Gods and Monsters. Skal guest-lectured extensively at major colleges, universities, and cultural organizations in North America and Europe, with speaking engagements at sites such as the Huntington Library, the British Library, and the Musée du Louvre. He additionally taught courses based on his books at the University of Victoria and Trinity College Dublin, where he was also appointed a Long Room Hub Visiting Research Fellow for Something in the Blood: The Untold Story of Bram Stoker (Liveright, 2016), chosen by the Mystery Writers of America as a 2017 Edgar Award finalist for biography and criticism. His official website was monstershow.net.

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