Reader discussion: Carmilla

Public reader discussion about Carmilla in the WeRead Catalog by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

I read Dracula and Carmilla

By Ink_Muddy

This is such a good “two-fer” of vampire stories. I’m not usually a vampire movie/book person, but I figured I’d read the origins of the whole thing and I’m glad I did. I tore through the first part of Dracula—the whole ship crashing bit in the harbor, then all the way through Lucy’s storyline. That section seriously had me on edge, like I was scared for real. After that, the second half kind of falls off, but overall it’s still a great story. I also read that Bram Stoker supposedly borrowed ideas from the novella Carmilla, so I picked that up right after and finished it in a day. Carmilla was amazing and genuinely horrifying—a female vampire basically tangled up with a human girl, which is wild. It’s kind of shocking that something like that could be published in 1872. I just never really felt like Dracula and Carmilla were that similar beyond the time period and vampires. Anyway, I’m moving on to Frankenstein now.

Spooky Double Feature - Carmilla & We Have Always Lived in the Castle

By NovelPlanet49

Hey everyone! For October we’re doing a spooky double feature: **Carmilla** by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu and **We Have Always Lived in the Castle** by Shirley Jackson. Both are pretty quick reads, so it should be fun. **First up: Carmilla** — I’ll be running this one. **What it’s about (from Goodreads):** Laura is basically living in a secluded castle in the Austrian forest, just hanging with her sick dad, until this carriage shows up one night with a mysterious new girl, Carmilla. From there it turns into this close-but-weird friendship, and Carmilla starts acting more and more strange—nighttime wandering, nightmares, Laura getting worse… The book is supposed to be way earlier than Dracula (like 26 years earlier), and it’s got a lot of gothic romance and sexual tension. **Schedule:** - Oct 4: Ch1-4 - Oct 8: Ch5-9 - Oct 13: Ch10-End Also, there’ll be a marginalia post for anything you want to say that’s not tied to the schedule—just heads up, spoilers might happen. **Next: We Have Always Lived in the Castle** — u/dogobsess will be leading this one. **What it’s about (from Goodreads):** Mary Katherine Blackwood is 18 and lives with her sister Constance, and basically her family’s all gone now. She talks about the things she likes/dislikes (including dogs and noise—does not love those), and then there’s this whole setup with what happened to everyone. **Schedule:** - Oct 21: Ch1-3 - Oct 24: Ch4-7 - Oct 28: Ch8-10 Marginalia is coming for this one too.

Really cool art for a book cover

By Lamp_Tide53

These pictures are from http://biolib.de/ I’m trying to figure out who the original artist is and what text/source they were pulled from. If anyone knows, please let me know!

Carmilla illustrations

By Island_Rapid

Has anyone figured out where to get the original illustrations for *Carmilla*? Wikipedia says they’re public domain, so I went hunting, even ordered a copy that was advertised as having illustrations, but it didn’t include any. The only ones I can find are the same three images over and over. Are those literally the only illustrations in the whole novella, or is there somewhere else they’re posted / an edition I can buy that actually has them? If you know, I’d really appreciate it—thanks.

J.S. LeFanu's best ghost stories.

By steadyMarten1977

For me, J.S. LeFanu is one of the best ghost story writers out there, up there with people like M.R. James and Algernon Blackwood. I tried a few things on Kindle first (which, honestly, was kind of a passing phase for me), and then I grabbed a paperback collection. The one I have is just called “The Best Ghost Stories of J.S. LeFanu,” and it’s got at least 16 short stories. And they’re all really good—proper Victorian-style ghost stuff, the kind you actually want to sink into. If I had to choose favorites, I’d go with the two novellas in there, “The Haunted Baronet” and “Carmilla” (the vampire one). Also, I really like “Schalken The Painter,” “The White Cat of Drumgunniol,” “The Fortunes of Sir Robert Ardagh” (feels like an earlier version of “The Haunted Baronet”), and “Green Tea.” I’ve always been a sucker for ghost stories, and LeFanu’s are totally my thing.

Thoughts on Dracula by Bram Stoker?

