Dracula by Bram Stoker Summary

Overview of Dracula

• The novel is written by Bram Stoker, published in 1897
• It's a horror novel that tells the story of Count Dracula, a vampire

Plot Summary

• Jonathan Harker, a lawyer's clerk, travels to Transylvania to finalize a contract with Count Dracula
• Dracula is a strange and evil man who wants to buy a house in England
• Jonathan discovers Dracula's true nature and tries to escape
• Meanwhile, Lucy, a friend of Mina (Jonathan's girlfriend), becomes mysteriously ill after an encounter with something strange in her garden
• Doctor Seward writes to Professor Van Helsing, an expert in vampire lore, for help

Characters

• Count Dracula: a vampire who moves from Transylvania to England
• Jonathan Harker: a lawyer's clerk who travels to Transylvania to finalize a contract with Dracula
• Mina: Jonathan's girlfriend
• Lucy: Mina's friend who becomes a vampire
• Doctor Seward: a doctor who seeks help from Professor Van Helsing
• Professor Van Helsing: an expert in vampire lore who helps defeat Dracula

Key Events

• Lucy becomes a vampire after being bitten by Dracula
• Van Helsing and his companions kill Lucy with a wooden stake and beheading
• Dracula infects Mina, who becomes a vampire
• Van Helsing and his companions chase Dracula across Europe to his castle and kill him, saving Mina

About the Author

• Bram Stoker was born in Clontarf, Ireland in 1847
• He was sickly as a child but excelled in athletics and academics
• He worked as a drama critic and became friends with Henry Irving, a Shakespearean actor
• He wrote several novels, including Dracula, and died in London in 1912