The Gates of Life (1905), also published as The Man, is a novel by
Irish author Bram Stoker. Written at the height of his career, The
Gates of Life helped to establish the Irish master of Gothic horror's
reputation as a leading writer of the early-twentieth century. Inspired
by the archetype of the New Woman--a type of literary character
incorporating elements of 19th century feminism--Stoker crafts a novel
capable of captivating the reader while critiquing the constraints of
class and gender on women and men of the early twentieth century.
Following the death of his young wife in childbirth, Squire Stephen
Norman promises to raise his daughter as his heir. Naming her Stephen,
he encourages her to befriend the local boys and refuses to constrain
her in the manner typical for young girls of the time. She grows up
alongside Harold, who is taken in by Norman after his father's death
from pneumonia. As the story unfolds, a romance develops between Stephen
and Leonard, complicating Norman's wish for his daughter to marry
Harold. Having promised Norman on his deathbed that he would look after
Stephen, Harold is heartbroken when she proposes to Leonard, but he
refuses to give up hope. As time and distance drive them apart, they
will need more than ancient promises and memories of a shared childhood
to unite them once again. The Gates of Life is a gripping work of
romance by Bram Stoker, the secretive and vastly underrated creator of
Dracula, one of history's greatest villains. With a beautifully designed
cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bram
Stoker's The Gates of Life is a classic of Irish literature reimagined
for modern readers.
