Draculas Guest and Other Weird Tales by Bram Stoker


Draculas Guest and Other Weird Tales
Title : Draculas Guest and Other Weird Tales
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0141441712
ISBN-10 : 9780141441719
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 464
Publication : First published January 1, 1980

Menacing tales from one of the masters of horror fiction
Although Bram Stoker is best known for his world-famous novel Dracula, he also wrote many shorter works on the strange and the macabre. Comprised of spine-chilling tales published by Stoker’s widow after his death, as well as The Lair of the White Worm, an intensely intriguing novel of myths, legends, and unspeakable evils, this collection demonstrates the full range of Stoker’s horror writing.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.


Draculas Guest and Other Weird Tales Reviews


  • Anne

    Honestly, I didn't like
    Dracula enough to try and seek out more stuff by Stoker. I'm glad I finally read it, but it was kind of a dull book overall.
    However, when this audiobook of short stories popped up as a free borrow from Hoopla, I decided to take advantage of it. Because why not?

    description

    Dracula's Guest
    4 stars

    Unbelievably, this was a scene cut from Dracula. I say unbelievably because this one scene was far more interesting than ANYTHING in the book. Granted, it was a wacky scene and far too much of it was spent with the unnamed Englishman (presumably Harker) arguing with the local driver about going towards the one place everyone is telling him not to go.
    But then he gets lost in a hailstorm and ends up in a cemetery for suicides (I think?). Taking refuge in the doorway of a crypt, he sees a vampire bitch rises from the grave and catch on fire. Still not sure why. Naturally, he makes a run for it! A chase scene ensues before a big wolf sits on Harker to keep him safe from zombie vampires - or something like that.
    It was a bananas story.
    Still, if the rest of Dracula had as much pizzazz as this did, it would have made for a more interesting read.

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    The Judge's House
    4 stars

    Scary ghost story about a student who doesn't believe in the supernatural. A creepy rat, a creepier picture, and a judge who kept the hangman's noose in his house make up the frightening elements of this tale.

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    The Squaw
    4 stars

    A cat gets a gruesome vengeance on the man who killed her kitten.
    The guy didn't really mean to kill the kitten, but he's such a douchecanoe that he seals his own fate in a way that pretty much ensures you don't even feel very sorry for him.

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    The Secret of the Growing Gold
    4 stars

    A murderer gets done in by his lover's hair. It's a weird story and it meanders a bit for no reason. The beginning is about this feud between the woman, her brother, and her lover that ultimately didn't make any difference to the story. But it was sufficiently spooky in the end for me to enjoy it.

    description

    The Gypsy Prophecy
    3.5 stars

    A self-fulling prophecy?
    A terrible prediction comes true for a couple who are deeply in love, but not in the way they think it will.
    PS - Stoker apparently thought women fainted all the damn time. Seriously. Every woman in every story seemed to fall over from the shock of something. By the time I got to this story, it was starting to get funny.

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    The Coming of Abel Behenna
    2 stars

    Goofy story about 2 young men who go after the same awful young woman.
    She's incredibly obnoxious and they both should have known better. They all got what they deserved, and it was hard to feel any real horror for the characters since they were all equally unlikeable.

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    The Burial of the Rats
    2 stars

    Really drawn-out story about a tourist who escapes from old soldiers who have turned to crime in a poor section of Paris. Rats eat dead bodies quickly enough to get rid of the evidence, apparently.

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    A Dream of Red Hands
    3 stars

    A repentant murderer has nightmares of being locked out of heaven. The narrator gives the man encouragement and finds out that the man's last act in life is one of incredible self-sacrifice. His heroism earns his redemption and washes his bloody hands clean.

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    Crooked Sands
    4 stars

    A rich old English gentleman decides to dress in authentic Highland garb and looks like an idiot. He is warned to stop being foolish and vain by a supposed 'seer' but ignores the advice until he almost dies. He has a religious experience that changes his outlook on life, but there's a funny twist at the end of this book at bumped it up from 3 to 4 stars for me.

    description

    Overall a pretty darn good set of old-timey short stories for a horror fan.

    Narrated by James Anderson Foster

  • Warren Fournier

    Velcome to my house! I am Count Dracula, and I am pleased to have you as my Guest. Von't you sit down? Perhaps have a glass of rainwater Madeira? They say it is good for the blood.

