Book Review: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla

I have to say I really liked this book and finished it in a single sitting. I am fascinated by vampires and this book actually pre-dates Bram Stoker's Dracula. What was interesting was the fact that the main character was a female vampire who preyed on other women. I always thought that Dracula was the first book to explore this theme and the image of Count Dracula has captured the imagination of people for so long.

So it was really interesting to read about Carmilla, a countess preserved as a little girl who preys on other girls and women. There are overt references to lesbianism in Carmilla's love for the narrator. I just thought that it was kind of amazing that someone wrote this in the 1800's. In fact, the writer is a man, so his choice to make both the victims and the vampire women is really interesting.

I enjoy Gothic fiction, especially the old school variety. Most contemporary Gothic tales just don't excite me as much. The old Gothic novel's like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Bram Stoker's Dracula are just Classics that I can read and re-read.

Even though I won't put Carmilla in the same category as those Classics, I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys Gothic fiction.