Bram Stoker

Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847 - 1912)

Unbiased information?

Information about Stoker's life varies between biographers. The inconsistencies tend to highlight bias on the part of the writer. Do they want to argue that Stoker was naturally drawn to horror and mystery or do they highlight his rationalism? The tension between the extremes matches the tension that many find between rationalism and the unknown that exist in Stoker's own work.

Early Life

Stoker was born in County Dublin, Ireland in 1847 and spent much of his early childhood as a bed-bound invalid. Many of the accounts of this time mention that his mother would entertain him with old Irish fairy tales and horrific stories, which may have been influenced by the cholera she witnessed in Sligo in the 1830s. Because of his illness, he was educated at home with a tutor. Eventually Stoker recovered physically and grew to the unexpected height of 6'2. Stoker even became a successful football player, playing at Trinity College in Dublin, where he received a degree in Mathematics (Britannica.com).

Clerk Stoker

Stoker's studies at Trinity prepared him for a career in the Irish Civil Service, which his father encouraged. Stoker authored his first book during this time: The Duties Of Clerks Of Petty Sessions In Ireland, which essentially was a manual and guide for those in his position in the Civil Service. He worked for ten years in this position, while also serving as the unpaid drama critic for the Dublin Mail. It was in this capacity that he attended a performance by Henry Irving in 1876, which moved Stoker to tears. Impressed by the young man, Irving invited Stoker to call the next day and the two began a long and complex relationship.

Irving's Right Hand

After working for Irving part-time for two years, Stoker joined Irving full-time in London in 1878. Stoker managed not only Irving's personal affairs as his private secretary, but was the business manager of the Lyceum Theatre. He remained in the position until Irving's death in 1905.

The position demanded an incredible amount of work and in his own words Stoker reported that he wrote in Irving's name "nearer half a million than a quarter of a million letters." He thrived in his bureaucratic role at the theatre. Stoker was responsible for day-to-day operations, including the theatre accounts, execution and planning for national and international tours (including travel arrangements for sets, costumes, and the 50+person company), and arrangements for the grand parties Irving regularly hosted after performances in in a large Gothic parlour called the Beefsteak Room backstage at the Lyceum.

The job with Irving left Stoker with very little time to himself. His notes and drafts of Dracula were written on notepapers headed from various hotels and often seem to have been written on the run between obligations or when he was on leave. There is some suggestion that aspects of Dracula's character were influenced by the powerful and demanding Irving. When the novel was adapted to play form, Stoker had hopes that Irving himself would play the role.

An unhappy marriage?

Frequently termed a "celebrated beauty" by historians, actress Florence Balcombe married Bram Stoker in 1878. She famously dated Oscar Wilde before her marriage and broke off her engagement with him to marry Stoker. (For more of the account: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2016/10/28/something-blood-part-2/)

Grand-nephew to Stoker, Daniel Farson, reported in his biography of Stoker that Florence was cold and aloof. Another family member reported: "She was cursed with her great beauty and the need to mainatin it. In my knowledge now, she was very anti-sex. After having my father in her early twenties, I think she was quite put off." (See Farson's The Man Who Wrote Dracula)

Although Florence and Stoker had what some termed a platonic marriage, after his death she went to great lengths to protect his work and engaged in a battle to prevent the distribution of the film Nosferatu, which she asserted infringed on Stoker's copyright. She won the legal battle, but a few copies remained, which you can view today.

A nightmare turned into a novel

By all reports, Stoker was a grounded, hearty, meticulous red-bearded giant who was at home with his ledger, which made his authorship of the novel a bit of a surprise to those that knew him. But a nightmare in March 1890 inspired Stoker to begin writing what would become one of Harker's journal entries in Transylvania. Although the book developed slowly over the next seven years, the inspiration remained clearly in the text.

The nightmare from Stokers' notes: " Young man goes out, sees girls -- one tries to kiss him not on the lips but throat. Old Count interferes - rage & fury diabolical - this man belongs to me I want him."

Stoker first began to develop the story on a family holiday to Whitby, where Mina and Lucy would first encounter Dracula. Stoker based the ghost ship story in the novel on the real ship, the Dmitry, that had run aground in Whitby. The story of the wild black dog is sourced from Whitby legend and, most notably, Stoker's trip to the local library provided a book of experiences by William Wilkinson, a former British consul to what is now Romania. Inside the Wilkinson described a leader named Vlad Tepes who impaled his enemies. He was known as Dracula – the ‘son of the dragon’. According to Wilkinson:

"Dracula in the Wallachian language means Devil. The Wallachians at that time … used to give this as a surname to any person who rendered himself conspicuous either by courage, cruel actions, or cunning."

Stoker's notes from this visit record the information, as well as the date. In Stoker's previous notes, the character had been named "Count Wampyr", but the visit to Whitby had a profound effect on the story.

Further research in the British Museum helped Stoker ground the story and, thanks to a lead from a Hungarian friend, Stoker utilized the museum's information on vampire folklore, Vlad Tepes the Impaler, and Emily Gerard's travel book about Transylvania: The Land Beyond the Forest.

Irving himself served as one of Stoker's inspirations for the character of Dracula. Critics have made comparisons between their imposing and domineering personalities, as well their physical descriptions.

Dracula - published at last

Published in May 1897, Dracula received mixed reviews. Some critics found the novel disturbing and a sign of the dissolute times. Others delighted in the blood and drama of the piece. Although received multiple printings, the novel was not a large financial success for Stoker. The original play adaptation was not well received, and Irving, who played the Count in the production, refused to continue to produce it.

The Final Years

After the closure of the Lyceum and Irving's death, Stoker's fortunes fell. He suffered a stoke, which affected his financial health as well. Friends often discretely loaned the family money to help smooth their way. Stoker died in April 1912. Officially the cause of death was listed as "Exhaustion", but some historians have analyzed the accompanying symptoms as being linked to syphilis. However, there is no proof of the diagnosis.

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