Dracula's Guest

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

10150

Title

Dracula's Guest

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A chilling tale of vanity and doppelgänger horror, this novella follows a London merchant who adopts a ridiculous Highland costume for a Scottish holiday. His obsession leads to a supernatural encounter in the quicksand where he faces his own reflection, ultimately destroying his 'worse self' and finding redemption.

Summary up to 500 words

In Bram Stoker's *Dracula's Guest*, Arthur Fernlee Markam, a vain London merchant, travels to Aberdeenshire wearing an elaborate, ill-fitting Highland costume purchased from a dubious supplier. Upon arrival, his family and local residents mock his appearance, causing him deep shame. Despite his wife's pleas, Markam's British obstinacy keeps him in the garb. While walking alone on the beach at low tide, he sees his own image on a distant rock. Terrified, he slides into the quicksand between two rocks. A local fisherman rescues him, but Markam is haunted by the prophecy of a madman: 'Meet thyself face to face, and repent ere the quicksand shall swallow thee.' Markam becomes convinced he is a 'doppelgänger,' possessing a double existence. He discovers that while he walks on the firm sand, his reflection sinks into the quicksand, leaving footprints that disappear. Consumed by fear and guilt, he resolves to abandon the costume. On a final moonlit night, he stands on the rock and sees his 'worse self' emerge from the quicksand. As the two figures face each other, the reflection sinks, and Markam flees in terror. He believes the evil duplicate has been destroyed. He returns home, discards the costume into the quicksand, and finds peace. However, a letter from his clothing supplier reveals that his partner, who bought a similar suit, also saw a 'wraith' and vanished, suggesting the horror is not yet over.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10150.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg10150.epub

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Categories

• Short Stories
• Horror
• Gothic Fiction