By tidebeacon1973

I just finished Dracula by Bram Stoker and I did like it overall, but it didn’t quite make me love it. I really liked the way it shows emotions and stubborn determination, and some parts were genuinely gross. That said, “Dracula” himself barely shows up. And toward the end, it felt like there was so much planning that maybe wasn’t necessary. I honestly expected more of a real back-and-forth struggle between the Count and the people trying to stop him, but that never really happened. What do you all think?

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By NovelHorse

If you want to grab Project Gutenberg books pretty easily on your Kindle, just use the “Send to Kindle” email address. The ones you upload that way should sync across your devices.

Carmilla vs Dracula

By heronhappy1988

I finally read *Carmilla*, and honestly it surprised me. It’s the first book I bought just because someone recommended it, and the pitch I saw was basically “better than *Dracula*,” more progressive, more LGBT-friendly, and like the thing that helped shape the modern vampire. I picked it up because it’s also kind of wild to see something like that from the 19th century. Like, yeah, *Carmilla* has a lot more LGBT stuff than *Dracula*, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s worth checking out. There’s no way to pretend the constant touching/neck stuff doesn’t point somewhere specific. But I’m not really convinced it’s “more progressive” overall. It’s not like the women suddenly get way more agency compared to *Dracula*. Even the whole deal about the men being helpless… a guy still ends up fixing most of the problem. Laura spends most of the book either confused, scared, or stuck as the victim. And the Baron… I didn’t love how quickly he just swoops in and solves everything once he shows up. It felt like he killed the tension on arrival. Even the “elementary” style speech made me roll my eyes a bit. It’s like the story went “okay wait, here’s the guy who’s gonna wrap this up.” A bunch of people call Carmilla sympathetic, and I didn’t really get that. She straight-up kills people throughout, and it’s mostly other women. I think some folks miss that because she toys with Laura at first and doesn’t immediately go for the obvious attack. Also, to me her vibe toward Laura feels more charged/dirty than romantic. So if you’re going in expecting a feminist message, I’d take that with a grain of salt. It wasn’t a big factor for how much I liked it. But it does come up a lot in online discussions, from what I’ve seen. On the writing side, I still think *Dracula* comes out ahead. I’m not sure if that’s even a real debate, but the suspense just hits harder, and the format makes it a lot more fun to read. With *Carmilla*, the ending feels kind of too quick—again, the Baron’s doing. I know it’s basically closer to a short book than a full novel, so I don’t think that comparison is totally fair, but still. That said, I did enjoy the mystery aspect. The book kinda keeps you wondering about who that character is, how everything connects, why certain things happen when they do, what’s real vs what’s a dream, and you still end up with questions by the end. Different vibe, but it works. And vampire-lore-wise, this part is fun to talk about. I personally prefer the powers and imagery from *Dracula*, especially the whole bat thing. In *Carmilla* it’s more like she’s just a black shape sometimes. I did like the mind control/telepathy angle though—there it’s more up in the air, like is Laura being controlled or is she genuinely into it? Making it less explicit is interesting, even if it isn’t as “suspenseful” as *Dracula’s* stuff with the brides. I also liked the whole “vampire bureaucracy” idea. The fact that there’s basically an organized system and paperwork to deal with vampires is hilarious and kinda memorable. I wish Le Fanu had pushed that further. Overall: *Carmilla* was fun, but I wouldn’t call it a better version of *Dracula*. I’d say it’s more for seeing how the vampire concept changes over time in Ireland. Was it the start of the modern vampire? I don’t know—it's the earliest one I’ve read so far, but I’m definitely planning to compare it with Polidori’s *The Vampyre*. Anyway, has anyone else read it? What did you think?

