108 pages
English language
Published Jan. 22, 2000
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 anthologized, and has been adapted many times in film and other media.
Beautifully written, I just wish it would have been longer. The ending seemed very rushed, I don't know much about this book so there might be reasons for keeping it short but I think that has a detrimental affect on the story.
A couple of creeps, but there's a reason this isn't the classic vampire novel. It has a lack of tension problem.
update: so good that I was halfway through before I realized I'd read it before.
Ce trop court récit vampirique se lit d’une traite, et nous plonge dans une ambiance des plus envoûtante. La narratrice nous raconte son expérience et sa rencontre avec l’étrange Carmilla, leur amitié ambiguë et sa tragique conclusion. Fascinée par la jeune fille, la narratrice ne prend pas pleinement conscience de son emprise. Les lieux, un château isolé entouré de forêts, un pays lointain, la demoiselle prise au piège, ne sont pas sans rappeler les thèmes favoris du roman gothique. Pourtant cette histoire penche plutôt pour un fantastique sombre et sensuel. Apparitions, morts soudaines, revenants et autres visions d’horreur égaient un récit ancrés dans les vieilles croyances vampiriques. On devine les bases du futur Dracula de Stocker. Une lecture hélas trop brève, mais un grand plaisir que j’espère renouveler avec d’autres œuvres de Le Fanu.
