Carmilla

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. ‘I was conscious of a love growing into adoration, and also of abhorrence.’ When lonely nineteen-year-old Laura welcomes an enigmatic stranger into her home in the heart of the Stryian forest, she has no idea that the beautiful Carmilla is not what she seems. Laura’s childhood nightmares have resurfaced, and a mysterious illness is beginning to take hold as the intimacy between the two women evolves into something more sinister. First published in 1872, twenty six years before Bram Stoker’s Dracula , Le Fanu introduced Carmilla, the original female vampire with a taste for innocent young women. Having influenced countless horror stories for over 150 years, this Gothic tale of dark obsession, ancient legend and wayward daughters is a classic of the genre.

HarperCollins is proud to present our range of timeless literary classics. ‘I was conscious of a love growing into adoration, and also of abhorrence.’ When lonely nineteen-year-old Laura welcomes an enigmatic stranger into her home in the heart of the Stryian forest, she has no idea that the beautiful Carmilla is not what she seems. Laura’s childhood nightmares have resurfaced, and a mysterious illness is beginning to take hold as the intimacy between the two women evolves into something more sinister. First published in 1872, twenty six years before Bram Stoker’s Dracula , Le Fanu introduced Carmilla, the original female vampire with a taste for innocent young women. Having influenced countless horror stories for over 150 years, this Gothic tale of dark obsession, ancient legend and wayward daughters is a classic of the genre.

Haunted by a strange, ghostly experience from her youth and lonely in her isolated castle, Laura longs for a companion. Suddenly, her wishes are answered. Through a curious series of events, a beautiful young stranger named Carmilla becomes a ward at Laura's family home. The girl is odd, but friendly, and Laura welcomes her with open arms. However, Carmilla is hiding a dark secret--one that could cost Laura everything. All around them, paranoia and fear sweep the countryside as villagers fall victim to a mysterious illness. Plagued by fever, declining health, and horrifying visions, Laura soon realizes that the villagers' symptoms match her own. Somehow Carmilla is at fault, but the truth is more sinister than Laura ever could have imagined.

Laura lives an isolated life with her father, alone in a castle in the Austrian wilderness. When the mysterious Carmilla, a strange and beautiful lady, arrives in the night, no one suspects the supernatural occurrences that follow. But still more unsuspected is the tempestuous romance that blooms between the two young women, and Carmilla’s nightmarish secret. Written 26 years before Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, ‘Carmilla’ is the original vampire novel. Sheridan Le Fanu combines a chilling Gothic atmosphere with horrifying episodes, boldly exploring the sexual desires of his heroines, and establishing the image of the female vampire. ‘Carmilla’ is an essential read for all fans of gothic novels and vampires, from Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with the Vampire’ to Netflix’s ‘The Vampire Diaries’. Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish Gothic writer of short stories and novels. One of the central names amidst the ghost-story writers of the 19th century, Le Fanu’s influence cannot be underestimated. Inspiring the likes of Bram Stoker, Le Fanu laid the basis for the Victorian Horror genre by combining realism with deeper psychological elements. His most important works include ‘Uncle Silas’, ‘Carmilla’, ‘The House by the Churchyard’, and his short story collection ‘In a Glass Darkly’. Fil størrelse: 138213 KB Indlæst af: Aoife McMahon

Laura lives an isolated life with her father, alone in a castle in the Austrian wilderness. When the mysterious Carmilla, a strange and beautiful lady, arrives in the night, no one suspects the supernatural occurrences that follow. But still more unsuspected is the tempestuous romance that blooms between the two young women, and Carmilla’s nightmarish secret. Written 26 years before Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, ‘Carmilla’ is the original vampire novel. Sheridan Le Fanu combines a chilling Gothic atmosphere with horrifying episodes, boldly exploring the sexual desires of his heroines, and establishing the image of the female vampire. ‘Carmilla’ is an essential read for all fans of gothic novels and vampires, from Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with the Vampire’ to Netflix’s ‘The Vampire Diaries’. Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish Gothic writer of short stories and novels. One of the central names amidst the ghost-story writers of the 19th century, Le Fanu’s influence cannot be underestimated. Inspiring the likes of Bram Stoker, Le Fanu laid the basis for the Victorian Horror genre by combining realism with deeper psychological elements. His most important works include ‘Uncle Silas’, ‘Carmilla’, ‘The House by the Churchyard’, and his short story collection ‘In a Glass Darkly’. Fil størrelse: 138213 KB Indlæst af: Aoife McMahon

