Customer Reviews

Carmilla

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
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J. Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla" stands as one of the richest, most literate and most enduring stories in the history of the vampire sub-genre. Many rate it higher than Bram Stoker's "Dracula," and while that estimation is at least debatable, there is no debate that "Carmilla" has exerted a mighty influence, consciously or not, on most vampire fiction to follow in its wake, "Dracula" not excepted. Indeed, Stoker's original early chapter in his masterpiece, later published independently as "Dracula's Guest," is particularly indebted to LeFanu's earlier work. As to which is better, let each reader decide for himself--and so enjoy them both!

The story is deceptively simple. A young girl, shaken up in a carriage accident, is left by her traveling mother in the care of the narrator's father. Laura, the young woman in whose voice we are told the tale, becomes fast friends with her new acquaintance, a friendship that is put to a powerful test when a strange malady begins infesting the idyllic Styrian countryside with nightmares, fever, and death.

LeFanu's style is unhurried, intelligent, and subtle, and the result is an eminently readable tale of mystery and the macabre that holds up remarkably well to repeated perusals. Though not as famous as "Dracula," and certainly written on a much smaller scale than Stoker's epic vampire opus, "Carmilla" is the more sustained and concentrated of the two. Many have traditionally argued that the novella, or short novel, is the ideal vehicle for a horror story, allowing for plenty of characterization and plot development without pushing the story itself beyond its dramtic limits. This reviewer tends to agree, and asserts that whereas "Dracula," masterwork that it is, often flags and succumbs to the doldrums, "Carmilla" never wavers and holds interest to the bittersweet end.

Originally published in 1871, "Carmilla" was quite sensational in its day, but I know many will not judge it to have aged well. A far cry from many modern vampire tales, "Carmilla" is probably not for everyone, or even every vampire fan. The deliberate pace, old-world feel, delicate characterization, subtlety, and relative brevity of the story may be turn-offs to those who expect page after page of gory action and explicit sex from their horror. Be that as it may, discerning readers will find few indulgences better than LeFanu's "Carmilla," a gothic triumph which will endure as long as vampire tales are read.

I read this short story in one sitting and could not put it down. Another hidden freebie I discovered by chance. Not gory like other vampire books, but simply leads us into life of a female vampire and her passion for the next victim. The love/obsession she has for her victim is delicately potrayed, but surely was controversial at the time this was written. Vampire lovers must read this, as it served as the inspiration of many other vampire works - such as the famous Dracula. This my second novel of this author in 24 hours - 100% free and good. I am impressed and will continue reading his other material. (review written from my Kindle2)

I first came across J. Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella as part of a graduate independent study of gothic literature. It quickly became a personal favorite, as well as an integral part of what will (hopefully) one day become my dissertation.

Carmilla tells the tale of a vampire (or oupire, as the peasants refer to them in the novella) who preys on young women; Carmilla becomes intimately attached to the daughter or ward of a wealthy family, and in her pursuit of love and friendship (and perhaps other things...) eventually drains her new found "friend" of her blood and her life. Predating Bram Stoker's classic tale by 25 years, and following the publication of Polidori's short story by 53 years, Le Fanu's tale is one of the first to popularize the figure of the vampire in 19th-century English prose, and has done much to help popularize the subject.

What I find particularly interesting about this work is the hybridization of traditional vampire legends (dating back to stories of Lilith herself) and the evolving contemporary vampire mythology of 19th-century England. Like traditional tales, Carmilla is represented as a young woman, and her victims often describe a sense of being strangled in their beds. However, the tale also presents elements of more contemporary ideas, such as a coffin full of blood and long needle-like fangs.

I won't go more in-depth for fear of turning a review into a chapter, but I can't praise Carmilla enough. It is a tale sure to delight anyone with interests in 19th-century prose, gothic literature, or vampires (or any combination thereof). LeFanu is a master of gothic tales, and Carmilla is a credit to his name and his craft.

Joseph Sheridan LeFanu was one of the truly great 19th-century horror writers; mostly forgotten today, he's still referenced every so often by people in the know (for example, Anne Rice, yes, that Anne Rice, stated "His small masterpiece, Carmilla, is one of the most seminal vampire stories in the English language" in another Amazon review elsewhere on this site).

She's right -- this is a pretty **** good story. It's sort of an intellectual's Dracula, because it was written twenty years prior to Dracula and features a fairly erotic & explicit lesbian vampire (at least by the standards of the time). The writing's excellent, and there are some brilliant moments in the tale (my favorite is probably the vampiress's blithe purchase of a peddler's charm against the "oupire."

So read it, and you'll not only get a fun vampire story under your belt, you'll also get to say you've read Important Literature. It's a win both ways.

This is an excellent story that keeps moving nicely. It keeps you hooked and wondering what exactly will happen next. I was very interested in the differences between the original story and the made for TV movie version, which was done with Meg Tilly playing Carmilla. The book gives a nice back story the movie does not, but both are equally good in their own way. The one thing about the book was that with so many interesting and startling images that were created throughout the story the ending was lacking any real dramatics. It seemed to end to quickly without a very detailed description of the last events. It is however an amazing and interesting vampire story, much more realistic as compared to some the ones written today. Short synopsis:A vampire story about a lonely girl and her father who have the fortune or misfortune of an unexpected house guest who apparently is not who or what she appears to be. Bringing mystery, danger,intrigue.

