dracula-abridged

[dracula-abridged]

Update: In the text of the document I had entered footnotes explaining errors in abridged text that were not reproduced in the document. These notes were included in the total word count.

I have subtracted them now, and the final word count is 135,890, which is a reduction of 28,461 words or 17.32 percent.

According to How Long to Read, the 1897 Dracula publication has 164,351 words.

I have just finished my first proofread of the abridged text, which comes in at 136,054 words.

This is a reduction of 28,297 words, or 17.22 percent.

[dracula-abridged]

Bram Stoker's Favorite Words

And How Often They Appear in Both Versions of Dracula

Grave/Gravely/Etc.

Original Text: 68 times

Abridged Text: 59 times

Stern/Sternly/Etc.

Original Text: 28 times

Abridged Text: 23 times

Voluptuous/Voluptuousness/Etc.

Original Text: 12 times

Abridged Text: 12 times

[dracula-abridged]

According to How Long to Read, the 1897 Dracula publication has 164,351 words.

I have just finished my first proofread of the abridged text, which comes in at 136,054 words.

This is a reduction of 28,297 words, or 17.22 percent.

[dracula-abridged]

In the abridged book I am using for the transcription process, some sadist decided to make the font of the letters and telegrams roughly half the size of the font for the diary entries. And the font for the diary entries wasn't big to begin with.

why would someone do this

[dracula-abridged]

Do you know what it's like trying to proofread for errors in Stoker's phonetically written speech and/or Van Helsing dialogue

It hurts

[dracula-abridged]

it's back

The blog activity looks a little like bat ears.

[dracula-abridged]

The blog activity looks a little like bat ears.

[dracula-abridged]

Update

I have finished transcribing the 1901 abridged text of Dracula. I am going to take a break from it for a while before proofreading, as I find it easier to spot errors after time has passed. I will proofread the text and make sure that the document is accessible for screen reader programs before its release.

Currently, the document is 306 pages (8.5 x 11, 1.15 line spacing, 1 inch margins all around, size 13 Arial font. I chose Arial in size 13 as it is said to be a good font for dyslexic readers). This is counting both the title page and the "these papers have been placed in sequence" page.

While transcribing, I have made a draft post for each entry containing the abridged text, and another containing a list of differences between the abridged version and the original. I will queue these posts to release for Dracula Daily 2026, since Dracula Daily 2025 is already underway.

Continue to watch this space for the eventual release of the abridged PDF, as well as other information. I may make a list of the best and worst abridgments, or some memes to clown on some of Stoker's choices during the abridging process.

[dracula-abridged]

Abridging Update

I am still in the process of transcribing the abridged Dracula text, and have reached October 25. I wanted to make an update here to share an interesting discovery in the process:

The abridged novel adds a diary entry from Dr. Seward on 24 October. This does not contain new writing by Stoker, however; it is a paragraph of Seward's diary from the following day that has been moved to fix an error in the timeline. Still, it's fascinating to see, especially as Stoker left other errors with the dates intact.

[dracula-abridged]

What is Dracula Abridged?

In 1897, Bram Stoker's novel Dracula was published by Archibald Constable and Company. In 1901, they published a paperback edition which was abridged by Stoker himself. Stoker removed roughly 15 percent of the novel, or approximately 25,000 words.

This abridged text has only been published twice, first in 1901 and again in 1994. Still, there are some Dracula scholars, such as Raymond McNally and Robert Eighteen-Bisang, who assert that the abridged text is the superior version.

While this blogger does not share that assertion, it is fascinating to see what Stoker himself considered inessential to his narrative. Due to the rarity of this text, existing copies are expensive and infrequently available. As such, Dracula Abridged strives to create a free PDF of the 1901 text for all Dracula fans to enjoy.

This post will be updated with a link once the abridged PDF is complete.