[deleted by user]

By Noisy_Shelf7

Hey, this is basically a place for talking through stuff like plays, poems, short stories, and novels, not just asking around. You can also get into literary criticism/history/theory and related news. Also, please don’t treat it like a general book recs or homework help sub. Posts have to actually relate to literature and include the OP’s own analysis, and you can’t post things that are only questions with nothing else. No homework/curriculum, no recommending books/editions/translations, no ads, no memes or pics only, no requests for writing feedback or instruction, no random “kinda literature” videos, and spoilers need to be properly marked. And yeah, they don’t want AI-generated stuff either—participants are expected to be able to write without leaning on LLMs. There are also a bunch of sister subs listed at the end if you’re trying to find something else, but I’m not totally sure where the line is for what counts as “allowed,” so I guess read the rules first.

Dracula retellings

By marginparcel

I’m actually writing one too, but not until I’m done with the book I’m working on right now. For research, I’ve been reading other books in the same genre so I don’t accidentally repeat stuff that’s already been done. I know there’s not really such a thing as fully original anymore, but I’m trying. Anyone have suggestions? Is there a list somewhere I could look at?

#74! Discuss Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu With Me

By oceanlost

Just wrapped this up and I really loved it. It’s probably my favorite gothic horror so far because it didn’t drag and I didn’t lose interest, but it still had plenty of stuff to think about. If you’re in the mood for a vampire novel, I’d say go for it—honestly Halloween feels like it’s almost here. That said, I’m annoyed that Dracula is so famous, but I only just stumbled on this book after I read Dracula earlier this year. It’s pretty clear Stoker took a lot of inspiration from Carmilla, since a lot of the storyline beats feel similar… but with this extra demonizing of femininity in his version. Also, I’m genuinely curious what other readers think about Carmilla’s “mysterious” mother and the staff—are they actually vampires too, or are they just working for them? Or is it something else entirely?

I just absolutely fell in love with Carmilla

By fish_pages

Honestly it’s both hot and unsettling, and yeah, I’d totally be into Carmilla turning me into her “you’re my whole world” lesbian vampire situation. A lot of vampire stories go for that homoerotic vibe, but it’s usually written like it’s predatory and it ends up snapping back to the usual power/status quo. With Carmilla it feels different—Laura actually wants it and has some say in it. She still has her doubts, but you can tell from that last line that she’s not done. And Carmilla’s intense lesbian devotion feels pretty on-brand for a lot of modern lesbian stuff too. The whole “move in together immediately” thing pops up a lot, so this kind of fast, all-in energy tracks. Either way, I loved it.

So Carmilla is…bad.

By heathersummer2005

Spoiler free, but I’m only 60 pages in and I’m honestly feeling like I’m gonna DNF, even though that’s basically the halfway mark. I kept seeing everyone rave about it—like “it came before Dracula,” “it’s a sapphic love story,” “Carmilla is the coolest vampire ever”—and sure, some of that might be true. But there’s a reason Dracula ended up being the thing everyone knows, and it feels like it’s because this one is just… not that well done. With Dracula you can feel the pacing and tension, and the characters actually come through. Even with the dated stuff, it just reads like the author knew what they were doing. Meanwhile with Carmilla, the story and the main character both feel kind of flat? Like nobody really gets fleshed out, and events move along because they have to. It’ll be creepy for a second, then it’s suddenly “oh I adore you!” and the narrator’s acting like everything’s super natural like “and we were very fond of each other :)))” and I’m just sitting there like… okay? Also the timing feels off. Either so much is happening at once that you can’t really sink in, or the timeline is supposed to be super short and the emotional closeness between the two of them still happens way too fast. On top of that, a lot of the “foreshadowing” and symbolism feels really forced—like it’s trying hard to be deep but it comes off kind of weak. I know people love this book and I’m not trying to knock anyone’s taste, I just don’t get why it’s held up so high. I feel like Carmilla being everywhere in pop culture has done way more for her than this book does. Even accounting for the awkwardness of older English writing, it still just feels kind of underwhelming.

What do you wish there were more books with?

By QuillIvy1976

I’ve been thinking that a lot of stuff feels like it barely ever shows up in books. There are a few things I kinda wish were more common though: - Stories that mix genres more - When genre fiction leans into more “literary” style writing - Friendships/relationships that actually feel healthy - Books without romance at all - More underrepresented people getting bigger parts Curious what everyone else wants to see more of?