    Ah, I see you admire my library. It has been a labor of love for me. I have collected these books over many hundreds, I mean, many dozens of years. We are rather isolated here in my lonely castle, so perhaps a good book will comfort you should the nights become dreary.

    This particular volume may be of interest to you. Yes, it is "Dracula's Guest." How fitting, would you not agree? Tis a first edition from 1914, though many of the stories here are much older, hailing from Christmas periodicals and other such dreadful publications.

    Your humble host is, of course, indebted to Mr. Stoker for his kindness in writing a book about me, and the good name of Dracula is now known as it should be across the vorld. But you didn't know that he wrote a sequel to that beloved father of all vampire tales? Vell, that is completely understandable. It is not so much a sequel as it is. I don't even appear in it per se. An excerpt from the first draft of the original novel, removed to improve the pacing, I understand, but which then reappeared two years after Mr. Stoker's death as this stand-alone tale, one of several that you will find in this book.

    I varn you, it is a book of horror. But I sense courage flows through your veins. Your blood is strong. I think you vill enjoy it. Allow me to give you a little preview of each story.

    I would be remiss in not mentioning the titular story first. A young man finds himself vacationing in the snowy forests of Germany. He is an Englishman and therefore adventurous. He is also a fool. His carriage driver has the sense to discourage him, but he decides to valk alone through the graveyards on Valpurgis Night. Who is the main character, ve are never told. It could be Jonathan Harker, if you recall the original novel. Or it could be my dear companion Renfield, before we became officially acquainted. Mr. Stoker took some liberties with my relationship with him as you may know. Renfield is very much alive, and we remain--inseparable to this day. But I do not know who Stoker intended to be the lead man here, but vat does it matter? In a way, I am the hero of this little tale, so I'm sure you'll understand that this is my favorite of the collection. Five... FIVE dazzling Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    I am told you are a connoisseur of the old Amicus and Hammer anthologies. That is so? Then you will delight in "The Judge's House," my friend. Here, a mathematics student is distracted from his work by a rat infestation in a rented house. A little contrived, I admit, but a serviceable classic ghost story that is perfect for a quick spooky read on a blustery night. Four, four pointy Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    But the next story is the most contrived of all, I'm afraid! "The Squaw" is notable for being one of the silliest things I've ever read and years. It features another fool, an American stereotype who, for some reason that escapes me, is accompanying a couple on their honeymoon travels. But before you can say "menage a trois," the mad cowboy proceeds to do the most ridiculously reckless things you could ever imagine while they are touring an old castle in Nuremberg--leading to a predictably gory end. Oh, I delighted at the description of all that blood! But good riddance to one of the most irksome personalities in all of literature. Still, it has a great Gothic atmosphere, and never before have cats been more frightening, but I think this may have started the trend of bad decisions by horror protagonists in both books and film. I myself find the tale entertaining, but I can't rate it any higher than three... three twinkling Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    "The Secret of Growing Gold" taught me that if you're going to commit murder, make sure you do your diligence when hiding the body. The last heir of an ancient family murders the woman he has been living with "in sin," and in true Poe fashion, she reaches out from the grave for her revenge. A classic Gothic horror. Four, four shining Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    "The Gipsy Prophecy" concerns a young man who has his fortune told by a Bohemian queen--and told he will murder his wife. His friend advises that this frightening bit of news not be mentioned to the spouse, but like the rest of the fools in this compilation, he defies the sagacity of greater minds. Vell, obviously she doesn't find the situation at all amusing. You can skip this one, my friend. It is about as exciting as... Bucharest--on a Saturday night. Two, two falling Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    "The Coming of Abel Behenna" lends a fairy tale quality to a story about two young lads who toss a coin for the hand of the voman they both love. Unfortunately, one of them is a sore loser. A ghoulish morality parable. Four, four dazzling Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    I see your glass is empty! Please, allow me. And forgive me for not joining you. I never drink... vine. Ah, this next tale does give me just a twinge of jealousy. "A Dream of Red Hands" is a symbolic tale of the redemption of a noble soul. Four, four heavenly Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    Here is another story, called "Burial of the Rats," that informs me that Mr. Stoker had an irrational fear of rodents. Renfield, on the other hand, loves the little children of the night. But this is more of a simple tale of pursuit, involving another fool tourist who travels unarmed to a dangerous part of Paris, where he shows off his ring to a band of desperate thieves who will murder just too scavenge the pockets of the unwary. Three, three cute little stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    The collection ends on a comedic note with the story "Crooken Sands." An English merchant and his family are vacationing in Scotland, and he is infatuated with the traditional dress of the Highland chiefs. So he commissions such an outfit for himself, and the results are amusing. Four, four funny Stars! Ah, ah, ah!