"For a hundred and forty years Carmilla has given readers' bodies and souls a shake, because the vampire is beautiful but repulsive, to be resisted at all costs, because the narrative alternates so imaginatively between twittering girlies and an urgent need to reach for sharpened wooden stakes. Is there any reason it won't continue to do so far into the future? Give it a read, and feel how it crawls under your skin."From the Foreword by Daniel RichlerThe goal of The House of Pomegranates Press is to produce arcane and magical little packages full of words that inform, disturb and most importantly, inspire. With Carmilla we begin our Vintage Vampire series. Over the next few years we intend to publish - beautifully - as many vintage vampire novels as we can. Why? Because since childhood we've been haunted by these stories. As we grew, our complicated messy brains morphed these stories and characters from esoteric shadows under our beds into real, tangible, existentialist demons. They walked amongst us, they became our friends, our lovers, our fears. We felt it was time to gather those demons, wrap them in lovely covers and place them into a modern context with intelligent introductions by fascinating people. And so here you have Carmilla beautifully illustrated by Taeden Hall with a foreword by the quite wonderful, erudite Mr. Daniel Richler. Who better than he to blend vampires, Victoriana, politics, feminism and girl school lesbianism? Enjoy.

Paperback

Got a hankering for top-notch Gothic horror? Lose yourself in J. Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, a titillating tale that centers on a lady-loving vampire who terrorizes an unsuspecting family in nineteenth-century Austria. Experts of the genre say that this novel exerted a significant influence on Bram Stoker when he was preparing to write Dracula.

Got a hankering for top-notch Gothic horror? Lose yourself in J. Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, a titillating tale that centers on a lady-loving vampire who terrorizes an unsuspecting family in nineteenth-century Austria. Experts of the genre say that this novel exerted a significant influence on Bram Stoker when he was preparing to write Dracula.

Classic Vampire Fiction - Carmilla, J. Sheridan LeFanu. Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years. 'Upon a paper attached to the Narrative which follows, Doctor Hesselius has written a rather elaborate note, which he accompanies with a reference to his Essay on the strange subject which the MS. illuminates. This mysterious subject he treats, in that Essay, with his usual learning and acumen, and with remarkable directness and condensation. It will form but one volume of the series of that extraordinary man's collected papers. As I publish the case, in this volume, simply to interest the "laity," I shall forestall the intelligent lady, who relates it, in nothing; and after due consideration, I have determined, therefore, to abstain from presenting any pr cis of the learned Doctor's reasoning, or extract from his statement on a subject which he describes as "involving, not improbably, some of the profoundest arcana of our dual existence, and its intermediates."

"Carmilla" is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. "Carmilla" predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 25 years and has been adapted many times for cinema.

'Succeeds in inspiring a mysterious terror better than any other writer' M.R. James In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day... Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.

Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in The Dark Blue (1871-72), the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla, later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein (Carmilla is an anagram of Mircalla).

"Carmilla" is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. "Carmilla" predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 25 years and has been adapted many times for cinema.

"Carmilla" is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. "Carmilla" predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 25 years and has been adapted many times for cinema.

'Succeeds in inspiring a mysterious terror better than any other writer' M.R. James In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day... Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.

Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in The Dark Blue (1871-72), the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla, later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein (Carmilla is an anagram of Mircalla).

Enter the chilling world of Carmilla, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's haunting vampire classic. As Laura's life intertwines with the mysterious Carmilla, a tale of forbidden desires and supernatural intrigue unfolds. With each turn of the page, discover the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of this Gothic masterpiece.

