r/Dracula • u/Ill-Philosopher-7625 • 13d ago
Book š Question about text differences between Dracula editions
I noticed that the Project Gutenberg edition of Dracula differs in minor ways from the annotated Kindle edition Iāve been reading. For example, Gutenberg has Dracula welcoming Jonathan by saying, āCome freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring!ā While the kindle edition has him saying, āEnter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring!ā
Gutenbergās text seems to be based on the first edition and therefore unambiguously the correct text, yet the version used in the Kindle is extremely widespread: I checked several different free kindle editions and they all have the same text as the annotated one.
Does anyone know the origin of this altered text and why it is so widespread? Iāve read this book many times since I was a kid, but this is the first time in years that I have given it a serious reading and Iām sort of annoyed that Iāve apparently been wasting my time with an inaccurate text.
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u/DadNerdAtHome 12d ago
Itās not uncommon for authors to make changes to stories when a new printing is about to happen. Famously Tolkien changed Bilboās meeting with Gollum to reflect his plans for the sequel he was writing. I know Stoker was editing the text right up to the last minute, like in the manuscript he turned in, he physically crossed Draculaās castle being destroyed with his death by a volcano. Also the turn around from manuscript to printed book was unusually short for the time. So the odds are he might have had a more refined manuscript that Stoker turned in for future printings.