    I trust you are tired from your journey, and your room has been prepared. I tend to keep late hours, and so if you do not see me about in the morning, perhaps this book vill entertain you until ve meet again. Good night, my literate friend. Pleasant dreams! Ah, ah, ah!

  • Jon Skeggi

    Pomalo naivno. Poviše bizarno. Neodoljivo satirično. Odlično

  • Jon Nakapalau

    I use Poe as my 'measure' of 'old school horror' and was not sure how Stoker would hold up. He has more than exceeded my expectations. Each tale takes the reader to a place of trapped uncertainty; knowing that you have to follow through if you have any slight hope of salvation. My favorite story was The Burial of the Rats - highest recommendation.

  • S._aqa._r

    اقااااا
    این اصلا ترسناک نبووووود ، بجز ۲ تای اولی هرچی میرفت جلو تر بجای ترسناک خندار میشد
    چرااااا😭
    سومی هم که انگار یه سکانس از فیلم مقصد نهایی بود😒
    دوسش نداشتم😒
    پ.ن: ۸ تا داستان کوتاهه

  • Đorđe Bajić

    "Drakulin gost" je zbirka priča Brema Stokera, autora kultnog romana Drakula, koju je 1914, dve godine posle Stokerove smrti, priredila i izdala njegova udovica Florens. U zbirci se nalazi osam segmenata - šest priča + dva odlomka iz Stokerovih romana. Idemo redom...

    DRAKULIN GOST 4/5

    Naslovna priča je, bar u teoriji, glavni mamac ove zbirke. Da li je u pitanju odbačeno poglavlje iz "Drakule" ili Stokerova vežba za pisanje njegovog najpoznatijeg dela - nije ni važno. Ovo je veoma efektna minijatura koja donosi nove elemente u Stokerov vampirski mitos. Lik grofice Dolingen je lepo nagovešten, mada ne i razrađen (nije bilo vremena!). Neki proučavaoci smatraju da se grofica pojavljuje i u "Drakuli" - data u liku plavokose vampirice koje zauzima povlašećeno mesto u grofovom zamku.

    SUDIJINA KUĆA 4/5

    Definitivno jedna od tri najbolje priča u zbirci. "Sudijina kuća" je veoma zanimljiva i atmoseferična, izuzetno mi se dopala karakterizacija sporedniih likova. Priča sjajno počne, ali posle Stoker pomalo izgubi fokus i bude ponavljanja. Uz to, što je i moja najveća zamerka, kraj je prilično očekivan. No, svakako je ovo jedna veoma dobra priča o duhovima.

    TAJNA ZLATA KOJE RASTE 2.5/5

    Ovo je mogla da bude odlična priča, ali je nešto krenulo po zlu. Stoker kao da ju je napisao na brzinu i nije joj se više vraćao - što je, kako to već obično biva, ostavilo danak. Lik zlatkokose osvetnice Margarete Dalandre ima odličan potecijal, mada nije dovoljno razrađen kako bi se postigao pun efekat. Vidan je uticaj Poa, a posebno priče "Izdajnjičko srce" (mada i drugih).

    POVRATAK EJBELA BEHENE 3/5

    Stoker u ovoj priči veoma deteljno opisuje krajolik u koji je smetio radnju svog ljubavnog trougla. Sara ne može da se odluči da li da se uda za tamnokosog Ejbela ili svetlokosog Erika, pa prijatelji bacaju novčić za devojku. Ali, komplikacije slede... Priči nedostaje sadržaja, mada je sam kraj prilično efektan, iako u okviru očekivanog.