Carmilla J. Sheridan LeFanu Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in The Dark Blue (1871

Enter the chilling world of Carmilla , Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's haunting vampire classic. As Laura's life intertwines with the mysterious Carmilla, a tale of forbidden desires and supernatural intrigue unfolds. With each turn of the page, discover the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of this Gothic masterpiece.

In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day... Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.

In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day... Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.

Sink your teeth into the cult classic that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Fear sweeps the countryside as people fall victim to a strange illness. After a peculiar accident, beautiful Mircalla becomes a ward at Laura's family home. Soon, friendship blooms between the mysterious Mircalla and curious Laura. Love is in the air, but so is something deadly. Will Mircalla's secret cost Laura her life? Carmilla, first published in 1872, is one of the first vampire novels ever written, predating Dracula by 26 years. Carmilla, with its themes of vampirism and homosexuality, shocked the standards and stereotypes for women set in the Victorian era. Today, Carmilla is considered the original archetype of female and LGBTQ vampires and Le Fanu's influence is seen throughout vampire fiction.

Sink your teeth into the cult classic that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Fear sweeps the countryside as people fall victim to a strange illness. After a peculiar accident, beautiful Mircalla becomes a ward at Laura's family home. Soon, friendship blooms between the mysterious Mircalla and curious Laura. Love is in the air, but so is something deadly. Will Mircalla's secret cost Laura her life? Carmilla, first published in 1872, is one of the first vampire novels ever written, predating Dracula by 26 years. Carmilla, with its themes of vampirism and homosexuality, shocked the standards and stereotypes for women set in the Victorian era. Today, Carmilla is considered the original archetype of female and LGBTQ vampires and Le Fanu's influence is seen throughout vampire fiction.

The sapphic vampire story that inspired Dracula , in an irresistible Little Clothbound Classics edition designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith Laura leads a secluded life in a castle buried deep in the Austrian forest, far away from the dangers of the outside world. That is until a horse and carriage crashes nearby one night, and she and her father take in a weary, young traveller – Carmilla. As mysterious as she is beguiling, Carmilla weaves her way into Laura’s heart. Life proves less lonely with a friend. But sinister things start happening as the girls become closer, and the forest isn’t the safe haven it once was. Sheridan Le Fanu’s nineteenth-century gothic tale was the first vampire novella. It paved the way for a literary tradition of female and lesbian vampires, and, before Dracula , explored the boundaries of sex and death. Still as chillingly alluring today as it was when it was written in 1871-2, Carmilla now joins Penguin’s Little Clothbound Classics series.

The sapphic vampire story that inspired Dracula , in an irresistible Little Clothbound Classics edition designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith Laura leads a secluded life in a castle buried deep in the Austrian forest, far away from the dangers of the outside world. That is until a horse and carriage crashes nearby one night, and she and her father take in a weary, young traveller – Carmilla. As mysterious as she is beguiling, Carmilla weaves her way into Laura’s heart. Life proves less lonely with a friend. But sinister things start happening as the girls become closer, and the forest isn’t the safe haven it once was. Sheridan Le Fanu’s nineteenth-century gothic tale was the first vampire novella. It paved the way for a literary tradition of female and lesbian vampires, and, before Dracula , explored the boundaries of sex and death. Still as chillingly alluring today as it was when it was written in 1871-2, Carmilla now joins Penguin’s Little Clothbound Classics series.

“To this hour the image of Carmilla returns to my memory with ambiguous alternations—sometimes the playful, languid, beautiful girl; sometimes the writhing fiend I saw in the ruined church. Sometimes, I start from a reverie, certain I heard the light step of Carmilla at the drawing-room door.” Isolated in a remote mansion in a central European forest, Laura longs for companionship—until a carriage accident brings another young woman into her life: the secretive and sometimes erratic Carmilla. As Carmilla’s actions become more puzzling and volatile, Laura develops bizarre symptoms, and as her health goes into decline, Laura and her father discover something monstrous. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s compelling tale of a young woman’s seduction by a female vampire was a source of influence for Bram Stoker’s Dracula , which it predates by over a quarter century. Carmilla was originally serialized from 1871 to 1872 and went on to inspire adaptations in film, opera, and beyond, including the cult classic web series by the same name.

