"Complete and in Order": Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Archival Profession

Archival literature has discussed the portrayal of archives and archivists in fiction, but has not offered a reading of a work of fiction with little-to-no overt mention of the archival profession. This article demonstrates the value of looking at such works of fiction through an archival lens by providing an "archival reading" of one famous novel that has been the subject of numerous scholarly articles and books, Bram Stoker's Dracula. Although a tale of the supernatural, Dracula's narrative portrays the importance of recordkeeping, research, and access to and organization of information. This article considers the narrative and plot of Dracula from an archival perspective, discusses literature about the portrayal of archives and archivists in fiction, and examines how Dracula reflects nineteenth-century trends in organizing information.