    SKVO 2/5

    Još jedna Stokerova priča nadahnuta Poom - ovoga puta o upornoj crnoj mački koja se, po svaku cenu, mamerila da osveti smrt mačeta koje je skirvio nesmotreni američki pustolov. Banalna priča, uz par jeftinih šokova. Funkcionalna do izvesne mere, mada daleko od esencijalne. Nije mi prijala, nedostaje joj finese.

    PACOVSKA SAHRANA 5/5

    Ubedljivo najbolja Stokerova priča koju sam pročitao. Veoma napeta i efektna, potentno dvosmislena. Šteta što mu i ostale priče u zbirci "Drakulin gost" nisu na tom nivou. Radnja se dešava na ogromnom pariskom đubrištu gde se jedan otmeni engleski gospodin nađe na meti odrpanih francuskih beskućnika. Ili se francuski beskućnici nađu na meti engleskog gospodina? A tu su i pacovi. Veliki i gladni, pacovi kojima je svejedno ko će da pobedi. Jer - ko god da pobedi - njima je obrok obezbeđen!

    STARI HOGEN: MISTERIJA 2/5

    Nije mi se dopao ovaj pokušaj spoja makabrizma i humora, prilično je neukusan. Uz to, priča je definitvno preopširna, pa mi, sve u svemu, ne bi smetalo da je ostala izgubljena.

    DOLINA ČAROBNICE 4/5

    Odlomci iz romana "Dragulj sedam zvezda". Pljačkaši grobnica i mumija egipatske kraljice Tere su mi probudili zanimanje za ono što se dogodilo dalje - ali mislim da ipak neću potražiti roman (koje, uostalom, nije ni prevedeno na srpski). Zainteresvao sam se za priču čitajući odlomke, ali u pogovor piše da je ovo Stokerovo delo slabo - mnogo slabije od "Drakule" - te da su odabrani odlomci ono najbolje što u njemu može da se pronađe.

    POGOVOR DR DEJANA OGNJANOVIĆA - BREM STOKER: U SENCI DRAKULE 5/5

    Pronicljiv i sveobuhvatan pogovor koji bi, zapravo, možda bilo bolje pročitati PRE pristupanja pričama. Bez pogovor, zbirka bi zaslužila trojku (priče su previše neujednačene po kvalitetu, pisac nije stigao da ih doradi, smrt ga je omela), ali sa njim mogu da mirne duše ovo izdanje ocenim kao - vrlo dobro.

  • Taske

    Ovo je jedna lepa zbirka istina ne tako kvalitetnih ali svakako zanimljivih i čudnih priča, u kojima se provlače horor elementi. Najveći utisak na mene su ostavile priče "Sudijina kuća" i "Dolina čarobnice"u kojima obitava jeziva i mistična atmosfera.

    1. Drakulin gost - 4🌟
    2. Sudijina kuća - 5🌟
    3. Tajna zlata koje raste - 3🌟
    4. Povratak Ejbela Behene - 3🌟
    5. Skvo - 4🌟
    6. Pacovska sahrana - 4🌟
    7. Stari Hogen: - 2🌟
    8. Dolina čarobnice - 5🌟

  • Armi

    Happily suprised by the short stories, I really enjoyed them! But the last one in this edition, the novel The Lair of the white worm, just... don't bother. It makes no sense and is ridiculous. And it made me angry because it was so stupid. Zero stars.

  • Wally Flangers

    Published in 1914, “Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories” is a short story collection comprising of nine different stories, written by the Bram Stoker. Although some of these stories were pre-published, the book was published from stories that his wife recovered after his death.

    As with all my short story collection reviews, I rate each story individually and then calculate the average rating as the total rating for the book. But, I warn you…. All of the reviews for each individual story include a brief synopsis. Some readers may not want to know as much information that I have provide. I write my short story reviews this way for future reference to remind me of which ones are worth the time re-reading and which ones are not. In this case, there was not one story that I did not enjoy. But, you can avoid learning more than you would like to know about these stories by skipping to the very bottom of the review, where it says “FINAL VERDICT”. That is where my overall review for “Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories” is listed. The stories within the collection include;

    DRACULA’S GUEST – This story was adapted for comics by E. Nelson Bridwell for Eerie Magazine…. The narrator, a ballsy Englishman in Munich, is warned by a German fellow named Johann (as well as a hotel Maitre D’) not to journey to a depopulated village where the death by suicide lay…. Naturally, being English and stubborn as hell, his thirst for adventure cannot be overcome and he consequently ignores these pleads and proceeds with his quest nonetheless. This story was very enjoyable and had a slow, yet constant build-up of suspense. Stoker detailed the environment in every aspect, which further added to the entertainment.