På et isoleret slot i de østrigske skove lever Laura et ensomt liv kun med sin far som selskab. En måneoplyst nat forulykker en hestevogn, og en uventet gæst - den smukke Carmilla - bringes ind i deres liv. Laura og Carmilla bliver hurtigt tætte, og alt lader til at være fryd og gammen. Men Carmillas adfærd er mystisk og sælsom, og hendes hang til uhyggelige nattevandringer vækker undren på slottet. Laura hjemsøges snart af mareridt og bliver svagere og svagere for hver dag. Pludselig foregår et kapløb med tiden, da det står klart, at Lauras liv er i fare. Carmilla (1872) er en ægte gotisk klassiker. En (lesbisk) vampyrroman fuld af seksuelle spændinger og skræk. Den udkom 25 år før den væsentligt mere kendte vampyrroman Dracula, som den var en stor inspiration for. Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) var irsk forfatter, der i dag regnes for en af de vigtigste forfattere i victoriatiden. Han blev uddannet jurist, arbejdede som journalist, redaktør og forfatter, men oplevede store økonomiske udfordringer. Hans kone Susanna havde psykiske problemer, og efter hendes pludselige død i 1858 trak Le Fanu sig tilbage fra offentligheden og isolerede sig i hjemmet, mens hans litterære produktion voksede. Et af hovedværkerne i forfatterskabet er samlingen In a Glass Darkly fra 1872, hvorfra Carmilla stammer.

Carmilla is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in The Dark Blue (1871-72), the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla, later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein (Carmilla is an anagram of Mircalla). The character is a prototypical example of the lesbian vampire, expressing romantic desires toward the protagonist. The novella notably never acknowledges homosexuality as an antagonistic trait, leaving it subtle and morally ambiguous. The story is often anthologised, and has been adapted many times in film and other media. Carmilla, the title character, is the original prototype for a legion of female and lesbian vampires. Although Le Fanu portrays his vampire's sexuality with the circumspection that one would expect for his time, lesbian attraction evidently is the main dynamic between Carmilla and the narrator of the story: Sometimes after an hour of apathy, my strange and beautiful companion would take my hand and hold it with a fond pressure, renewed again and again; blushing softly, gazing in my face with languid and burning eyes, and breathing so fast that her dress rose and fell with the tumultuous respiration. It was like the ardour of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet overpowering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips travelled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, "You are mine, you shall be mine, and you and I are one for ever." (Carmilla, Chapter 4). When compared to other literary vampires of the 19th century, Carmilla is a similar product of a culture with strict sexual mores and tangible religious fear. While Carmilla selected exclusively female victims, she only becomes emotionally involved with a few. Carmilla had nocturnal habits, but was not confined to the darkness. She had unearthly beauty, and was able to change her form and to pass through solid walls. Her animal alter ego was a monstrous black cat, not a large dog as in Dracula. She did, however, sleep in a coffin. Carmilla works as a Gothic horror story because her victims are portrayed as succumbing to a perverse and unholy temptation that has severe metaphysical consequences for them. Some critics, among them William Veeder, suggest that Carmilla, notably in its outlandish use of narrative frames, was an important influence on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw (1898). Le Fanu's work has been noted as an influence on Bram Stoker's masterwork of the genre, Dracula: Both stories are told in the first person. Dracula expands on the idea of a first person account by creating a series of journal entries and logs of different persons and creating a plausible background story for their having been compiled. Both authors indulge the air of mystery, though Stoker takes it further than Le Fanu by allowing the characters to solve the enigma of the vampire along with the reader. The descriptions of the title character in Carmilla and of Lucy in Dracula are similar. Additionally, both women sleepwalk. Stoker's Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is similar to Le Fanu's vampire expert Baron Vordenburg: both characters investigate and catalyze actions in opposition to the vampire. The symptoms described in Carmilla and Dracula are highly comparable. ... (wikipedia.org)

