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Carmilla, by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Nov. 25th, 2021 09:04 pmThis is, famously, one of the earliest works of vampire fiction, and one with strong f/f overtones. The ur literature of predatory lesbian vampires! It's a short work, novella-length, and a quick read. And, unfortunately, I found it kinda boring.
The thing is, the main draw this work uses to compel the reader forward is the ~mystery~ of what's going on. Characters are flat, plot relatively nonexistent, and not much success in creating a tone of creepiness. And I already know the answer to the mystery, so there's not much else!
I was also disappointed in the lesbian aspect. Yes, Carmilla's very obviously into Laura, and Laura into her, but from the very beginning and then throughout, Laura finds Carmilla off-putting as well as attractive. I personally think it would have been more interesting if Laura had just been 100% into Carmilla; it would provide more space for her to have complicated emotions after she discovers the truth about Carmilla, instead of being able to console herself that she knew all along that something was wrong.
Also it's definitely doing a "lesbian desire is dangerous and wrong" thing, which like, unsurprising for its era but I was still hoping it would be able to subvert that a LITTLE somehow!
But ALSO it's doing all this from the plausibly deniable distance of "oh this is what intense romantic friendships are like, that's a perfectly normal thing for girls to do" so you don't get like, any kind of acknowledgement of what's going on.
Are all of these layers of historical interest? Absolutely! But that was about the only level on which I cared about this stuff, because the relationship as portrayed just didn't interest me.
On another note: the book makes ZERO effort to explain the older woman who travels with Carmilla to help ingratiate her with her prey! I do actually want to know what was up with her! Tell me more!
This book probably does hold more interest for people who unlike me are actually into vampire stories, as it gives an introduction to the earliest forms of the genre. (Caitlin Doughty of Ask A Mortician apparently loves it, which is on brand for her!) But me, I wasn't particularly drawn in by the experience. Oh well, at least it's short enough that it didn't take me much time!
The thing is, the main draw this work uses to compel the reader forward is the ~mystery~ of what's going on. Characters are flat, plot relatively nonexistent, and not much success in creating a tone of creepiness. And I already know the answer to the mystery, so there's not much else!
I was also disappointed in the lesbian aspect. Yes, Carmilla's very obviously into Laura, and Laura into her, but from the very beginning and then throughout, Laura finds Carmilla off-putting as well as attractive. I personally think it would have been more interesting if Laura had just been 100% into Carmilla; it would provide more space for her to have complicated emotions after she discovers the truth about Carmilla, instead of being able to console herself that she knew all along that something was wrong.
Also it's definitely doing a "lesbian desire is dangerous and wrong" thing, which like, unsurprising for its era but I was still hoping it would be able to subvert that a LITTLE somehow!
But ALSO it's doing all this from the plausibly deniable distance of "oh this is what intense romantic friendships are like, that's a perfectly normal thing for girls to do" so you don't get like, any kind of acknowledgement of what's going on.
Are all of these layers of historical interest? Absolutely! But that was about the only level on which I cared about this stuff, because the relationship as portrayed just didn't interest me.
On another note: the book makes ZERO effort to explain the older woman who travels with Carmilla to help ingratiate her with her prey! I do actually want to know what was up with her! Tell me more!
This book probably does hold more interest for people who unlike me are actually into vampire stories, as it gives an introduction to the earliest forms of the genre. (Caitlin Doughty of Ask A Mortician apparently loves it, which is on brand for her!) But me, I wasn't particularly drawn in by the experience. Oh well, at least it's short enough that it didn't take me much time!