Not being a true fan of vampire stories,(Stoker's DRACULA was required reading in one class long ago in college so I had read it) I was hesitant when a friend recommended this one. I was very pleasantly surprised!

The story is cleverly uncontrived and more believable because of its simplicity. It moves along at an unhurried pace, giving details that are important to the story but not going overboard with graphic descriptions of blood and gore. This is what made it more enjoyable than any other vampire story I've ever read.

IMO, move over, Bram Stoker!

I can't openly say I'm a fan of vampires without some idiot bringing up the garbage that is "twilight", but I can say I'm a fan of the monstrous creature that sucks the blood of the living, can take many forms, and entices the victim to an early grave (or an eternity of undeath).

Carmilla is a very original story, set around an English family living in Austria. The characters are very well written, the setting is Gothic and suitably creepy, and the progression of the plot is very well paced. I am a huge fan of Dracula, and what vamp fan isn't? It is an insane pleasure to read the story that so heavily influenced Dracula, and the genre as a whole.

If you are a true fan of vampires, you should read this story, now! Though if you are a true vamp fan, you should have already read this by now... And, if you claim to be a vamp fan without having read Dracula, stop giving us all a bad name and read that too.

With vampire literature being what it is today, I wasn't sure what to expect with this vampire novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this was a fascinating story of horror in a classic form.

Setting - The story takes place in a castle where Laura, the protagonist, resides along with her father and their many servants. She leads a rather lonely life and wishes for companionship, as their castle is surrounded by forests, and the nearest town is about 10 miles away. There is little information given on Laura's background, as the story starts at the time of a mysterious carriage accident.

Plot - When a carriage wrecks near their castle and a mother leaves her sick daughter in their care, Laura is delighted to finally have someone to interact with. However, the girl, whose name is Carmilla, has met Laura before in a realistic dream and isn't all that she says she is. As soon as Carmilla moves in, people around town start to die off one-by-one. It is thought to be a disease, but in reality, it is so much more. . .

Writing Style - The other things that I've read by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu have been very old English in their writing style. This, however, I did not find so. Of course, it does take place in an older time period and isn't contemporary at all in its portrayal of lifestyles, but the style of writing in the novel is extremely well done as it leaves the reader constantly wanting to read more and find out what happens next. Meanwhile, the spellings are all very contemporary, and I found it very easy to read and understand. Lastly, it should be noted that the novel is given from a first person perspective which makes the novel all the more personal and real as Laura tells you her story from her eyes.

Overall, any fan of Dracula or other such forms of horror literature will appreciate this vampire tale that Le Fanu has given to us. It contains classic elements of suspense and intrigue which make it an extremely interesting read!

As someone who didn't care for Dracula (I'm sorry, I don't tolerate stupid people well, and everyone in that novel except for Van Helsing lacked brains), I was delighted with this story. Interesting take on the vampire myth, and perfectly creepy!

The vampire has always been used to convey sexuality -- and one of the earliest ones, the title character of "Carmilla," is no exception. Years before Bram Stoker ever dreamed of Dracula. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu wove together a luscious, haunting gothic mystery that centers around a lovely, immortal young woman with a taste for blood.

When a mysterious carriage crashes at their schloss, Laura's father offers to take care of a young lady named Carmilla, who has been stunned by the collision. Laura herself is struck by how similar the girl looks to a strange figure that visited her as a child -- and Carmilla claims that they've had some sort of mutual vision of one another.

Even more striking, Carmilla immediately becomes VERY attached to Laura ("You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever"), and Laura is strangely entranced by Carmilla's speech.

As the days go by, Laura is increasingly bespelled by Carmilla, despite the young woman's strange behavior (and her weird resemblance to an ancient painting in the schloss, of a woman named Mircalla -- get it?), and is becoming increasingly ill and nervous. But when they visit an old friend, he reveals the shocking truth about Carmilla's true nature... and what she will do to Laura.

"Carmilla" is a true gothic novel in the best sense of the word -- a lushly-written little novella filled with ruined palaces, abandoned villages, moonlight and blood. And Le Fanu injects a not-so-subtle lesbian subtext into the story, since Carmilla seems to be as infatuated with Laura as she is hungry for her blood. Lots of kisses, adoring speeches, and Carmilla constantly creeping into Laura's bedroom.

And Le Fanu's writing is utterly exquisite. He swathes this eerie little story in a ghostly wrap of lush writing ("Over the sward and low grounds a thin film of mist was stealing like smoke, marking the distances with a transparent veil") and some deeply creepy moments, such as Laura waking to see Carmilla covered in blood.

Le Fanu also sketches out his characters quickly and effectively, despite the novella's brevity. Laura is a sweet ordinary girl who seems both weirded out and entranced by Carmilla, and Carmilla herself is a larger-than-life character -- sensual, obsessive, vibrantly erotic and extremely creepy, except when she goes off on crazy rants about how much she hates hymns and funerals.

Stoker brought the vampire into the limelight, but "Carmilla" seductively introduced the vampire's eerie allure long before that. Luscious and eerie.