Kortromanen ‘Carmilla’ skrevet af Sheridan Le Fanu og oprindeligt udgivet i 1872. Oversat og introduceret af Teddy Vork. Den irske forfatter Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) gjorde sig gældende i de mørkere sider af litteraturen, fra det gotiske over gysere til krimier. Hans betydning for udviklingen af disse genrer kan ikke overvurderes. ‘Carmilla’ er en af de vigtigeste vampyrhistorier nogensinde. Den anses dertil for at være den første lesbiske vampyrfortælling og inspirationskilde til Bram Stokers ‘Dracula’. 'Carmilla' er desuden filmatiseret flere gange. ‘Vampyr’ fra 1932 af den danske instruktør Carl Th. Dreyer var den første af disse.

This title situates Carmilla within its Irish Cultural milieu and treats the text as self-standing rather than as a precursor to Dracula. Unlike other collections of Gothic literature, Costello-Sullivan's work focuses solely on Carmilla .

This title situates Carmilla within its Irish Cultural milieu and treats the text as self-standing rather than as a precursor to Dracula. Unlike other collections of Gothic literature, Costello-Sullivan's work focuses solely on Carmilla .

"To this hour the image of Carmilla returns to my memory with ambiguous alternations--sometimes the playful, languid, beautiful girl; sometimes the writhing fiend I saw in the ruined church. Sometimes, I start from a reverie, certain I heard the light step of Carmilla at the drawing-room door." Isolated in a remote mansion in a central European forest, Laura longs for companionship--until a carriage accident brings another young woman into her life: the secretive and sometimes erratic Carmilla. As Carmilla's actions become more puzzling and volatile, Laura develops bizarre symptoms, and as her health goes into decline, Laura and her father discover something monstrous. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's compelling tale of a young woman's seduction by a female vampire was a source of influence for Bram Stoker's Dracula , which it predates by over a quarter century. Carmilla was originally serialized from 1871 to 1872 and went on to inspire adaptations in film, opera, and beyond, including the cult classic web series by the same name.

Predating Bram Stoker' Dracula , Carmilla is the ultimate gothic vampire tale--stylish, menacing, sensual, and spellbinding You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever. When a mysterious carriage crashes outside their castle home in Styria, Austria, Laura and her father agree to take in its injured passenger, a young woman named Carmilla. Delighted to have some company of her own age, Laura is instantly drawn to Carmilla. But as their friendship grows, Carmilla's countenance changes and she becomes increasingly secretive and volatile. As Carmilla's moods shift and change, Laura starts to become ill, experiencing fiendish nightmares, her health deteriorating night after night. It is not until she and her father, increasingly concerned for Laura's well-being, set out on a trip to discover more about the mysterious Carmilla that the terrifying truth reveals itself.

Predating Bram Stoker' Dracula , Carmilla is the ultimate gothic vampire tale--stylish, menacing, sensual, and spellbinding You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever. When a mysterious carriage crashes outside their castle home in Styria, Austria, Laura and her father agree to take in its injured passenger, a young woman named Carmilla. Delighted to have some company of her own age, Laura is instantly drawn to Carmilla. But as their friendship grows, Carmilla's countenance changes and she becomes increasingly secretive and volatile. As Carmilla's moods shift and change, Laura starts to become ill, experiencing fiendish nightmares, her health deteriorating night after night. It is not until she and her father, increasingly concerned for Laura's well-being, set out on a trip to discover more about the mysterious Carmilla that the terrifying truth reveals itself.

