Monday 5 March 2012

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu


Published in 1872, Carmilla was one of the first vampire books written, preceding Dracula by a good twenty-five years. It's about Laura, who lives in a gothic castle in Styria, Austria with her father.  One day they witness a carriage accident near their home and offer to shelter a young woman whilst she recovers. Laura's loneliness is answered by Carmilla's friendship and the two become close, although this coincidences with a rapid decline in Laura's health....

I loved this little book.  At only 95 pages, it can be read in one sitting but somehow still manages to contain all of my favourite elements of both gothic and vampire/horror fiction.  There's the wonderful setting of the dark woods and deserted castle, the leisurely writing pace, the creepy sense of foreboding but above all, the atmosphere.  From the moment I picked this book up and started to read I felt as though I had been transported into the author's imagination and could practically see the mist rising over the moon and hear the tree branches creaking ominously.

Of course, Carmilla isn't really scary to modern readers.  When you read it, you have to bear in mind that readers at the time of publication weren't familiar with the vampire myth.  So blindingly obvious 'VAMPIRE - RUN AWAY!' clues go undetected by Laura (pale skin? sharp teeth?..what could it possibly mean??) and the horror is largely only hinted it.  It's like an old fashioned horror film where things are suggested rather than just gore being shown.  It might send a little shiver down your spine, but all the real fun is in the gothic writing style and atmosphere.

Dracula is one of my favourite books and reading Carmilla, it's easy to see that Stoker was massively influenced by it.  The setting is practically identical, and both books contain a vampire hunter (Baron Vordenburg and Van Helsing) and an innocent female victim.  Normally it would bother me to think that a book I like so much isn't completely original, but as I like both books equally, I will instead just put Carmilla where it belongs next to Dracula on my shelf.

Verdict: A must-read for gothic or horror fans.
Source: Library (got lucky whilst browsing)
First Published: 1872
Score: 5 out of 5

16 comments:

  1. I didn't realise this was such a short book! I read one of Le Fanu's longer novels, Uncle Silas, last year and loved it, so I would definitely like to try this one too.

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    1. Uncle Silas is on my wishlist after this one. Carmilla is well worth spending an afternoon with :)

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  2. I've never heard of this book or author but they sound fantastic! I loved the original Dracula and have been wondering if there's anything that comes close to another story like it. There's a book 'Dracula - The Undead' that came out a few years ago by Stoker's grandson (I think) that was supposed to a continuation of the Dracula story but got terrible reviews, so I put my search on hold. This Cramilla one, though, sounds really promising.

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    1. Trish, if you love Dracula you will also love this. I hope you do get a chance to read it.

      And steer well clear of Dracula The Undead, it's so bad it's offensive. My review of it: http://tinylibrary.blogspot.com/2010/10/dracula-un-dead-by-dacre-stoker-ian.html

      It's the only book I've ever given 1 out of 5!

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  3. Great review. It always amazes me when an author is able to pack a complete story in minimal pages. Gothic is a genre that I sometimes have a hard time with. I think the last time I ventured out of my comfort zone was Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. :)

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    1. It's a real skill, telling a story in such a short space. I think too many authors tend to waffle on...

      I really must read Rebecca, I think I would love it.

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  4. Don't you love seeing references to another book or how a book was shaped by another? It sounds like Carmilla was a great read!

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    1. I do, although sometimes it's irritating if I thought a book was original and find out that it isn't....

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  5. I've twice tried to read Uncle Silas by this same author and couldn't get through it, but I do want to give Carmilla a try sometime!

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    1. Why couldn't you get through Uncle Silas? Is it much longer?

      I don't think you would have any problems with Carmilla. It's short and fast paced.

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  6. I will HAVE to add this to my TBR list. Im rereading Dracula soon so this would be a great read to finsih as well.

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    1. It's the perfect companion read to Dracula. Let me know what you think of it :)

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  7. If I was going to read something from this genre it would have to be this sort of book. I can't stand the gore of modern scary stories.

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  8. I had no idea that there was a book like this, that predates Dracula. And such a compact read but with lots packed in.

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  9. Thanks to my obsession with vampires I already knew of this book, but I didn't know it preceded Dracula! I'll have to read it now, especially since I'm living in Styria, Austria :) Who would have thought that the first vampire novel ever was set in my home? (Which is full of soft green hills and little brooks and not scary at all by the way).

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  10. I don't read much horror fiction -- pretty much none actually -- but something about your description of this one has me very intrigued.

    Years ago, someone recommended the Anne Rice Lestat books to me, and I found myself unable to put them down, while at the same time, thinking I can't believe I'm reading these.

    I am going to see if my library has a copy of this one.

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