The Transylvanian Society of Dracula in Romania has given this book its

Count Dracula Award for the Best Dracula/Vampire Book of the Centennial

Year (1997)

ENDORSEMENTS for REFLECTIONS ON DRACULA

"Elizabeth Miller is one of the world's premier experts on the historical

and fictional Draculas. Her insight on the two have greatly influenced my

own work."

(Jeanne Kalogridis, author)

"Elizabeth Miller is one of those rare scholars whose expertise is infused

with an infectious enthusiasm and a sly Canadian humor. Her work is not

only a pleasure to read but also provides some of the most cogent remarks

on Stoker's work available in the current flood of Dracula studies."

(Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, author)

"A learned, witty and satisfying set of reflections on the infamous

non-reflecting Count. While Elizabeth and I do not always see 'eye-to-eye'

on certain historical matters, her views are invariably stimulating."

(Raymond T. McNally, author/historian)

REVIEWS of REFLECTIONS ON DRACULA

REVIEW in Voices from the Vaults (Newsletter of the Dracula Society,

London), Spring 1999

Professor Miller's preface to these essays states that they are "independent commentaries on Stoker's novel and its far-reaching influences since its publication ... ranging from a scholarly assessment of the connection between Stoker's Count and the historical Dracula, to ... personal anecdotes and observations about life as a Dracula enthusiast." Five of them focus on aspects of the novel itself, making this truly a collection with something for everyone. The bibliography alone makes this book an excellent reference work and source for further exploration.

Whether your interest in Dracula is literary, cultural, historical, geographical or any combination of the above, there is a well-documented and extremely readable essay on some aspect of Stoker's creation which will inspire and entertain. The first essay admirably summarizes the current critical position on just how much the character of Dracula is based on the historical Vlad Tepes. Professor Miller lays out the evidence and quotes extensively from all the other established critical viewpoints, putting her own case in a very persuasive way! Just as refreshing is her account of her experiences in 'Draculand' - Dublin, Whitby, London and Romania. I have not encountered anything else in print which sums up so well the ambivalence felt by historians, and cultural and tourist organizations in Romania, towards Western interest in Dracula. Other chapters of particular interest (to this reviewer) draw parallels between Dracula and Shakespeare; examine the various editions and versions of Stoker's text; and look at the many links between Dracula and Frankenstein.

Combining sound critical analysis with an enthusiasm which fairly leaps from the page, this is a collection diverse enough to offer new insights into reading the text of Stoker's novel, as well as providing a fascinating cultural context to the enduring image of vampires in general, and Dracula in particular.

(posted to internet group vampyres@the-institute.net)

Now here is a book that's good to the last drop! The long-awaited group of essays authored by Professor Elizabeth Miller (Bloofer to her friends) on her studies of Dracula. There is a short preface, acknowledging all the help Prof. Miller received during building this book, and then we are taken straight to the goodies. The first chapter is an expansion of her arguments for the divorce of Count Dracula from Vlad Tepes that was the highlight of Dracula 97 in L.A. last August. As with each successive essay, it is thoroughly researched and entertainingly written. You will most likely come away convinced.

"Has Dracula Lost His Fangs?", co-written with Margaret L. Carter, is a discussion of the evolution of modern vampire literature. I certainly was taking notes as to which books to go out and read! While I don't necessarily agree that the modern literary sympathetic vampire is "fangless", it is interesting to see how heavily the pendulum has swung in that direction in a century. "Typing Transylvania" and "Adventures in Draculand" both offer us fascinating glimpses of Romania and its perception of the Dracula phenomenon, while "Life As a Dracula Aficionado" gives us an even more fascinating glimpse into what it means to be Elizabeth Miller! "She looks like somebody's mother", indeed!

There are also essays on the vampire hunters, on the various editions of Dracula the novel and on sequels, prequels and re-writings by other authors, a chapter on Dracula and Frankenstein, one on Shakespeare. The last essay deals with Dracula's continuing appeal and he furtherance of scholarly inquiries into the text and the vampire legend. There is an extensive bibliography at the end, which should send several scholars leaping to their local library.