    THE JUDGE’S HOUSE – Malcom Malcolmson is a man looking for some solitude to concentrate on his work. He decides to rent a rat infested house in Benchurch for three months. It is a place known as the “Judge’s House” and is said to have been vacant for at least the past one-hundred years…. Ignoring all warnings and pleads from the townsmen, Malcom moves right in and immediately makes himself at home. Upon his arrival, he notices the house is equipped with an alarm bell, located on the roof, that has a rope attached to it which travels down next to the fireplace in the room where he works. It is believed that this is the very rope which the hangman used for the victims of the Judges judicial rancour…. How lovely! Although the ending is of no surprise, this was another awesome story and well worth the read. The writing is brilliant, the environment is incredibly detailed, and the suspense grips you from start to finish. I can’t say enough good things about this story.

    THE SQUAW – This story was adapted for comics by Archie Goodwin for Creepy Magazine and is about a dude walking on a street, sided with a high retaining wall, and means to scare a kitten he sees traveling below by dropping a rock right beside it. Of course this was meant to be a prank, but the uncoordinated idiot ends up crushing the kitten’s skull and killing it on accident. His wife is not pleased and neither is the kitten’s mother, who was at the scene and now sees her offspring’s brain seeping out of its head. The cat goes apeshit and follows the prick, his wife, and their friend (who tagged along) and wants revenge. Although, this was a great story, it had a predictable (and also unrealistic) ending.

    THE SECRET OF THE GROWING GOLD – This is a ghost story about Margaret Delandre and her brother Wykham…. The pair have a quarrel over a man named Geoffrey Brent, who has captured Margaret’s attention, and Wykham ends up throwing her out of the house as a result. She is later seen around town in the presence of Geoffrey and the town gossip eventually gets back to Wykham that the two have developed a relationship. After looking to make amends, Margaret ignores Wykham’s attempts to reconcile and so does Geoffrey. After a year passes, Wykham hears word that both, Geoffrey and Margaret have been in an accident while travelling abroad. It is soon learned that Geoffrey survived the accident, but Margaret is missing and presumed dead. In the midst of plotting an act of revenge on Geoffrey for his sisters death, Wykham is greeted by Margaret’s ghost, who has her own act of revenge in mind for Geoffrey. Although this was a typical ghost story, it was a really fun read and recovered well from its slow start. I would highly recommend it to any fan of ghost stories and vengeful acts.

    A GIPSY PROPHECY – Joshua Consadine and his friend Gerald set out to a gipsy camp for a reading of the stars, but do not receive the information they had hoped. When the gipsy Queen sees tragedy in Joshua’s palm, she warns him that if he truly loves his wife, Mary, he will leave her. If he refuses to believe what the stars have revealed, his wife will be murdered by his own hand. Upon hearing this news, Mary does not take this well and heads for the gipsy camp, only to find it empty. This was another terrific story, but had a familiar ending…. The ending would have been more impactful in the early 1900’s, of course, but it was still good.

    THE COMING OF ABEL BEHENNA – A gold-diggin’ bitch of a mother is trying to marry-off her smokin’ hot slut daughter, Sarah…. Sarah is torn between two gentlemen, who are both in love with her. On one side, you have a back-stabbing shit bag named Eric…. On the other, you have a righteous saint named Abel. The mother tells both boys that in order to win the approval of her daughter’s hand in marriage that they must combine their life savings and put it all on the line in a winner-take-all scenario. The deal is, the man who wins a coin toss has to take all the money that both men have and bring it to Bristol to trade with it. He spends one year over there and then comes back to marry Sarah, living off whatever there may be as a result of the trading. While the winner is away trading, the loser gets to stay back and pork Sarah…. Sounds like the loser is actually the winner in more ways than one to me…. I will say that this story was probably my favorite one in the collection and I would recommend it to anyone.

