A Literary Hero
Dracula: Finding of a Shadow is a bold reimagining of Bram Stoker’s gothic masterpiece, presenting it as a stage play that mingles dark comedy, high drama, and an intriguing exploration of vampiric lore. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Dracula – is one of the most successful heroes of mass culture, who came to us from the pages of the famous gothic novel by Bram Stoker “Dracula”, written over 125 years ago. This book (“Dracula: Finding of a Shadow”) is dedicated to the image and character of Dracula: how it was formed, how it has transformed over the years, its future, and further development in the world of literature, film, and theatre.
Did you find anything in your research of this book that surprised you?
In the recently discovered Bram Stoker’s diaries and notes, published by the great-grand-nephew of the famous author – Dacre Stoker, I have found for myself a number of answers to questions about how this literary hero was born, why the author awarded him particular characteristics and qualities. I’ve also discovered information about Bram’s attitude towards theatre in general and the staging of his novel in particular. You can read all about it in the Foreword, written by Dacre Stoker himself, and also in the exclusive interview with Dacre included in the book.
In my original play “Dracula: Finding of a Shadow” the character of Count Dracula is presented as a collective image, based not only on the original novel by Bram Stoker, but also the prequel and the sequel, co-authored by Dacre Stoker, who used Bram’s notes and diaries to create them.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book – “Teach Me How to Die. A Novella and Other Stories” – is currently being published. It is my first prosaic experience. The novella “Teach Me How to Die” is dedicated to a very important issue of our time – suicide and its prevention. I believe the book will be released this summer.
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as the 175th anniversary of its author, Bram Stoker. In the foreword, written by the great-
grandnephew of the writer, Dacre Stoker, we discover that Bram Stoker worked in theater, loved
theater, and was inspired by the dramatic art. Dacre’s exclusive interview introduces the results
of his detective-research of various documents and Bram’s personal journals and notes — all of
the many discoveries led to the creation of the prequel, Dracul, and the sequel, Dracula the Un-
Dead.
Lisa Monde’s play Dracula: Finding of a Shadow was inspired by the original novel by
Bram Stoker, as well as both – the sequel and the prequel. The play had several Off-Broadway
productions. This current edition also includes an original play by the guest-playwright Thomas
R. Gordon – Dracula: Bloodlines. Both plays premiered at the Gene Frankel Theater in New
York City.
Over ten years ago, Lisa published her first scientific article on the evolution of the image
of Dracula in literature and art. Besides the plays, two essays by Lisa Monde are also included in
this book, both shedding light on the mystery of the birth of the stellar literary character and the
evolution of the image of Dracula.
In the Epilogue, Lisa summarizes the stages of the path traversed by Dracula in literature
and other types of art, as well as shares her ideas on Dracula’s future.
Posted on March 5, 2025, in Interviews and tagged author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, Dracula: Finding of a Shadow, ebook, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, gothic fiction, indie author, kindle, kobo, Lisa Monde, literature, nook, novel, paranormal, read, reader, reading, story, Thomas R. Gordon, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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