Get this book. Read this book. A few printer's errors aside, it's the best read I've had in a long time.

[A version of this review appears in The Vampire's Crypt 19 (Spring 1999). The Vampire's Crypt web site is: http://members.aol.com/MLCVamp/vampcrpt.htm]

In this collection of essays, Dracula scholar Elizabeth Miller (aka Bloofer) explores various aspects of the vampire text, Stoker's classic novel -- not only the novel itself, but its historical context, literary descendants, and resonances in scholarship and popular culture today.

The first gauntlet that Miller takes up is of course "Vlad Tepes vs. Count Dracula," i.e., the historical versus the literary Dracula. As she observes, there has been so much championing of the connection between Vlad Tepes and Count Dracula that "it has become increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction." This first article reviews sources that perpetuate the unfounded belief that Stoker based his character on extensive knowledge of the historical Dracula, then details evidence for Stoker's near-total ignorance of his fictional character's historical namesake. Miller explains how seemingly corroborating evidence points not to Stoker's familiarity with the historical Vlad, but to Stoker's other sources. For example, the fictional Count's appearance has some similarities to that of the historical Dracula, but more to conventional portrayals of Gothic villains.

The text of DRACULA itself gets a good close look in "The Fearless Vampire Hunters," an analysis of the novel's protagonists. Miller examines the roles that the various "vampire hunters" play, taking an often cynical and ultimately deconstructive look at the novel's heroes: Jonathan Harker, who disobeys his host's injunctions and, in England, shows a lack of concern for Dracula's rights under the law; Seward, whose unwillingness to synthesize data nearly precipitates a disaster for the whole anti-vampire crew; Arthur and Quincey as nearly superfluous clones ("Tweedledee and Tweedledum"); Van Helsing, a scholar, psychic researcher, and detective imbued with all forms of learning except self-analysis -- a bundle of contradictions with a Machiavellian streak; and Mina, in effect the most important vampire hunter of all, who assembles the group's documents and manifests more common sense than the rest put together. In fact, Miller explains how the text itself is a vampire hunter; its power is shown by Dracula's efforts to destroy it.

Several chapters of REFLECTIONS are in effect on spinoffs of DRACULA. "Shape-Shifting Text: Editions and Versions of Dracula" looks at everything from minor differences in early ditions of DRACULA to adaptations for children to the discrepancies in movie versions. Miller examines the pervasiveness of these last, noting that some lines from them have virtually taken on lives of their own, and that Dracula of the silver screen is usually dispatched by some means other than that shown in the novel. This chapter also examines fictional prequels, sequels, and attempts to fill in blanks in Stoker's magnum opus. Spinning still further away, though by no means out of orbit, are chapters on such topics as Transylvania (in Stoker's time and now), geographical locations associated with DRACULA, parallels between DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN, reverberations of Shakespeare in DRACULA, and of course an examination of the appeal of the vampire in general and Dracula in particular.

Nor does Miller ignore the Count's more distant literary kin. In "Has Dracula Lost His Fangs?" scholar and author Margaret L. Carter contributes an essay on the shift away from portrayal of fictional vampires as purely evil beings, examining reinterpretations by Fred Saberhagen, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and Suzy McKee Charnas (THE VAMPIRE TAPESTRY). Carter shows how "these authors present alienness as a positive quality, an opportunity" for the reader to adopt a different perspective. Balanced against Carter's good guy vampires is Miller's essay, which not only notes that the evil Dracula-style vampire is far from dead but details why such stereotypes continue to be effective. Miller briefly describes three notable examples of this type: 'SALEM'S LOT, THEY THIRST, and "Voivode," a short story by Douglas Borton.

Miller literally injects a bit of herself into her book with a chapter on "Life As a Dracula aficionado," which includes anecdotes about her Dracula T-shirt collection, her use of the Internet for research and amusement, and her firsthand knowledge of luminaries in the vampire field. These include Radu Florescu, his outspoken "other half" Raymond McNally, Count Dracula Fan Club president Jeanne Youngson, raconteur par excellence Vincent Hillyer, and DRACULA scholar Clive Leatherdale. Miller comments, "I thought I knew Stoker's novel -- until I met Clive."

