
The story is told by Laura, a young woman living in a castle in a remote country near Austria; her mother has died, and she lives with her father, her governesses, and other servants. As the book opens, we learn that she had been anticipating the visit of a family friend for a very long time - she'd been very much looking forward to the companionship of another girl her own age. But then she and her father receive the horrible news that the young woman has died, and Laura is devastated.
Not long after that, there is a carriage accident right near the castle. As Laura, her father, and her governesses run to see if they can help, they see a beautiful young woman, unconscious, being pulled from the overturned carriage. The girl's mother is hysterical - she is on an urgent trip, a matter of life and death, she says, and asks for the closest village, where she hopes to find an inn for her daughter. There is no such village, and Laura's father offers to have the girl stay with them for the three months the mother will be gone. Laura is delighted, but she and her father are puzzled by the injunction laid on them by the young woman's mother: they must not ask the girl, Carmilla, any questions about her past or her family. The mother promises to explain everything when she returns.
Carmilla is the perfect guest, it seems: a delightful companion for Laura, charming and intelligent, if rather weak and languorous - and definitely reticent about her past. There is something distinctly odd about her though, particularly her behavior when the two girls are alone together, which leaves Laura feeling equally attracted and repulsed by her friend, and very confused. As Laura succumbs to the mysterious illness that's been affecting young girls throughout the countryside, she is also afflicted by bizarre, upsetting dreams. The doctors are baffled, and her father grows increasingly worried about her delicate health...


I felt disappointed that Carmilla and Laura never confront each other, once Laura discovers the truth. Their relationship was so ambiguous, and I would have loved a clue about Carmilla's true feelings. Was Laura just prey? Was she something more? In a more modern telling of that book, such a scene would be indispensable! I felt cheated by the conclusion, also, as it was described in retrospect, which removed any sense of tension and much of the horror. I also felt that there were too many loose strings - what about the woman who claimed to be Carmilla's mother? What was their true relationship? Is she a vampire, too?
Aside from my minor quibbles (many of which stem from the fact that I'm reading it with 21st-century eyes, I'm sure), I very much enjoyed this book. It is fun to read these seminal works and see the original archetypes for many of the characters we've come to take for granted and view as simple stereotypes. It is interesting to think about the fact that sexual tension has permeated vampire fiction for well over a century. I wonder what Le Fanu would have thought about Lestat and Louis? Edward and Bella? Sookie Stackhouse? Queen Betsy? The mind boggles.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu; narrated by Megan Follows (Audio Partners Publishing Corporation, 2006; originally published in 1872)
Also reviewed at:
Adventures in Reading: "Though LeFanu’s work is easily solved approximately half way through and there are some significant unanswered questions, Carmilla is both a curious and interesting look at vampirism."
Love Vampires: "I had difficulty in bonding with Laura as I read this story. I think it was because Laura herself is not much of a heroine. In fact she is classic vampire bait!"
I always forget Le Fanu was the one who wrote this! When I get over being sick of vampires (it has to happen someday, right? right?), I'm reading this first.
ReplyDelete"I would have loved a clue about Carmilla's true feelings."
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly! Back when I read this I entertained ideas of retelling it from Carmilla's point of view for months :P Hopefully someone will some day. It's just a story begging to be told.
Very interesting. I didn't know this. Really bad cover, though!
ReplyDeleteI loved Le Fanu's In a Glass Darkly, which includes Carmilla, and I still remember thinking I wanted more to this story. I wish it was more novel than novella. And yet I still love the story.
ReplyDeleteJenny - Sorry to hear you are all vampired out! This might be a good choice for when you're ready to get your feet wet again. :-)
ReplyDeleteNymeth - I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way! That would be a great story - I do hope someone writes it one day.
Ms. Yingling - Yes, that cover is pretty awful. And it's a shame that current copies (that I've seen, anyway) don't include the original interior illustrations (so I included them here).
Trisha - I feel the same way. A novel would be great, but I love the story, too.
Maybe I ought to try tackling this one; I had a go at Wylder's Hand some years back but never could get myself engaged with it.
ReplyDeleteMarchbanks - If you enjoy classic Gothic fiction, I think this one might work for you (although not having read the book you mention, it's hard to say). The storyteller is certainly engaging, and the story itself is wonderfully atmospheric. Plus it's very short - more of a novella, really. I'll be interested to hear what you think if you give it a try!
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