The Carpathian Castle, also known as The Castle of the Carpathians, The Castle in Transylvania, and Rodolphe de Gortz; or the Castle of the Carpathians, (French: Le Château des Carpathes) is a novel by Jules Verne first published in 1893. It is possible that Bram Stoker took inspiration from this for his 1897 novel Dracula.
Synopsis[]
In the village of Werst in the Carpathian mountains of Transylvania (then part of Austria-Hungary ((Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy))), some mysterious events are occurring and the villagers believe that Chort (the devil) occupies the castle. A visitor to the region, Count Franz de Télek, is intrigued by the stories and decides to go to the castle and investigate. He finds that the owner of the castle is Baron Rodolphe de Gortz, with whom he is acquainted. Years earlier, they were rivals for the affections of the celebrated Italian prima donna La Stilla. The Count thought that La Stilla was dead, but he sees her image and voice coming from the castle. It is later revealed that it was only a holographic image.
Title[]
The original French title was "Le Château des Carpathes". There are several alternate translations for the English titles; such as "The Castle of the Carpathians", "The Castle in Transylvania", and "Rodolphe de Gortz; or the Castle of the Carpathians".