Dracula
Bram Stoker, Robert Whitfield
2008
(Blackstone Pub, April 1, 2008)
Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award The Dracula mythology has inspired a vast subculture, but the story has never been better told than by Bram Stoker. He succeeds entirely in his aim to terrify. His myth is powerful because it allows evil to remain mysterious while virtuous action has no impact. The high virtue of Lucy can simply be drained away, as her blood is drained away, until she too joins the vampire brood. Van Helsing's high-thinking and scientific skill cannot resist the dreadful potency of the un-dead. Only the old magic -- a crucifix, garlic, a wooden stake -- can provide effective weapons against the Count's appalling power. Bram (Abraham) Stoker (1847-1912) was born in Dublin and entered Trinity College in 1866. He became a civil servant as well as a drama critic and editor before settling in London where he worked in theater. He wrote fifteen works of fiction, of which the classic horror tale Dracula (1897) is the most famous. Robert Whitfield, winner of numerous Earphones Awards, was born in England. He worked for ten years as a radio news announcer for the BBC and as a narrator for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London. In addition to narrating for Blackstone Audio, he is involved in numerous stage-acting projects in the United States and Europe.