Carmilla

Book Code: 1111013675741

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

ABOUT THE BOOK

This Gothic novella, one of the early works of vampire fiction, revolves around a story narrated by a young woman preyed upon by a female vampire named Carmilla, later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein. Laura, the teenage protagonist, saddened by the loss of a potential friend, longs for a companion. A carriage accident outside Laura's home unexpectedly brings a girl of Laura's age into the family's care. Her name is Carmilla. Both girls instantly recognize the other from the "dream" they both had when they were young. During Carmilla's stay, Laura has nightmares of a large cat-like beast entering her room and biting her on the chest. The beast then takes the form of a female figure and disappears through the door without opening it. In another nightmare, Laura hears a voice say, "Your mother warns you to beware of the assassin," and a sudden light reveals Carmilla standing at the foot of her bed, her nightdress drenched in blood.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was a leading ghost story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. Three of his best-known works are Uncle Silas, Carmilla, and The House by the Churchyard.

CONTENTS

Prologue......................................................... 3

I. An Early Fright........................................... 5

II. A Guest...................................................... 10

III. We Compare Notes................................... 17

IV. Her Habits–A Saunter............................... 24

V. A Wonderful Likeness................................ 34

VI. A Very Strange Agony.............................. 38

VII. Descending............................................. 42

VIII. Search................................................... 48

IX. The Doctor.............................................. 52

X. Bereaved.................................................. 58

XI. The Story................................................. 61

XII. A Petition............................................... 66

XIII. The Woodman....................................... 71

XIV. The Meeting.......................................... 76

XV. Ordeal and Execution............................. 81

XVI. Conclusion............................................ 85