Lost (and found) in translation

‘Dracula’ gets Icelandic makeover

“Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula” by Valdimar Asmundsson started as a direct translation of the original “Dracula” by Irish novelist Bram Stoker into the Icelandic language. However, Stoker’s 1897 Gothic novel eventually morphed into a beast of its own, becoming a fraternal twin by the time it was published in 1901 as “Makt Myrkranna (Powers of Darkness).”

While Stoker’s Dracula was a proverbial shadow from out of the corner of one’s eye, Asmundsson’s version is more a carnival of horror, with the castle itself the main stage. This allows for a new star of the book to rise, the alluring blondhaired bride of Dracula, the Countess. While Dracula was Mina Harker’s incubus, ghoulishly tearing at her throat in the original version, the Countess becomes Thomas Harker’s succubus in Asmundsson’s version. She fawns over him, comes to him in his sleep, and begs him to remove the cross all the while kissing and fondling him. Her appearances range from gorgeous to frightening. She even bears her bloody breasts in one chance meeting with Harker.

Speaking of gore, Asmundsson’s version of “Dracula” is practically dripping with it, with Dracula himself splashing a sacrificial maiden’s blood about his person. The body count here is higher, with more gruesome deaths and far more nudity. At times, the book reads more like a horror film of the 1970s than a product of the Victorian era. It may be more helpful to think of “The Powers of Darkness” as a complete reboot and not a translation per se.

The castle itself is much darker and more imposing than in Stoker’s original. The floor plan is more twisting and intricate, with sinister servants and secret passageways added. Thomas Harker spends a much longer time in the castle than before. His sanity slips, especially with the Countess molesting him in his bed. Would Bram Stoker himself have recognized his own characters? Who knows.

Dracula’s dynamic with Harker in Stoker’s original was much more intimate. In “Dracula,” the monstrous Count often screamed that Harker belonged to him. In this version, Harker becomes a mere plaything to be thrown at the Countess. Unfortunately, other cast members suffer from role reductions in the second part of the book. The mysterious Renfield is absent. Lucy (Lucia in this version) is visited in her sick bed by the Count, but the death of her mother is mentioned only in passing. Unfortunately, even the Countess is given little to do outside the castle other than merely being a socialite. This is a pity, considering how “Dracula” built her up. In the original, she told Harker about holding much power over other noble families from her bed alone.

While “Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula” makes the castle come alive, introduces a seductive female nemesis, and holds much greater gore, it lacks the psychological horror and larger cast that made the original so much more compelling. Nevertheless, it will be applauded as a welcome addition to the Dracula cannon by any fan of the official release. Translator Hans Corneel de Roos introduces Asmundsson’s version to Englishspeaking audiences more than a century after it first saw the light of day. Even where it stumbles in comparison to the original, it provides an atmospheric and shock-filled touch to a bloody and familiar tale that has inspired shivers of terror for generations of readers.