Carmilla (by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu) is one of the most Tomarry-coded horror romances to exist. FYI, it's also the first prominent vampire fiction, and was written way before 'Dracula'. It's also prolly 1st lesbian vampire romance too. Just look at the quotes!

By BraveWonder

You’ll probably think I’m awful or selfish, but that’s just what love is, I guess—when it’s really intense it’s even more selfish. I’m insanely jealous too, you have no idea. You’re coming with me no matter what: either you love me all the way to death, or you hate me and still follow me through death and after. And don’t expect me to be indifferent, I just can’t be like that. Darling, darling—like, I’m living in you, and I swear you’d die for me. I love you so much.

New Crave Series about Baba Yaga!

By sun1984

I probably’m in the small group here, but I’d actually never come across Baba Yaga until Ravenswatch, and now I kind of want to see more versions of her/myth. “YAGA follows Rapp (Noah Reid), a private investigator who shows up in a little coastal town to look into the disappearance of a young heir to a big fishery, Henry Park (Hudson Williams). He ends up clashing with a wary local detective, Carson (Clark Backo), a charming university professor with a thing for younger men, Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss), and a tangled mess of odd suspects, hidden lives, and old magic.” https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/press/carrie-anne-moss-leads-an-all-star-cast-for-crave-original-series-yaga-including-noah-reid-clark-backo-and-hudson-williams/

What are your favourite LGBT+ books?

By Sunny_Stone94

Happy Pride Month! What are some of your go-to LGBT books? I’m good with both fiction and non-fiction, honestly. I’ve got way too many, but a few fiction ones I keep thinking about: - *A Little Life* by Hanya Yanagihara — I know people don’t all like it, but I was really sucked in. - *Regeneration* by Pat Barker — I haven’t gotten to the rest of the trilogy yet though. - *Angels in America* by Tony Kushner — the dialogue is so lyrical it almost feels like poetry, and I’d love to see it staged. - *Tipping the Velvet* by Sarah Waters — the whole power dynamic was wild in the best way. Edit: Thanks for all the replies everyone! I’m set for a long time on reading material :)

Carmilla

By smallSparrow6827

Seriously, there are a ton of different versions of *Carmilla* out there. If you’re a fan, which one do you think is actually worth reading? I don’t want one that’s basically cliff notes or that messes with the classic vampire vibe.

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Prologue_Pink

More stuff in the comments, please! 🧛‍♀️

Carmilla - Final Discussion (Ch10-End)

By weather_teal

Hey everyone! So this is the end discussion for **Carmilla** (Ch 10–End). I felt like things just kept stacking up until it all finally clicked, but honestly there were still a couple moments where I was like… wait, what’s happening exactly? In the later chapters the General basically tells Laura and her dad what happened with his niece. It’s kind of wild how closely it matches Laura’s situation (same weird nighttime stuff, same obsession, even the nightmares), and Laura is pretty unsettled by the similarities. Then they get to the ruins and discover Mircalla’s tomb has been taken, so they can’t really figure out where the remains are. They do run into a woodsman who says the place fell apart because vampires were causing trouble. After that, the General talks about how he tried to get a doctor, and the second doctor basically told him to hide her room at night. He ends up seeing Millarca like a shadowy figure and attacks her, but it’s too late—his niece still dies. When the story wraps up, Carmilla shows up in the chapel, and the General just goes after her with an axe. Carmilla manages to stop him and then disappears, and he’s convinced it’s all the same person (Carmilla = Millarca = Mircalla). Then the big “what now?” part: Laura gets back to the schloss and Carmilla is gone, even though people are awake in the house and a priest is posted nearby. Nothing happens that night, but the next day they do the whole formal vampire kill thing. They open the tomb and somehow she’s still super lifelike, breathing a tiny bit, like she’s been kept perfectly. They impale her and cut off her head, and she screams. And the final part is Laura listing what she learned about vampires—things like the name/anagram thing, how vampires are made from suicides, and the fact that she still doesn’t know how they manage to get in and out of coffins and locked rooms, but they definitely return to their graves on schedule to get their energy back.