Mel has lent me her students’ edition of Dracula. It’s a
book I’ve always wanted to read, having always been a fan of cloaks, bats, Bela
Lugosi and children of the night (and the music they make, of course.)
So I read the academic preface, and guess what. According to
the academics, it isn’t a gothic horror story at all. It’s about female
emancipation and Victorian attitudes to homosexuality. And Count Dracula is
based on Oscar Wilde.
That’s according to the academics. Maybe it’s because all
they have to declare is their genius.
3 comments:
Oh, i've read several 'theories' and analysis of this book but never heard that one before. I've read explanations of the book stating that Stoker was a bit off his rocker or a bit twisted. Why can't these academics just let a book be about what its about? Some times a cigar...
Its a good book. If i stretch my imagination enough i can perhaps get the emancipation of the Victorian woman bit. I have a book called Mad Woman in the Attic, the Woman Writer in the 18th/19th Century, or something like that that analysis and critiques such things. Now i'm interested to see if Dracula is mentioned in it, (it discusses women in fiction by men a little, too.)
When you read it, note that Stoker wrote it to be a contemporary novel. So it has first person accounts on all the newest technology. If it was written today it would have been in txts and forums and e-mail. (That's not a slur, actually; I'd like to see someone write a gripping and inventive novel using on-line media.)
The reason it held such horror for the Victorians was that this was an ancient menace, intruding into their safe and modern word.
Andrea: It raises again the question I've posed before: how much do you need to understand the author in order to understand his/her fiction? I think it varies with the individual. You know my theory about Wuthering Heights.
Beverley: Maybe the last sentence gives the clue as to why some of the locals here regard me with suspicion. I just read a bit about your Mr Fuqua, by the way. I think he should have a little blog post.
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