Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Horror novelist Skal presents various 19th- and 20th-century interpretations of everyone's favorite black-cloaked bloodsucker. Featured here are Bram Stoker's Victorian thriller, Max Shreck in the German expressionist film Nosferatu and Bela Lugosi on stage and screen as Count Dracula. Illustrated. (Oct.)no PW review
Library Journal
It could be argued that Dracula is a mediocre novel which led to a dismal play, which was revised into an average play, all of which led to a so-so film, followed by many less-than-good sequels and imitations. Obviously the vampire theme connects with something primal in humans, or it would have been forgotten long ago. Horror novelist Skal ( Antibodies , Congdon & Weed, 1988) is primarily interested in Dracula from Stoker to Lugosi, although he touches briefly on earlier and later incarnations of the character, as well as the psychological underpinnings for its popularity. Of particular interest is his description of a superior Spanish-language version of the 1931 film, shot on the same sets but with a different cast and director. Hollywood Gothic is pricey, but well written and attractively designed. For larger film collections.-- John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
From the Publisher
Tracks Transylvania's most popular vampire with dry wit and the skills of a fine detective.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Witty, comprehensive . . . For those who take Halloween seriously, this is something to gnaw on long after those trick-or-treaters are gone.” —The Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Meticulously researched, engagingly written and packed with rare, archival images . . . The history of Dracula reads like a novel itself.” —The San Francisco Bay Guardian
