Bram Stoker 1847-1912
Abraham `Bram
Stoker was born, one of four brothers, in Clontarf , Ireland three
miles north of Dublin where his father Abraham Snr was a Civil Servant.
A sickly child Stoker spent his formative years mainly bedridden
and was unable to walk until he was seven years old. His mother,
Charlotte, would sit at his bedside and regale him with Ghost Stories,
tales of folklore and the very real Cholera epedemic of 1832 in
her native Town of Sligo. She told of dead or infected victims of
this Plaque-like contagion. How bodies were pushed into Ditches
or shallow Graves with Long Poles. She recounted how the ensuing
famine forced people to drink the Blood from their own Animals and
Livestock. This rather gory imagery made a big impression on Stoker.
His imagination, Stokers only faculty in his years of incapacity,
was fired. This is generally acknowledged to have kindled Stokers
interest in the macabre and terror fiction directly influencing
his short story `The Invisible Giant. Not necessarily because
of all this Stoker went on to make a complete recovery from his
strange and largely unexplained malady eventually excelling in Athletics
and becoming a `Genial Giant at 6 2 in height.
He was born,
one of four brothers, in Clontarf , Ireland three miles north of
Dublin where his father Abraham Snr was a Civil Servant. A sickly
child Stoker spent his formative years mainly bedridden and was
unable to walk until he was seven years old. His Mother, Charlotte,
would sit at his bedside and regale him with Ghost Stories, tales
of folklore and the very real Cholera epedemic of 1832 in her native
Town of Sligo. She told of dead or infected victims of this Plaque
like contagion. How bodies were pushed into Ditches or shallow Graves
with Long Poles. She recounted how the ensuing famine forced people
to drink the Blood from their own Animals and Livestock. This rather
gory imagery made a big impression on Stoker. His imagination, Stokers
only faculty in his years of incapacity, was fired. This is generally
acknowledged to have kindled Stokers interest in the macabre and
terror fiction directly influencing his short story `The Invisible
Giant. Not necessarily because of all this Stoker went on
to make a complete recovery from his strange and largely unexplained
malady eventually excelling in Athletics and becoming a `Genial
Giant at 6 2 in height.
The year 1863
found Stoker successfully studying Mathematics and Sciences at Trinity
College, Dublin where he also became a lively member of the College
Philosophical Society. This eminent and highly esteemed Student
fraternity discussed wide ranging Topics from Poetry, sensationalist
issues in Society , works of fiction and aspects of Womens
Liberation then fiercely coming in to vogue. Stoker eagerly joined
and even initiated various debates within the society eventually
becoming its President. It was around this time that Stoker first
became aware of the American Poet Walt Whitman whose book `Leaves
Of Grass was garnering a somewhat divided critical appraisal
within the College. Whitmans Poetry, which dealt with themes
of Sex and Friendship, was heavily censored and highly controversial
for the time. In spite of this a faction of Trinity students began
championing Whitmans Poetry and Stoker jumped on the Bandwagon
becoming a devoted Fan of and entering into a lasting correspondence
with the Poet which lead to them eventually meeting. Stokers letters
to Whitman were incredibly soul bearing and personal with a homoerotic
element leading future biographers to speculate on his sexuality.
The relationship has parallels with modern day Pop Star fan culture
as did his subsequent career with Henry Irving. Challenged with
the allegation of Homosexuality Stoker would have been horrified
and outraged.
Stoker graduated
in 1870 and followed in his Fathers footsteps and became a Civil
Servant at Dublin Castle. The work was dull and repetitive but it
was here that Stoker wrote his first book `The Duties Of Clerks
Of Petty Sessions In Ireland. Basically the Book is a manual
detailing procedure and the dos and donts of his own
occupation. While collectable it is fair to say that this tome is
not quite as riveting a read as Dracula.
As an antidote
to the drudgery of the nine to five day job Stoker began to frequent
the Queens Theatre in Dublin as a freelance writing and submitting
reviews to the Dublin Evening Mail. One such review, in 1876 , was
for a performance of Hamlet starring a touring Henry Irving. The
gushing appraisal caught the eye of Irving who, suitably flattered,
asked to meet its author. Stoker and Irving met for dinner and a
firm friendship was struck. At a further meeting Irving decided
to impress his new friend by reciting Thomas Hoods poem of Murder
and Revenge `The Dream Of Eugene Aram. The performance was
so apparently overpowering that at its end Irving fainted
and Stoker collapsed into a fit of hysterics. This cemented the
relationship and within two years Stoker had resigned his post at
Dublin Castle and was working for Irving in London.
Henry Irving,
real name John Henry Brodribb, was born in 1838 and grew up in Cornwall.
