I reviewed this on our other account, as follows: Although Bram Stoker (1847-1912) is chiefly remembered for his masterpiece “Dracula”, he authored 14 other novels and several short stories. Romantic and Horrific Stories is a collection of 21 of his short stories, works whose origins span from 1875 through the turn of the century. Many of these stories have not previously been reprinted in book form, though they may be findable online. Overall, this volume offers a fine introduction to Stoker’s short fiction, to readers interested in literary offerings less prominent than his famous Gothic novel.

Having loved and admired “Dracula” (while intensely disliking his “Lair of the White Worm”), I was very pleased to receive this book as an Early Reviewer selection. It contains 19 short stories that match the title, since they range from supernatural ("horror" stories) to light romances. In my estimation, the stories vary widely in quality and interest (at least to a 21st century reader). Two in the supernatural vein struck me as very good -- “The Burial of the Rats” and “The Judge’s House.” Other notable items include “Buried Treasures,” “The Secret of the Growing Gold,” “When the Sky Rains Gold,” “The Watter’s Mou,” and “A Dream of Red Hands.” Overall, I am glad to have had the chance to survey Stoker’s short fiction.

Below, I have listed the 21 stories that are included, along with my own ratings (on a 5-star scale):

The Chain of Destiny 1*
Castle of the King 1*
Buried Treasures 3*
The Crystal Cup --
The Secret of the Growing Gold 3*
The Squaw 2*
When the Sky Rains Gold 3*
The Judge’s House 4*
Our New House 1*
The Watter’s Mou 3*
Bengal Roses
A Yellow Duster 1*
The Young Widow 1*
The Bridal of Death 1*
A Star Trap 2*
The Way of Peace 1*
The Burial of the Rats 4*
A Dream of Red Hands 3*
Greater Love 3* ( )

Although Bram Stoker (1847-1912) is chiefly remembered for his masterpiece “Dracula”, he authored 14 other novels and several short stories. Romantic and Horrific Stories is a collection of 21 of his short stories, works whose origins span from 1875 through the turn of the century. Many of these stories have not previously been reprinted in book form, though they may be findable online. Overall, this volume offers a fine introduction to Stoker’s short fiction, to readers interested in literary offerings less prominent than his famous Gothic novel.

Having loved and admired “Dracula” (while intensely disliking his “Lair of the White Worm”), I was very pleased to receive this book as an Early Reviewer selection. It contains 19 short stories that match the title, since they range from supernatural ("horror" stories) to light romances. In my estimation, the stories vary widely in quality and interest (at least to a 21st century reader). Two in the supernatural vein struck me as very good -- “The Burial of the Rats” and “The Judge’s House.” Other notable items include “Buried Treasures,” “The Secret of the Growing Gold,” “When the Sky Rains Gold,” “The Watter’s Mou,” and “A Dream of Red Hands.” Overall, I am glad to have had the chance to survey Stoker’s short fiction.

Below, I have listed the 21 stories that are included, along with my own ratings (on a 5-star scale):

The Chain of Destiny 1*
Castle of the King 1*
Buried Treasures 3*
The Crystal Cup --
The Secret of the Growing Gold 3*
The Squaw 2*
When the Sky Rains Gold 3*
The Judge’s House 4*
Our New House 1*
The Watter’s Mou 3*
Bengal Roses
A Yellow Duster 1*
The Young Widow 1*
The Bridal of Death 1*
A Star Trap 2*
The Way of Peace 1*
The Burial of the Rats 4*
A Dream of Red Hands 3*
Greater Love 3* ( )

A very good collection of short stories give insight into Stoker's range as a writer. As with any collection some selections are more appealing to a reader than others. I found several to be exceptional with only a couple not being enjoyable. An excellent example of the writing style of the period. ( )

This is a nice edition of a set of Bram Stoker stories I had not read before. There is quite a range of stories (published originally between 1872-1915). I do wish there was a foreword or introduction from a scholar to put the stories in some context.

Reading this book reminded me of something I should have remembered about Stoker after reading Lair of the White Worm. Namely, that the reason why none of his stuff other than Dracula is read frequently is because most everything else he's written pretty much sucks.