[Archive] Spotlight, Review & Giveaway for Jim Steinmeyer & Who Was Dracula?_6.16.13
6/16/13 Spotlight, Review & Giveaway for Jim Steinmeyer Who Was Dracula? The New York Times calls Jim Steinmeyer the "celebrated invisible man—inventor, designer and creative brain behind many of the great stage magicians of the last quarter-century." His illusions have been seen from Broadway, London’s West End, Las Vegas, and in Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. He's the author of best-selling books about magic and magic history, including Hiding the Elephant, and The Glorious Deception. Recognized for his extensive, innovative creations in magic, a recent profile concluded that Jim was "the best living originator of stage illusions," noting his many creations as the "defining illusions in contemporary magic." Jim Steinmeyer has worked with virtually every leading magician around the world, produced magic on television, and written extensively on his illusions as well as his research into the history of magic. You can find out more about Jim online at his Website. Hello everyone! I'm very happy to be promoting for Jim Steinmeyer today! The book I'm here to tell you all about isn't the exact 'normal' for the site, but it does stay along our lines. Jim has a ton of books available, but I'm here to promote Who Was Dracula: Bram Stoker's Trail of Blood, his recent release from April 4, 2013. I was asked if I wanted to read this book for review and I have to admit I didn't expect to enjoy it... as it turned out, I LOVED it, and now I want to share the love with all of you! :) Who was Dracula was simply fascinating. If you're a fan of Dracula, the myths surrounding him, the times of Victorian England, or Bram Stoker and the other Romance and Gothic writers of the period, this book is definitely for you!
Who Was Dracula? Bram Stoker's Trail of Blood Buy from Amazon | B&N | Book Depository An acclaimed historian sleuths out literature’s most famous vampire, uncovering the source material – from folklore and history, to personas including Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman – behind Bram Stoker’s bloody creation. In more than a century of vampires in pop culture, only one lord of the night truly stands out: Dracula. Though the name may conjure up images of Bela Lugosi lurking about in a cape and white pancake makeup in the iconic 1931 film, the character of Dracula—a powerful, evil Transylvanian aristocrat who slaughters repressed Victorians on a trip to London—was created in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel of the same name, a work so popular it has spawned limitless reinventions in books and film. But where did literature’s undead icon come from? What sources inspired Stoker to craft a monster who would continue to haunt our dreams (and desires) for generations? Historian Jim Steinmeyer, who revealed the men behind the myths in The Last Greatest Magician in the World, explores a question that has long fascinated literary scholars and the reading public alike: Was there a real-life inspiration for Stoker’s Count Dracula? Hunting through archives and letters, literary and theatrical history, and the relationships and events that gave shape to Stoker’s life, Steinmeyer reveals the people and stories behind the Transylvanian legend. In so doing, he shows how Stoker drew on material from the careers of literary contemporaries Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde; reviled personas such as Jack the Ripper and the infamous fifteenth-century prince Vlad Tepes, as well as little-known but significant figures, including Stoker’s onetime boss, British stage star Henry Irving, and Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle, Robert Roosevelt (thought to be a model for Van Helsing). Along the way, Steinmeyer depicts Stoker’s life in Dublin and London, his development as a writer, involvement with London’s vibrant theater scene, and creation of one of horror’s greatest masterpieces. Combining historical detective work with literary research, Steinmeyer’s eagle eye provides an enthralling tour through Victorian culture and the extraordinary literary monster it produced. Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson: *ARC received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Jim Steinmeyer's Who Was Dracula is a delightful pastiche of research & knowledge intertwined with captivating literary allocution. The fact behind the fiction reveals the complicated social web among the Victorian elite at the time of the novel - both famous and infamous - and shows that the brilliance behind the novel is the fact that there was no brilliance behind the novel. I loved the factual story woven by Steinmeyer, & truly felt that both my book addict/paranormal junkie side, as well as my inner nerd were properly titillated. Reading the book immediately made me go back & skim the Classic again, do a ton of Google searches to get more caught up with the primary players mentioned throughout the book, and rewatch the 1931 Bela Lugosi production of the film, all of which reminded me why the delicate simplicity of the horror from that time is still king. Steinmeyer's tale can be summed up best by the brilliant last line of the book - "A truly great nightmare is once experienced, never forgotten. It is summoned again when we simply close our eyes. It needs nothing but imagination.it is never very far away." LITERAL ADDICTION gives Who Was Dracula 5 Skulls. I was thrilled!
CONTEST: LITERAL ADDICTION is giving away a Copy of Who Was Dracula? in print, Kindle or Nook format to one lucky winner! To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget for today's Event on our Book Review page, follow the directions, take action, and mark as 'Done'. Good luck, and as always, HAPPY READING!!
