Though not as well known as Dracula, it seems clear to me that Carmilla had a definite influence in the writing of that more famous work. While Polidori's "Vampyre" had introduced the nobleman vampire and the penny dreadful "Varney" had its predatory vampire against whom the heroes had to struggle, Carmilla provided the lush (and oft decadent) sensuality we've come to associate with the vampire.

The story is quite simple. The heroine/narrator, a young woman, lives with her father in the Central European countryside. Loneliness prompts them to take in a strange young lady--Carmilla--whose path seems to cross accidentally with theirs. Carmilla, who appears to have some off habits and ideas, displays an intense degree of affection for her new friend. After some time and some strange dreams, the heroine begins to grow weaker, her decline untraceable to natural causes.

It's a more modest (and certainly a shorter) story than Dracula, but I rather enjoyed the intimacy and atmosphere of the smaller scale. Though it lacks the page-turning finale of its later cousin, the conclusion makes up for it with elements of terror and melancholy. ( )

This is a short and sweet classic vampire story, with a little subdued ladylovin'. The last couple of pages are kind of a distracted info dump, but the pace is good and the story better. ( )

laura cannot believe that her strange night visitor is her friend Carmilla. but why is she so repelled? is there a horror concealed behind Carmilla's charming appearence? eceuile? ( )

Wow, how did I never read this story before? I was surprised by how sophisticated and intoxicating it was, despite being one of the first vampire stories. ( )

I thought this was a wonderful book and can easily see why it was the inspiration for Dracula. It's beautifully written and the descriptions of the 'schloss' and the surrounding countryside are simply mouth-watering. Having said that, I did struggle a little with the style of writing at times - I like to be challenged though!

It was always going to be interesting to read this book because Dracula became an immediate favourite of mine the first time I read it. This one stood up well, although it was perhaps lacking in some respects; because it is so much shorter than Dracula, I feel that the story and characters weren't developed as fully and I was left with some unanswered questions at the end.

One thing that surprised me a little was the graphic nature of Laura and Carmilla's relationship - I didn't expect the writing to be so risque coming from that time period! I think in this respect Carmilla was more graphic than Dracula.

I would highly recommend reading Carmilla, particularly if you have read and liked Dracula. The differences and similarities are interesting to note. ( )