Dracula (novel)

Dracula (吸血鬼ドラキュラ,) is a horror novel written by Bram Stoker.

It was first published in May 1897 by Archibald Constable and Company in London. Doubleday later published an American edition in 1899. Later in 1930, Universal Studios purchased the rights to make a film version, and spawned multiple film series about the novel; rarely which, it's accurately adapted with minor or significant changes made.

It is the gothic novel upon which countless series, movies, books, ect. are based on, including Hellsing.

Story
Dracula comprises journal entries, letters, and telegrams written by the main characters. It begins with Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, as he travels to Transylvania. Harker plans to meet with Count Dracula, a client of his firm, in order to finalize a property transaction. When he arrives in Transylvania, the locals react with terror after he discloses his destination: Castle Dracula. Though this unsettles him slightly, he continues onward. The ominous howling of wolves rings through the air as he arrives at the castle.

When Harker meets Dracula, he acknowledges that the man is pale, gaunt, and strange. Harker becomes further concerned when, after Harker cuts himself while shaving, Dracula lunges at his throat. Soon after, Harker is seduced by three female vampires, from whom he barely escapes. He then learns Dracula’s secret—that he is a vampire and survives by drinking human blood. Harker correctly assumes that he is to be the Count’s next victim. He attacks the Count, but his efforts are unsuccessful. Dracula leaves Harker trapped in the castle and then, along with 50 boxes of dirt, departs for England.

Characters

 * Abraham Van Helsing
 * A doctor, professor, lawyer, philosopher, scientist and metaphysics, Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a well-known genius who had decades of experience and education; in which, he's an expert in vampires, which comes in handy when John Seward, his student was in-need of help to assist with the mysterious illness of Lucy Westenra. Thinking about the time when Seward saved his life - a favor he won't forget and is hoping to return it back, Abraham immediately went to England to try and save Lucy - however, failed to do. But, his expertise in vampires was able to save poor Mina Harker from Dracula's curse, and he's the genius behind the plan to end Dracula once, and for all.


 * Jonathan Harker
 * A recently qualified solicitor from Exeter, Jonathan Harker is soon tasked with helping the mysterious Count Dracula who wanted to move to England. Unbeknownst to Harker, this was all planned for Dracula to leave him alone with the three Brides of his as a food. Soon, Harker is taken as prisoner by the Count who leaves for London to spread his curse all over England. Fortunately for Harker, he managed to escape from Castle Dracula and finds refugee at a convent. With the help of the nuns, he sends a letter to Mina Murray, his fiancée of his appearance.


 * Mina Harker
 * A young schoolmistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and best friends with Lucy Westenra. Unfortunately for Mina Harker, Dracula took notice of the plot against him so in turn, bites onto Mina at least three times; afterwards, feeding Mina with her own blood, in which dooms Mina to become a vampire. However, Van Helsing found a telepathic link to the Count in Mina and used this against the horrid Count who escapes to Transylvania.


 * John Seward
 * The first of the three men engaged with Lucy Westenra, John Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Befriended and had saved Van Helsing's life, Van Helsing vows to offer Seward help with any difficulties as he is much grateful for his assistance. Aiding Van Helsing would prove one of the smartest move Seward had done; as for this, Dracula is finished once and for all.


 * Quincey Morris
 * The second of the three men engaged with Lucy Westenra, Quincey Morris is a rich young American from Texas; carrying a bowie knife all the time. During the final confrontation with the Count, Morris sacrificed himself in order to struck Dracula with his bowie knife in the heart; in doing so, Morris was gravely injured and passes away. Out of respect for his former friend, Harker names his son after his comrade.


 * Arthur Holmwood
 * The third and final of the three men engaged with Lucy Westenra, Arthur Holmwood is the only son of Lord Goldaming- a wealthy aristocrat. Throughout the novel, Holmwood's father dies, so he inherits his father's title as "Lord Godalming." Through his wealth, the group of Vampire Hunters is able to fund the operation and money necessary to defeat the Vampire Lord. While he was chosen by Lucy Westenra over the others that proposed to her, Holmwood was faced into a painful task to finish off Westenra who had become an undead.


 * Count Dracula
 * Main antagonist of the novel, Count Dracula is the mysterious vampire king whom set out to spread his undead curse in all of England. At the time the novel takes place, Count Dracula was said to have a "child-brain" by Professor Van Helsing, a reference not to lack of reasoning ability but only his ignorance (at the time) of how far his powers extended. This is possibly was what allowed Helsing to defeat and dominate him in the end. In addition, at one point his costume is said to include white gloves, and his personality, as revealed by the patient Renfield, paints him as an (often smiling) man of action rather than words.

Chapters

 * Note: In between chapters, there are several journals, diary, messages, and more. Specials may also vary depending on the versions of the book you own.

Connection to Hellsing
As said in the manga during Alucard's return to London, he previously sailed in on a Russian Ship known as the Demeter. In addition, in a flashback: Van Helsing, having defeated Alucard, made mention of the mark of a communion wafer on her body. This is a reference to Mina Harker, whose blood was taken by Dracula and who took his blood into herself, the sign of which is shown when a communion waffer (a holy object) touched to her head burned it. Mina's remains were later acquired by Millennium and used to create their artificial vampires.

In an interview about the upcoming OVA adaptation of his manga, Kohta Hirano was asked if Hellsing was a homage to Dracula, to which Hirano replied that while Hellsing is not a sequel to the novel, the events of the novel did indeed took place within the world of Hellsing.

Hellsing's connection to the 1992 movie adaptation of the novel
It's been said that the novel took place in Hellsing, there are some elements in which, Hirano had placed which he clearly took from the movie adaptation. Dracula's identity and turning into a vampire is a prime example of the debated subject, in which the movie had Dracula abandoned God feeling that he had betrayed him, so he turned to the devil and drank blood in the process after finding out that his wife had committed suicide because of a false note sent by the enemy team. As he mourns the death of his wife, the church informed Vlad that her soul could not be saved and is damned for eternity due to her acts, which enrages the Impaler in the process.

While how it played out was different, the reason for why Vlad did it was for the same reason: he thought that God had abandoned him. In the original novel however, how Dracula became a vampire and why he did so, and even who he truly is remains unknown.

In addition, in a chapter narrating Alucard's return to London and how it parallels the first time he arrived, it was mentioned that he was searching for a "woman he desired." In the film, Dracula came to England and when meeting Mina, he found similarities between her and his past wife; therefore, desiring her. In the novel, Dracula simply came to England to spread his undead curse all over the world.

Trivia

 * At one point, after Lucy Westenra's "death," Van Helsing begins to laugh, and when questioned explains that he laughs at the fallacies of others "Because I know." The monologue, in that the character explains their apparent insensitivity, is similar to the speech Alucard gives to Integra, "Because I am a monster."
 * The image of Alucard kneeling over the ground and licking up the blood is probably inspired by an identical stance taken by his servant Renfield at one point in the novel.