    THE BURIAL OF THE RATS – This story was adapted into film in 1995 by the same title, as well a comic book, and is about an English dude travelling in Europe to burn time while he waits for his probation to end so he can head back to England to after his chick. The guy has a thing for Paris and ends up running for his life. I can’t say I enjoyed this story. The pace was too slow for me to get into and by the time it picked up, it was just about over. I can’t say Ill be reading this one ever again, if I can help it.

    A DREAM OF RED HANDS – The narrator has formed a friendship with a dude named, Jacob Settle. A man who has kept himself in confinement as punishment for a crime he had committed long ago. The nightmares he has experienced since the crime took place are a constant reminder that Heaven’s gate will remain closed for his sin and he lives with believing that every day. Sad story that went by quickly. It was also the perfect length. Definitely worth returning to this one in the future. I highly recommend it in those moments when you are looking for a depressing read.

    CROOKEN SANDS – Some English dude goes to Scotland with his family and takes an interest in the dress those Highland Chiefs wear and the guy, for some odd reason, wants to wear one. Everyone, including his own family, laugh in his face…. The quicksand shall swallow those who do not repent for showering in vanity. This story got much better as it progressed, but I was in Bored City through the first half of it. The dialog was sometimes difficult to follow, as well…. It was the weakest stories in my opinion and I am disappointed with its place in the collection. It didn’t exactly wrap things up on a high note.

    FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. There are some amazing stories in this collection. For once, I did not find one story that I did not enjoy and would read a second (or even a third) time. Even the “Crooken Sands” is a story that is worth a second read. I will definitely be reading more stories by Bram Stoker in the future.

  • Mariana

    Read the first short story last year, Dracula's Guest. I vaguely remember liking it, don't remember much about the story, only the creepy atmosphere. Although I find the writing peculiar, I've decided it was a great time to pick it up again, maybe I'll even finish the book this time.

    Dracula's Guest - 3,75⭐️
    The Judge's House - 3,5⭐️ - Again, the atmosphere is great, very creepy. It made me laugh a few times.
    Also, the ending reminded me of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', even though this one isn't close to Dorian Gray's story, but it did make me think of it.
    The Squaw - 1⭐️ - I'm sorry but this was bad. The ending was so unnecessary, if it had just ended when justice was provided it would've been fine, but then, of course, it had to be like that.
    The Secret Of The Growing Gold - 1⭐️ - Yea, sorry, didn't really like it.

  • E. G.

    Acknowledgements
    Chronology
    Introduction
    Further Reading
    A Note on the Texts


    --Dracula's Guest
    --The Judge's House
    --The Squaw
    --The Secret of the Growing Gold
    --A Gipsy Prophecy
    --The Coming of Abel Behenna
    --The Burial of the Rats
    --A Dream of Red Hands
    --Crooken Sands

    --The Lair of the White Worm

    Appendix I: Florence Stoker's 'Preface' to 'Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories' (1914)
    Appendix II: 'The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh' (1890) and 'The Lambton Worm' (1890)
    Notes

  • David Canford

    I read this as I thought it was about Dracula. In fact it is a collection of short horror stories which are entertaining and gothically horrific. The first story was apparently going to be the first chapter of the original Dracula story but was dropped by the publisher as not being relevant. It is about an unidentified traveller, presumably Jonathan Harken, in Bavaria escaping from wolves and someone coming our of their grave and would have made a more enigmatic beginning to the original novel.

  • José Cruz Parker


    "He died last night. You won't find much of him. The burial of the rats is quick!"

    Everyone has read Dracula, but few people know the rest of Bram Stoker’s oeuvre. Most of his work belongs to the realm of pulp fiction, but even lowbrow literature can have its merits.

    Within his genre—the Gothic and Weird Fiction—Bram Stoker is undoubtedly one of the best writers. I’d rank him slightly below Lovecraft and Poe and about on the same level as Conan Doyle.

    However, Stoker’s biggest influence was Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. The latter wrote Carmilla, one of the greatest vampire stories ever and a direct predecessor of Dracula. Of the two, I believe Dracula is the inferior work. Still, its importance in literature, cinema, and the arts overshadows anything Le Fanu ever wrote.

    The collection I’m now reviewing was published by Florence Stoker briefly after her husband’s death. Florence took a bunch of texts—several of which had previously appeared in periodicals—and put them together in a single book: Dracula’s Guest and Other Stories.