Carmilla is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in The Dark Blue (1871-72), the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla, later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein (Carmilla is an anagram of Mircalla). The character is a prototypical example of the lesbian vampire, expressing romantic desires toward the protagonist. The novella notably never acknowledges homosexuality as an antagonistic trait, leaving it subtle and morally ambiguous. The story is often anthologised, and has been adapted many times in film and other media. Carmilla, the title character, is the original prototype for a legion of female and lesbian vampires. Although Le Fanu portrays his vampire's sexuality with the circumspection that one would expect for his time, lesbian attraction evidently is the main dynamic between Carmilla and the narrator of the story: Sometimes after an hour of apathy, my strange and beautiful companion would take my hand and hold it with a fond pressure, renewed again and again; blushing softly, gazing in my face with languid and burning eyes, and breathing so fast that her dress rose and fell with the tumultuous respiration. It was like the ardour of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet overpowering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips travelled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, "You are mine, you shall be mine, and you and I are one for ever." (Carmilla, Chapter 4). When compared to other literary vampires of the 19th century, Carmilla is a similar product of a culture with strict sexual mores and tangible religious fear. While Carmilla selected exclusively female victims, she only becomes emotionally involved with a few. Carmilla had nocturnal habits, but was not confined to the darkness. She had unearthly beauty, and was able to change her form and to pass through solid walls. Her animal alter ego was a monstrous black cat, not a large dog as in Dracula. She did, however, sleep in a coffin. Carmilla works as a Gothic horror story because her victims are portrayed as succumbing to a perverse and unholy temptation that has severe metaphysical consequences for them. Some critics, among them William Veeder, suggest that Carmilla, notably in its outlandish use of narrative frames, was an important influence on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw (1898). Le Fanu's work has been noted as an influence on Bram Stoker's masterwork of the genre, Dracula: Both stories are told in the first person. Dracula expands on the idea of a first person account by creating a series of journal entries and logs of different persons and creating a plausible background story for their having been compiled. Both authors indulge the air of mystery, though Stoker takes it further than Le Fanu by allowing the characters to solve the enigma of the vampire along with the reader. The descriptions of the title character in Carmilla and of Lucy in Dracula are similar. Additionally, both women sleepwalk. Stoker's Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is similar to Le Fanu's vampire expert Baron Vordenburg: both characters investigate and catalyze actions in opposition to the vampire. The symptoms described in Carmilla and Dracula are highly comparable. ... (wikipedia.org)

Carmilla is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in The Dark Blue (1871-72), the story is narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla, later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein (Carmilla is an anagram of Mircalla). The character is a prototypical example of the lesbian vampire, expressing romantic desires toward the protagonist. The novella notably never acknowledges homosexuality as an antagonistic trait, leaving it subtle and relatively unmentioned. The story is often anthologized and has been adapted many times in film and other media.

Sink your teeth into the cult classic that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Fear sweeps the countryside as people fall victim to a strange illness. After a peculiar accident, beautiful Mircalla becomes a ward at Laura's family home. Soon, friendship blooms between the mysterious Mircalla and curious Laura. Love is in the air, but so is something deadly. Will Mircalla's secret cost Laura her life? Carmilla, first published in 1872, is one of the first vampire novels ever written, predating Dracula by 26 years. Carmilla, with its themes of vampirism and homosexuality, shocked the standards and stereotypes for women set in the Victorian era. Today, Carmilla is considered the original archetype of female and LGBTQ vampires and Le Fanu's influence is seen throughout vampire fiction.

Sink your teeth into the cult classic that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. Fear sweeps the countryside as people fall victim to a strange illness. After a peculiar accident, beautiful Mircalla becomes a ward at Laura's family home. Soon, friendship blooms between the mysterious Mircalla and curious Laura. Love is in the air, but so is something deadly. Will Mircalla's secret cost Laura her life? Carmilla, first published in 1872, is one of the first vampire novels ever written, predating Dracula by 26 years. Carmilla, with its themes of vampirism and homosexuality, shocked the standards and stereotypes for women set in the Victorian era. Today, Carmilla is considered the original archetype of female and LGBTQ vampires and Le Fanu's influence is seen throughout vampire fiction.