Constructing Horror in Dracula

Bram Stoker¿s Dracula (1897) creates a set of horrors that elicit a range of disturbing interpretations from readers, and in turn the novel poses significant challenges for the shaping of stage and screen adaptations: it is however a durable and versatile cultural commodity. This work identifies the horrors of vampirism in Dracula and how these are constructed to engage with themes of sexuality, disease and race. It shows that Draculäs horrors are defamiliarizing, foreign and supernatural, yet came uncannily close to home for contemporary readers. It demonstrates the impact of the novel¿s violent and sexualized content, and ponderous epistolary form, on the process of adapting it for the stage. It also evidences the tradition of including a love-story component between vampire and victim, and how this impacts upon the construction of horror in film adaptations.