Carmilla

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Eliseu Gouveia (Illustrator)

Overview

J. Sheridan Le Fanu's classic vampire tale of desire, presented with lush illustrations by one of comics' finest artists! Before Edward and Bella, before Lestat and Louis, even before Dracula and Mina, there was the tale of Carmilla and Laura. Living with her widowed father in a dreary estate in the woods of Styria, Laura has longed to have a friend with whom she can confide; a friend to bring some excitement to the overbearing serenity of her pastoral lifestyle. And then Carmilla enters her life. Left by her mother in the care of Laura's father, Carmilla is young, beautiful, playful-everything Laura had hoped to find in a companion. In fact, the lonely girl is so thrilled to have a new friend that she is willing to overlook the dark-haired beauty's strange actions...which include a disturbing, growing obsession for her lovely hostess. Carmilla, it seems, desires more than just friendship from Laura.... Featuring six black-and-white illustrations by comics artist Eliseu Gouveia, this volume includes the bonus Le Fanu tale, "Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780984174119
Publisher:	Starwarp Concepts
Publication date:	06/16/2011
Edition description:	Firsttion ed.
Pages:	117
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.27(d)
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic horror. Born in Dublin, Le Fanu was raised in a literary family. His mother, a biographer, and his father, a clergyman, encouraged his intellectual development from a young age. He began writing poetry at fifteen and went on to excel at Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied law and served as Auditor of the College Historical Society. In 1838, shortly before he was called to the bar, he began contributing ghost stories to Dublin UniversityMagazine, of which he later became editor and proprietor. He embarked on a career as a writer and journalist, using his role at the magazine as a means of publishing his own fictional work. Le Fanu made a name for himself as a pioneer of mystery and Gothic horror with such novels as The House by the Churchyard (1863) and Uncle Silas (1864). Carmilla (1872), a novella, is considered an early work of vampire fiction and an important influence for Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897).

Editorial Reviews

HGenerally acknowledged as a major influence on Bram Stoker's Dracula, this novel, originally published in 1872, is the very first vampire thriller. Le Fanu, often compared to Poe, was a Victorian writer whose tales of the occult have inspired horror writers for more than a century. Seemingly by happenstance, the mysterious and beautiful Carmilla comes to stay with the young and virtuous Laura. Laura, who has been living a lonely existence with her father in an isolated castle, finds herself enchanted with her exotic visitor. As the two become close friends, however, Laura dreams of nocturnal visitations and begins to lose her physical strength. Through much investigation, the gruesome truth about Carmilla and her family is revealed. Though the basic premise of the story, that of evil targeting pure innocence, is familiar to anyone who is vampire savvy, this haunting tale is surprisingly fresh, avoids clich and builds well to its climax. Particularly interesting are the sexual overtones that develop between the two women. Follows's reading is flawless. In particular, her ability to capture Laura's na vet so convincingly will have listeners feeling almost as shocked as Laura as the unwholesome truth unravels. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly