Bram Stoker, Jewel of Seven Stars

Anactoria Clarke (The Open University)
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Bram Stoker’s

The Jewel of Seven Stars

is something of a literary conundrum. First published in 1903, it left readers and critics confused by its ending; republished in 1912, the novel had a different, more straightforward but less interesting ending. Critics remain unclear as to whether Stoker himself rewrote the ending, although William Hughes suggests that since in 1908 Stoker wrote an essay against censorship by publishers, any alteration is more likely to have been made by Stoker’s hand. This uncertainty adds to the intrigue of the novel.

The Jewel of Seven Stars adds an interesting progression to Stoker’s previous writing, the most notable of which is Dracula, in that it continues in the gothic horror genre, specifically ‘imperial gothic’. The novel examines how scientific

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Citation: Clarke, Anactoria. "Jewel of Seven Stars". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 December 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38927, accessed 13 December 2024.]

38927 Jewel of Seven Stars 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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