Carmilla (Paperback)

~ Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Living a lonely existence in a remote schloss in Styria, on the border of Austria and Hungary, Laura and her father play host to an unexpected guest, the beautiful young Carmilla. Her arrival is closely followed by an outbreak of unexplained deaths in the area, while the young women's growing friendship coincides with a series of nightmares and mysterious nocturnal visitations, and a gradual downward spiral in Laura's health. A chilling tale of the un-dead, Carmilla is a beautifully written example of the gothic genre. Believed to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece 'Dracula', written over twenty years later, Carmilla stands out as an all-time horror classic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Soft Editions (October 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843500728
• ISBN-13: 978-1843500728
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #831,747 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEFORE DRACULA THERE WAS CARMILLA, February 5, 2004

By	K. Jump (Corbin, KY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars short & to the point, June 1, 2009

By	Jose Acosta "speld rong" (chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

this is a great story for young kids who love creepy horror stories. the language might be a little hard to understand at times but still... 2 thumbs up!!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read., November 23, 2008

By	Jessica M. Bartlett (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was one of the first vampire stories, so it's not exactly CSI. You know what's going on pretty quick, but it's still well done. I'd read it again.