This book provides a detailed and well-researched account of Vlad Dracula's life, from his early days to his multiple reigns and his battles against the Ottoman Turks. The authors explore various interpretations of Dracula's character, including views from German Catholics, Russians, and Romanians. The book also discusses the historical context and the impact of Dracula's actions on Eastern European history, as well as his legacy and how he was portrayed in different cultures and literature, including Bram Stoker's novel.
The novel tells the story of Count Dracula, a vampire who moves from Transylvania to England to spread terror and create more vampires. The story begins with Jonathan Harker, an English solicitor, who travels to Transylvania to finalize the sale of a property to Count Dracula. Upon discovering Dracula's true nature, Harker barely escapes with his life. Dracula then travels to England, where he targets Harker's fiancée, Mina, and her friend Lucy. A group of characters, including Professor Van Helsing, Dr. John Seward, and Quincey Morris, band together to hunt down and destroy Dracula. The novel explores themes of good vs. evil, modernity vs. tradition, and the fears and anxieties of the Victorian era, including immigration, sexual desire, and the role of women in society.
**For this HTW special feature, Sally interviews director Robert Eggers about his new historically inspired film, Nosferatu.**
Winter, 1476. Vlad III is a prince in Wallachia, in present-day Romania. He is a violent man, so violent that he earns the nickname "Vlad the Impaler." He also has another name that he inherited from his father: Dracula.
Dracula is constantly fighting for his crown, but today, that fight will come to an end. His headless body will be discovered in a marsh, stuck down by his enemies. But his legend will live on.
Dracula pops up in stories throughout Europe over the next few centuries, until author Bram Stoker decides to combine this legend with the latest fictional craze, vampires. His book, Dracula, becomes the king of the genre. It inspires numerous adaptations, including a silent film called Nosferatu. It's considered one of the most important horror movies in history.
Over 100 years later, director Robert Eggers has reimagined the original Nosferatu and adapted it for a modern audience. In a conversation with Eggers, we asked, how did he make a blood-sucking monster feel like a historical figure? And where do vampires fit into our lives today?
Special thanks to Robert Eggers, director of Nosferatu. We also used a great book to help research this episode, Dracula: Prince of Many Faces, by Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally.
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