6 h 28 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A bright day in Munich leads a stubborn traveller toward a lonely tomb—and warnings he refuses to heed.
In Bram Stoker’s short gothic story Dracula’s Guest, an Englishman stops in Munich on his way to Transylvania. Before his carriage drive, hotel manager Herr Delbrück urges him to return before dark. His coachman, Johann, knows the country’s old fears and begs him to stay on the road. But the traveller’s curiosity carries him beyond their warnings.
It is the eve of Walpurgis Night, when old folk belief says spirits and witches walk. Pleasant fields and pine woods give way to cold air and a darkening sky. On foot, the Englishman finds himself caught in thickening snow. Among cypress trees stands the Countess’s marble tomb, its inscription drawing him closer as the storm closes around him.
What you’ll discover
- Warnings brushed aside Feel the tension between a traveller’s confidence and the fears of those who know the country.
- A landscape turning strange Follow a pleasant country drive toward cold, gathering clouds and the white dark of snow.
- Old fears abroad Enter the uneasy atmosphere of Walpurgis Night, shaped by beliefs about wandering spirits and witches.
- The tomb among cypresses Approach a grand, isolated tomb whose inscription catches the curious Englishman’s attention.
- One night of dread Discover a brief, self-contained tale of fear on the road toward Transylvania.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy ghost stories, gothic atmosphere, curses and omens will love these tales. They offer varied voices, eerie places and sudden shocks, with room for curiosity, guilt and pride.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A walk on Walpurgis Night in Bavaria
- A tomb in the snow and a stake
- A student, a house and an enormous rat
- A honeymoon, a kitten and the Iron Virgin
- The Brents, the Delandres and a scandal
- A fortune read from a palm
- A coin toss on Flagstaff Rock
- Among the rubbish heaps outside Paris
- A dream, and a hat with an eagle's feather
Who’s who
- JohannA Munich coachman who knows what Walpurgis Night means and begs his English passenger not to leave the road.
- Malcolm MalcolmsonA mathematics student who rents the Judge's House for peace and quiet, and trusts numbers more than any talk of omens.
- Elias P. HutchesonA boastful American in Nuremberg who seeks every unusual experience, however dangerous, and shows kindness to people and animals.
- Geoffrey BrentThe last heir of an old, worn-out family, handsome and cold, who brings Margaret Delandre to Brent's Rock.
- Joshua ConsidineA cheerful young barrister who laughs off a Gypsy Queen's warning and tells his wife about it at once.
- Abel BehennaA thoughtful Cornish sailor who wins a coin toss for Sarah Trefusis and must earn their future at sea.
- Eric SansonAbel's fair and fiery rival, a proud man who vows to marry Sarah if his friend is not back in time.
- Arthur Fernlee MarkamA London merchant on holiday in Scotland who insists on wearing a Highland costume of his own design.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 28 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear L’ospite di Dracula in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
L’ospite di Dracula
by Bram Stoker · 1914
Outside Munich, a coachman crosses himself as his passenger points down a deserted road.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
A coachman crosses himself and begs you to turn back. Why?
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A walk on Walpurgis Night in Bavaria
The title story opens in Munich, on a bright morning in early summer. An English traveller hires a carriage, and the hotel manager warns the driver to be back by nightfall, because of what night it is.
The driver, Johann, grows more afraid with every mile. The horses sniff the air and shy at a crossroads where a suicide lies buried. Johann tells of a deserted village down a side road, where the dead are said to have risen with rosy faces and blood on their lips. The Englishman laughs, sends him home, and walks on alone with his oak stick.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about L’ospite di Dracula
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Dracula's Guest about?
It is a collection of nine short tales by Bram Stoker, including the title story about a traveller caught in a graveyard on Walpurgis Night, plus stories of haunted houses, curses, prophecies and chases.
Is Dracula's Guest connected to the novel Dracula?
The title story follows an English traveller who dismisses his coachman's fears about Walpurgis Night. The other eight tales stand alone, with no connection to the vampire story.
What does Walpurgis Night mean in the story?
In the title story, Walpurgis Night is the night when, according to old belief, the devil is abroad and the dead leave their graves. The coachman Johann fears it deeply.
The author
Bram Stoker
1847–1912 · Irish Gothic novelist
Bram Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, born in Dublin in 1847. He moved to London in 1878 and worked as manager of the Lyceum Theatre. He wrote Dracula (1897), The Jewel of Seven Stars (1903), and The Lair of the White Worm (1911). He died in London in 1912.
More by Bram Stoker
All 7 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