Dracula purists may be disappointed at the amount of space this book devotes to arguably peripheral topics at the expense of exploration of Stoker's novel and/or the historical Vlad. There are, however, many books and articles on Dracula, from annotated editions of Stoker's novel to books about the historical character to scholarly journal articles on Dracula both ctional and historical; some of these last have themselves been collected into books. In contrast to works with Dracula as a focus, REFLECTIONS ON DRACULA explores a wide variety of topics that reflect on DRACULA -- reflect quite favorably on it, in fact, for only under the aegis of a rich text indeed is it be possible to assemble topics as diverse as Frankenstein, Shakespeare, and Clontarf (Stoker's birthplace). This book reflects on not only Dracula himself or DRACULA itself but its (or his) far-reaching resonances in our culture, as well as those of contemporary culture in Stoker's original text.

Although written by a university professor, REFLECTIONS ON DRACULA is very lay-readable throughout. By exploring not only DRACULA itself but sometimes tangentially related topics, it validates interest in DRACULA for scholars and laymen alike. In its topics and its style it debunks a number of notions sadly in need of debunking: that Stoker had extensive knowledge of the historical Dracula; that DRACULA is an inferior text unworthy of study; and that books by university professors necessarily show no sense of humor.

How to obtain this book: The fastest way, which will garner you an inscription from the author to boot, is by sending check or money order ($25 US, $35 CDN plus $2.50 S/H) payable to Elizabeth Miller (NO credit cards) to: Dr. Elizabeth Miller, Department of English, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF Canada A1C 5S7. The book is also available from Dark Delicacies (http://www.darkdel.com/) and Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/), both of which accept plastic money.

(excerpted from the original French with translation)

Au sommaire, pas de pretentiueses etudes ... mais 10 textes plutot sympathetiques et agreables a lire. Elizabeth Miller attaque courageusement a la problematique filiation entre Vlad Tepes et le Comte de Stoker. Enterprise delicate, car les deux principaux responsables de la creation de ce "mythe", Radu Florescu et Raymond McNally sont de bons amis de l'auteur. Une bataille d'idee a suivre, mais je suis pleinement du cote de l'iconoclaste Elizabeth Miller dans ce combat titanesque, probablement perdu d'avance! (Norbert Spehner)

[In summary, not pretentious studies but ten pieces both sympathetic and pleasurable to read. Elizabeth Miller bravely attacks the problematic connection between Vlad Tepes and Stoker's Count. This is a delicate undertaking, for the two leading people responsible for creating this "myth", Radu Florescu and Raymond McNally, are good friends of the author. A battle of ideas to follow, but I am fully on the side of the iconoclast Elizabeth Miller in this great debate - probably lost already.]

by Prof Lloyd Worley, University of Northern Colorado

Scholarly, yet written in a clear and fresh style, the first chapter alone is worth the price of the book. Dr. Miller's book, while always personal, is fully reliable as she discusses the history of Vlad II and Stoker's vampire count, as well as her own experiences and research as a "vampire expert." Humorous, fresh, interesting, accurate, filled with sharp observations about society and DRACULA, beginning vampire readers will want this book...and "old-timers" MUST have it. Very highly recommended.

(http://fregalry.interspeed.net)

by Norine Dresser, author of AMERICAN VAMPIRES

Professor Miller's work fills in the gaps of previous Dracula scholarship. Her book is both enlightening and entertaining, and no reader will yawn over these insightful , lively essays.

[http://www.net1plus.com/users/vyrdolak/realvamp.htm]

Dr. Elizabeth Miller is an authority on Bram Stoker and his novel, DRACULA. Among her radical stands is a firm rejection of the highly popularized idea that Stoker "based his fictional character" on the historical Wallachian prince, Vlad Dracula. In this book of essays, Dr. Miller presents her convincing case for the minority view, along with entertaining and informative thoughts about Transylvania and its stereotypes, vampire fandom and the Internet, related literature, analyses of the novel and her own experiences as a Stoker scholar. Eminently readable and recommended for any serious "Dracula" afficionado. Don't call him Vlad!