Starting work as a Clerk in London he went on to become the first
actor to be Knighted. Sir Henry Irving was one of the long line
of `Grand Actors , the Laurence Olivier of his time, whose
head was always above the clouds. He deemed every other profession,
art form or vocation beneath him and aspired to be treated like
royalty. Such was Irvings conceitedness that his one marriage
to Florence OCallaghan abruptly ended, after a triumphant
first night performance of `The Bells when she dared to ridicule
his profession.
Irving had
big ideas. Not content with being the greatest Actor of his generation
he wanted to own his own Theatre. He took the Lease out on the Lyceum
and asked Stoker to be his Acting Manager. This was a big decision
for Stoker who had just got married to society beauty Florence Balcombe
an ex-girlfriend of Oscar Wilde. Not only would he be giving up
a secure position with the Civil Service but also the Pension that
went with it. The ever impressionable Stoker , however, was besotted
with Irving and the Actor was able to woo him into compliance. Stoker
with his new Wife in tow moved to London and a new life. It was
the fall of 1878 and Stoker would work for Irving for nearly twenty
seven years.
Stoker threw
himself into his new occupation. Irving abrogated all his administrative
responsibility for the running of the Lyceum Theatre leaving it
all to Stoker. His duties were copious including Letter writing,
sometimes up to 100 a day, the Theatre accounts, salaries and even
a hand in selecting prospective plays with suitably hammy roles
for the Grand Actor to play. Stoker even made all the arrangements
for national and international tours dealing with the logistics
of transporting Stage sets, Costumes and the Cast and Crew of the
not inconsiderable Lyceum company. All of which left Irving free
to stroke his enormous ego.
There were
compensations however. All the London Glitterati, the `Beautiful
People of the day flocked to the Lyceum open nights. Poets
like Alfred Lord Tennyson , politicians like former Prime Minister
William Gladstone and the writer Oscar Wilde to name but a few all
rubbed shoulders with Stoker. After the performance Irving, Stoker
and whatever visiting luminaries would adjourn to the Beefsteak
Room at the Lyceum Theatre to eat, talk and make merry long into
the early hours of the morning. Occasionally Stoker would remember
that he had a Wife and family and go home, if he could recall where
home was.
Amazingly Stoker
found the time to do a bit of writing on the side and published
nine books in the years he worked for Irving. The first was a collection
of weird short stories for Children called `Under The Sunset
(1881) and was followed by a series of novels such as `The Snakes
Pass (1890), `The Watters Mou(1895) and `The Mystery
Of The Sea (1902). These like all Stokers fiction were routine
romances featuring Gallant men coming to the aid of Maidens in peril
written in a rather laboured prose none of which are considered
classics. There was one exception to the rule however and it came
out in 1897. Originally intended to be called `The Undead
the title was changed at the last minute just prior to publication
and was renamed `Dracula.
Researched
and written over a seven year period (1890-1897) this novel became
the Horror novel to which all other Horror novels are judged. The
story of a Vampire, Dracula, struggling to find victims in his native
superstitious Transylvania who relocates to London in search of
fresh blood works on several levels. A typical Stoker romantic adventure
which contains scenes steeped in wildly sexual innuendo lost, pre
Sigmund Freud, on most Victorians. Stoker consulted books on Folklore,
Werewolves and even European Rail timetables to give his book verisimilitude.
There is also the sense of the old meeting the new as Stoker imbues
the novel with the latest technology such as the first voice recording
Phonograph and an early Typewriter. `Dracula, although well
received on initial publication, would not come into its own until
the advent of the Twentieth Century Movie Industry where along with
Mary Shelleys `Frankenstein it would become establishment
itself and the subject of at least two hundred Films. Perhaps coming
to a Cinema near you soon is `King Kong versus .Dracula or
even `Alien versus Dracula`.
Henry Irving
died in 1905 and effectively forced Stoker into Retirement. Their
relationship had become strained after Irving had sold the Lyceum
Theatre against Stokers advice. The occupation that Stoker had lived
for was now over. Nowadays most of this aspect of his life is now
forgotten as most discussions about Stoker revolve around `Dracula,
`Dracula, and `Dracula.
Although suffering
a Stroke in 1906 Stoker continued writing. A Biography of Irving
came first followed by the novels `The Lady Of The Shroud` and the
very bizarre `The Lair Of The White Worm. Stoker died in 1912
the same week that the Titanic sank.
While the name
Bram Stoker is still relatively unknown his fictional creation `Count
Dracula un-lives on and remains one of the most popular cultural
icons of modern times. On the surface the novel appears to be a
typical good guys versus bad guys yarn with the cliché of
a damsel in distress thrown in. More in depth reading reveals, like
a Palimpsest, layers of eroticism and dreamlike imagery of Sex and
Death that border on the Pornographic. All of which was probably
lost on Stoker himself. Maybe he saw it as just another romantic
adventure of tragedy and Gallantry with a Large role, if staged,
for Irving to sink his Teeth in (forgive the pun). If he read it
today, post Freudian analysis, would he be horrified and withdraw
it from publication?
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