    I didn’t enjoy all the stories. Crooken Sands bored me to death. It is by far the worst piece in the book. I cannot conceive why someone thought it would be a good idea to put it there.

    The other tales range from mediocre to great. I would grant the first place to The Judge’s House, which is by any account one of the greatest ghost stories ever. This narrative about a student of mathematics haunted by an evil judge is a shameless ripoff of Le Fanu’s An Account of Some Strange Disturbances at Aungier Street. But in this case, the imitation exceeds the original. The Judge’s House, if not flawless, is close to perfection.

    For the next place, I would choose Dracula’s Guest. This short thriller has humor, eerie locations, and even some action. I consider it proportionately superior to Dracula since it lacks the clutter that weighs down Stoker’s most famous novel.

    The third best tale is A Dream of Red Hands—a story about redemption in the eyes of God. This one surprised me. It almost seems like Stoker hadn’t wrote it. It’s one of his few stories containing an explicit moral lesson.

    I give 3.5 to the collection as a whole. It contains some of my favorites, but the writing is uneven.

  • bobanbang

    First half of short stories was not bad, but the second half, the lair of the white worm, was horrendous—

    pages of exposition where mid-conversation the characters would just decide to stop and “wait for another time” or unnecessary timeskips where there are paragraphs dedicated to just explaining that the characters had lunch, went to bed, and woke up just to continue the conversation. I’ve lost count of how many times this happens?? Also lines and paragraphs worth of unnecessary purple prose and explanation (ie. a whole chapter describing the full expanse of the countryside which doesn’t amount to much later on)

    And oh my god I don’t even want to fully talk about the plot it was just so frustrating like character A kills someone in front of character B and then almost kills character B and a few pages later character A and B are together and chatting like everything is normal??? There’s also some dude who keeps going into this woman’s house for “tea” and then attempts to stare at her oddly?? (The same thing happens THRICE, and the third time he somehow KILLS her just with his stare????!!!)

  • Zenda

    3.25 stars

    These stories were hit or miss with me.

  • Nastaran")

    هشت تا داستان کوتاه که بیشتر از همه دلم میخواست اولی طولانی تر باشه و بقیه داستان‌ها جالب و تا حدودی معمولی بودن،در کل بد نبود.

  • Jim Leckband

    I did not read the novel "The Lair of the White Worm" - only the short stories. And of the short stories "Dracula's Guest" was the dud. The rest of the stories were enjoyable horror/uncanny tales not unlike Poe, but much better written than Lovecraft (a EULA is better written than Lovecraft, though depending on the software, can be just as full of horror.)

  • Julia

    It is shocking to me that the same man who penned Dracula wrote this trash. It is a shame to Stoker's legacy that these stories managed to be published. In addition to generally shitty, stupid, and at times verging on incomprehensible storytelling, there is some of the most explicit and disturbing racism I have ever encountered. I am disgusted. This kind of ruins Dracula for me :(

  • C♥️

    I love Bram Stoker. “The Judge’s House”, “The Squaw”, “Dracula’s Guest” and “The Burial of the Rats” were my favourite short stories in this collection :)

  • Sophie Davidson

    the Dracula’s guest story - INCREDIBLE, I loved it

    everything else - good, better than many other short stories I’ve read

  • Ryker Strode

    I am taken aback by how much I enjoyed Bram Stoker's short stories.
    I know I shouldn't be because, after all, he is BRAM STOKER.
    However, I find it difficult to read older language literature, because, I like my reading to flow, I do not enjoy having to re read paragraphs and words to understand them.
    However, I feel Bram Stoker's work is not challenging in this respect.
    For me, what strikes me most about Bram, is his ability to create atmosphere, you can taste, smell and feel the scene he sets.
    Honestly, this is shocking, I know, but I have never read Dracula and that will change.
    If Dracula is as good as some of these short stories, I may have just discovered on of my favourite author's of all time - Even if I am late to the party.
    Another thing I would like to point is the originality of some of the stories that I have not really seen copied to this day. Very good indeed.

  • Alexander

    These (more or less) short stories, some of which are not bad, vary in quality. All of them, however, stay well below the example set by Stokers widely known "Dracula" novel. By far the longest of them, "The Lair of the White Worm" suffers from quite a number of plot holes, poorly conveyed parts of the story and unnecessary repititions. It felt like the first version you'd hand to your editor, and he'd say: 'Well, dear Bram, this could be a splendid story. If we cut at least one third of the text and you rewrite half of whatever is left, that is.'

