Carmilla - Softcover

Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1605203300 ISBN 13: 9781605203300

Publisher: Cosimo Inc, 2008

Synopsis

The foremost teller of scary stories in his day and a profound influence on both the novelists and filmmakers of the 20th century, Anglo-Irish author JOSEPH THOMAS SHERIDAN LE FANU (1814–1873) has, sadly, fallen out of scholarly and popular favor, and unfairly so. To this day, contemporary readers who happen across his works praise his talent for weaving a tense literary atmosphere tinged by the supernatural and bolstered by hints of ambiguous magic. “Carmilla” is Le Fanu’s 1872 novella―also included in the collection of short fiction In a Glass Darkly―of lesbian vampirism, a chilling and terrifying tale of a young girl who comes under the evil influence of a female vampire. The prototype of an entire subgenre of vampire fiction, a clear inspiration for Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, and the source material for countless movies, this is one of the more significant yet least appreciated works of pop culture of the past two centuries. With a series of new editions of Le Fanu’s works, Cosimo is proud to reintroduce modern book lovers to the writings of the early master of suspense fiction who pioneered the concept of “psychological horror.”

About this title

About the Author:

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M. R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are Uncle Silas, Carmilla and The House by the Churchyard.

From AudioFile:

The appearance of a young and beautiful houseguest jolts young Laura into remembering what may or may not have been a childhood nightmare. Strangely, her visitor, Carmilla, has exactly the same recollection. As Laura's health wanes throughout the visit, Carmilla's vivacity grows. Who would guess she's been dead for over 150 years? Megan Follows's dark and dramatic reading of this vampire classic complements the text perfectly. Refraining from characterization, she recounts Le Fanu's tale from Laura's horrified perspective, vividly illuminating her early relationship with Carmilla, colored by the clarity of retrospection, as the story is recalled later in Laura's life. Follows's voice shudders with disgust at Carmilla's evil, as do her listeners. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Cosimo Inc
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1605203300
• ISBN 13: 9781605203300
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112