Bram Stoker - Classic Literature Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was born near Dublin on November 8, 1847. His father was a civil servant, and he was a Protestant. Bram was quite sickly as a child and, by his own account; he never stood upright until he was seven years old.
Stoker remained somewhat shy and bookish, but by adolescence he began to develop into a fine athlete. He went to Trinity College, Dublin and graduated with honors in mathematics. He was named University Athlete, and became president of both the Philosophical and Historical Society.
Stoker had always dreamed of becoming a writer. However, his father had other ideas and after graduation, secured Stoker a civil service position at Dublin Castle. He was there from 1870 through 1877.
Bram continued to retain his ties to Trinity College, and spoke frequently at the Philosophical Society on a variety of topics. He also began a correspondence with Walt Whitman due to his interest in Romantic poets. This lasted until Whitman’s death.
Stoker wrote regularly during his time at Dublin Castle. His first work "Duties of Clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland: The Collected Works of Bram Stoker" was not published, however, until 1879. He published stories in magazines such as "The Crystal Cup" (1872) and "The Chain of Destiny" (1875). He also was a theatre critic for Dublin’s Evening Mail.
Stoker was an avid theatre-goer and became an admirer of Henry Irving, writing glowing reviews of his work. He was regularly a participant with Dublin’s elite, due to the Historical Society, and became friends with Sir William and Lady Wilde, the parents of Oscar Wilde.
Stoker competed with Oscar Wilde for the hand of Florence Balcombe, and in 1878 they were married. Shortly thereafter, they left for London, where Stoker had accepted the position of business manager for Henry Irving’s Lyceum Theatre.
Stoker continued to write from his new position, yet also worked tirelessly on behalf of Irving. His first child, Noel, was born in 1879. There was constant touring and promotional work, both in Britain and even North America.
Stoker published his first book "Under the Sunset" in 1882. In 1890, his first full-length novel "The Snake’s Pass" was published. He also continued to write for newspapers during this time.
Stoker began to do research for his next novel during 1890. He researched and wrote in conjunction with his traveling duties for Irving. Many have argued that Irving provided the model for Stcker’s best known character, Count Dracula, perhaps as some sort of unconscious revenge on the man for whom he had sacrificed so much.
Stoker published "Dracula" in 1897. It was met with world-wide acclaim. It tells the story of the vampire Count who is relentlessly pursued by those who wished him destroyed. It was written in the format of a diary by Jonathan Harker.
Stoker continued to work for Irving even after "Dracula" was published. He also continued to write short stories, articles and novels.
Irving collapsed and died while on tour in 1905. This affected Stoker greatly, and he himself, suffered a stoke. He continued his work, however, and published "Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving" in 1906, the year after Irving’s death, as a tribute.
Stoker wrote many other short stories and novels. Among these were "The Jewel of Seven Stars" published in 1903, and The Lair of the White Worm" published in 1911, also made into a movie in much later years.
Stoker died on April 20, 1912. His son Noel blamed Irving for working Stoker so hard that he finally became worn out. Despite all of his other writing, Stoker’s name remains inextricably linked to Dracula, his most famous book and character.
