Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873)

I was originally introduced to the story of Carmilla via the web series of the same name that came out on YouTube in 2014. I have been wanting to read the original novella, the "gay" vampire story, the inspiration for Dracula, since first watching the web series. And finally, I have done it!

I loved this book. It was the perfect October read, especially with a cup of tea and creepy classical music playing in the background. The gothic vibes were well crafted, the story was fun and spooky, show more and the relationship between Laura and Carmilla was spicy, to say the least. Knowing when the book came out, I went into the story expecting to have to do some digging into the subtext to find the sapphic elements. But no digging was required! It was so much gayer than I could have possibly expected. The kissing, the descriptions of lips and breasts and beauty, the orgasmic description of the feedings, my GOD. I'm sure some historians would love to say that this is just how it is when gals are pals, but they'd be wrong. This is a gothic romance through and through.

The only disappointment was the ending, which seemed to go too fast and without enough full closure. I wish there had been a final goodbye, or a summation of some sort to the growing love between Carmilla and Laura, or at least a reflection from Laura on the love and affection and what it all meant. However, I think this critique is a very modern one, and, given the date of publication, it might be unfair for me to want that. But I still do. I guess it's time to go rewatch the web series show less

Hailed as an example of classic, high-gothic, Uncle Silas delivers.

Orphaned heiress of very little brain
Isolation and loneliness
Creepy house crumbling to bits
Sinister uncle with mood swings and a drug habit
Vicious governess with malevolent intentions
Menacing relatives, servants and villagers
One true friend

Over-the-top is hardly an adequate phrase to describe it. Locations, character descriptions, action, plot points and cryptic communications are laid on thick. Effectively for the most part show more though. The book fairly drips with dread, duplicity and damp. Maud, our heroine, is such a dolt that it’s hard to feel for her, but sometimes in the more subtle moments, you can. Women and girls were to totally shackled and smothered that it’s no wonder that Maud has no spine. People seem to be constantly belittling, insulting or patronizing her. A lot of it is done by other women, who, you think would know better, but they line right up with the men and keep women down. Even for the times, it’s a bit hard to take. Maud is a rag. She’s forever cowering or crying, having nightmares or vapors. When she’s not stamping her foot in vexation that is.

And she has a lot to vex her. Raised by a single-father with religious obsessions, Maud has no brothers or sisters to keep her company and counts as friends her servant Mary Quince and her cousin Lady Knollys. When dad suddenly dies (is murdered?), she is shipped off to her Uncle Silas who is the black sheep of the family and has a reputation for violence (accused of murder, but never convicted). She’s managed to shed the evil-minded governess, Madame Rougierre, but of course she turns up again like the bad penny of yore. It’s pretty clear she’s part of a bigger scheme to part Maud from her fortune, but it’s shrouded in prolonged cloak-and-dagger so it’s difficult to see it clearly. Her presence amplifies the dread so much that it’s hard to look away. She’s brazen and gets away with everything so it adds to the aura of hopelessness.

When action does ensue, it’s pretty great. Roadside assaults. Graveyard scares. Secret smiles. Stolen mail. Menacing villagers. Threatening would-be suitor. And finally, violent assault. Overall the effect is excellent although Le Fanu does lose his steam a bit in the middle and things drag. If it was just plot, villains and atmosphere, I’d rate this book very high, but unfortunately Maud and the way a lot of people treated her, got on my nerves. Virtually everyone apart from the servants calls her a fool, repeatedly. It’s the only insult they all could find I guess and since she basically is a fool, it seemed stupid to keep calling her that over and over and over. Very grating. And Maud’s constant simpering, cowering and fainting became too repetitive to be effective. Some editing could go a long way, but if you like high gothic, it’s worth cracking open. show less

A young woman named Laura lives alone with her father in a remote Austrian castle, lonely because her only friend of her age and class recently died under mysterious circumstances. She’s delighted when a carriage overturns near the castle and a young woman named Carmilla must stay with them for a few months while she recovers. Carmilla won’t share any information about her past, does not participate in family prayers, and sleeps most of the day. Laura and Carmilla grow very close, show more physically and emotionally, and Laura realizes Carmilla looks exactly like her ancient ancestor Countess Mircalla. Young women in the nearby village are dying, and Laura falls ill, so her father takes her out of town for a few days. There they learn the true fate of Laura’s dead friend, at the hands (or teeth) of a new acquaintance named Millarca.

A fun, short read. So many of the modern-day tropes about vampires are explicit here, 25 years before Dracula was written. A female vampire is not something that was seen often for the next century, and her vampirism is also sexual, but in a very different way from that of traditional male vampires - she’s very emotional, often telling Laura how much they need each other and how they’ll die without each other. The vampirism itself is also much more focused on Carmilla hugging Laura’s neck than the penetration itself. Historically interesting, but also just entertaining and an easy read! If you haven’t read it before, you really should. The audiobook, read by Megan Follows, was excellent. show less

I really enjoyed this. It is gothic in style, although it doesn’t really have anything supernatural. It reminds me of “Woman in White,” with its sense of dread and claustrophobic menace. The heroine does not have as much initiative as Marian in WiW, but nevertheless is quite likeable. There are a range of sinister characters, some of whom you’re not quite sure if they’re bad guys or not. The book definitely keeps you guessing! On the whole I thought it was one of the more readable show more Victorian novels, although about 3/4ths of the way through it started to lag. As events come to a climax, the action really starts rolling again, and I was on the edge of my seat. If you like Victorian Gothic this is a lesser known but very entertaining one. show less