Dracula is a Gothic romance written by Bram Stoker (1847 - 1912) and published in 1897. Though Dracula and vampires are probably best known today through films, the book's portrayal of these characters is considerably different than the moving pictures. The story is written as a series of letters, newspaper clippings, and journal entries compiled by Mina Harker as an aide to Van Helsing and company in their hunt for Dracula. It begins with Jonathan Harker's journal as he goes to meet Dracula, a wealthy man wanting to purchase property in London, and develops as Harker and company uncover the strange truth of Dracula's true person.
The character Dracula is also different than commonly thought of: he's a hairy, mustached man, with a wolfish demeanor who's constantly referred to as childish and unholy by Van Helsing; a far retreat from the dapper, ancient sensuality of modern vampires. The story does, however, have a variety things for the reader to think about such as sexuality, gender roles, capitalism, immigration, and homophobia, all of which can be found and developed through close-reading of the text.