Micheal Geare & Micheal Corby - Dracula's Diary

[dem bones]

Micheal Geare & Micheal Corby - Dracula's Diary (Buchan & Enright, 1982)

David Jaques

Blurb:

8th October 18 – –

`So much to explain', said Uncle Vlad. 'Dear boy, do you believe you are exactly as other men?'
`Well, I am much richer and better than most ... '
`You are more. You are one of us, and we are Vampires. We are the Undead . . . we survive only by sucking blood, by drinking blood, from living men. Or better,' Uncle Vlad added with a rasp in his throat, 'from living maidens.'

Thus an early extract from poor, dear Count Dracula's private diary, a late 19th-century document (only recently discovered) that does much to show us the greatly maligned vampire in his true colours – chiefly red and black. The Diary follows the young Count from the discovery of his tragic heredity throughout his adventures in England, a pageant of Victorian fife that takes us from his education (by tutor, then Eton and Balliol) to his encounters with many of the leading figures of the day, among them Swinburne, Dr. Jekyll, Alfred Austin, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, to his work for England which brings him the Queen's personal approbation, and, of course, to his friendship with Bram Stoker, whose extravagant, if popular, Gothic novel Dracula has been an embarrassment to the Transylvanian clan ever since.

The author of the widely acclaimed Opening Account and Cyril Pure's Diary (1981) and his colleague turn their wit on the timeless and universal Victorian monster; a clever, hilarious and engaging novel for all who love Dracula or who enjoyed Flashman.