Dracula’s Whitby
Amberley Publishing
Ian Thompson
It’s hardly surprising that Bram Stoker chose Whitby as a key location for his book Dracula: it’s by the sea; it’s occasionally engulfed by thick sea frets which wreathe their way through its narrow streets and winding ginnels; it’s got a wealth of stories about shipwrecks, ghosts and eerie happenings; and the seaport is overlooked and dominated by a church with an atmospheric cemetery side-by-side with the ruined remains of an ancient monastery (see our earlier blog on Whitby Abbey).
Stoker latched on to Whitby after staying in the town in the summer of 1890 and used (sometimes in adapted form) a number of Whitby’s buildings and locations in his influential Gothic novel. Since its first publication in 1897 the book hasn’t been out of print and its popularity is as ageless as the blood-guzzling count himself.
I used the word influential earlier – not only has Stoker’s Dracula had many imitations, sequels and prequels, but the vampire has found its way into numerous comic books, the story has been adapted as a stage play (by Stoker himself) and been made into a host of films and TV programmes (some more faithful to the original story than others), and the bloody antihero has even featured in several episodes of The Simpsons – though I have to say that his isn’t the sort of toothy grin I’d like to see on a dark night when alone . . .
The actors who have played Dracula on film are too numerous to list in their entirety, but the following are a short selection, spanning the years from the 1920s up to recent times: Bela Lugosi, Gary Oldman, Christopher Lee, Denholm Elliott, John Carradine, Max Schreck (whose name, appropriately, means “fright” or “scare”), and Graham Chapman from Monty Python.
Ian Thompson’s remarkable book covers Dracula’s connections with Whitby from a number of different aspects. It chronicles Stoker’s stay in Whitby – pinning down (as far as is possible) where and when – and describes the probable inspiration for many of the characters. Thompson also gives a potted history of Whitby to provide context. The original story was written as an epistolary novel – that is the tale is told as if compiled from letters, diary entries, newspaper cuttings, transcripts of phonograph recordings (the phonograph cylinder was a comparatively new invention at the time – the equivalent of today’s Blu-Ray disc), and ship’s log entries. Thompson gives a plot summary and a timeline of events.
Whitby is clearly one of Ian Thompson’s favourite haunts and he takes a chapter to entertain the reader with some of the enduring myths and legends associated with the town. The Dracula connection has led to Whitby having a strong association with Goth music and as a result, Goths have flocked at least once a year since 1994 for a festival devoted to the music, clothing and lifestyle of Goths. Thompson devotes a chapter to Whitby’s Goths, who bring a lot of colour and character to this seaside resort (see our earlier blog on Whitby Goth Weekend).
If you’re in Whitby, you can use Dracula’s Whitby to help you find your way around all the places mentioned in the book. You can also learn more about Dracula by taking a Whitby Walk specifically tailored to the quest for Dracula.
Dracula’s Whitby is packed with interesting information and atmospheric photographs – it’s certainly whetted my appetite to read the original. It would make an excellent addition to the collection of any Dracula fan, and particularly those who have visited or are intending to visit Whitby.
You can buy Dracula’s Whitby direct from the publisher at a discounted price by clicking here.