    So, if you want to read anything of Stoker's oeuvre, go and read Dracula and maybe some of the really short stories in this collection. The 'White Worm' ist most probably a waste of your time.

  • Milena

    Not bad. It was nice reading something of his, again. I also think that the title is correct in naming these stories "weird" and not scary, because most of them were just quite bizarre.

    I did take notes on each and every story, but those thoughts are not in my possession and I think that the fact I forgot most of them and remember only key moments after only a month, even if I enjoyed my reading experience, speaks for itself.

  • Trina

    Wow. While everyone was busy reading Poe and Lovecraft these short stories have been gathering dust. Who knew Stoker had a wealth of twisted little short stories in addition to his genre-spawning novel? I certainly didn't but I am glad I discovered them. I already plan to revisit these stories from time to time. Read these!

  • Violeta

    Las historias son muy dispares: hay historias clásicas de fantasmas vengativos, de casas embrujadas, de doppelgangers. Algunas son graciosas, otras de terror, otras bastante religiosas... Hay un par medio flojas, pero a The Judge's House, por ejemplo, le pondría cinco estrellitas.
    Además, hay un par de cuentos en los que las mujeres se desmayan mucho.

  • Caroline

    I'll just paste in all my separate reviews of the stories:

    Dracula's Guest: A (very) short story. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be the first chapter of Dracula, or something? The main character COULD be Jonathan Harker, but we don't know. It feels very similar to the beginning of Dracula.

    The Judge's House: A good and pretty creepy story!

    The Squaw: Full review here:
    http://carolinesometimes.blogspot.com...

    The Secret Of Growing Gold: This really reminds me of Poe's Telltale Heart, just not as good!

    A Gipsy Prophecy: Ok that was kind of hilarious!

    The Coming Of Abel Behenna: I didn't find this a very interesting story, but it's not bad.

    The Burial Of The Rats: Didn't find this very interesting or scary, really.

    A Dream Of Red Hands: I think this was a nice and short sad but beautiful story.

    Crooken Sands: It bored me at first, but then it picked up and was pretty creepy!

    The Crystal Cup: I couldn't really get into it. Might read it again another time.

    The Chain Of Destiny: Not bad! But not particularly exciting, so wouldn't really recommend it unless you're a HUGE fan of Bram Stoker or literature from around that time.

    The Dualitists: That was definitely... weird. Bram Stoker was sure a creative horror writer!

  • Graham

    I took a look at this one although I only needed to read half of it. I'm already familiar with DRACULA'S GUEST (a neat side story to Stoker's classic novel), THE JUDGE'S HOUSE (a slow-burning ghost story) and THE SQUAW (decent feline horror) from their much-anthologised appearances, and I have THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM elsewhere so I didn't need to read that either. However, this collection does boast a nice academic introduction which goes into greater or lesser depth about all of the stories collected here, putting them into place thematically and in terms of Stoker's career as an author.

    Of the rest, THE SECRET OF THE GROWING GOLD is a chilly and spooky little ghost story with a great climax, while A GIPSY PROPHECY is kept short and simple, never boring. THE COMING OF ABEL BEHENNA is perhaps the best of these others, a love triangle leading to a deliciously eerie climax. THE BURIAL OF THE RATS is a pure action story, in which a man is chased at night through Paris by horrors unseen, while A DREAM OF RED HANDS is a Christian-themed morality story. The last, CROOKEN SANDS, is only mildly weird and offers a brief doppelganger and a rather mundane explanation.

  • Steve Tannuzzo

    Two years after his death in 1912, Bram Stoker's widow published this collection of her late husband's short fiction. "Dracula's Guest" may or may not be the excised first chapter of Dracula, but according to Mrs. Stoker that was the case. Other classic tales like "The Judge's House," "The Burial of the Rats" and "The Squaw" are included here along with Stoker's second best known novel, "The Lair of the White Worm." This collection is good but not great. There's nothing Dracula-worthy here, but there is creepy storytelling throughout. I will say that sensitive readers may take offense at some of the language that may have been deemed acceptable in the late 1800s but might be considered racist or sexist by 21st century standards.