This story, a novella, takes place in Austria in an isolated castle that’s deep in the forest. This vampire, Carmilla, is young in appearance and extremely beautiful. She travels with an older woman, a countess, her mother. They prey upon wealthy, aristocratic families that usually have a young female family member. Carmilla is always the frail daughter, who cannot travel long distances and they concoct situations where the mother has to leave Carmilla for a short while with the family they encounter before she returns. While in the family’s home, Carmilla befriends the young woman, who later falls sick and dies.
The protagonist of the story is teenage Laura, who lives with her father in seclusion in this castle mentioned above. Laura is looking forward to spending time with the niece of a General, who lives in a nearby estate, but they receive word from the General that his niece has suddenly died, and he must travel to track down the monster responsible. They don’t know what the General could mean. In the meantime, they meet strangers on the road one day.
While walking, Laura and her father and two neighbors see a coach approaching that bolts off the road and overturns. They run to assist and find an older woman, a countess, with a younger woman, her daughter, who appears to be injured. The countess is distressed that she must continue travelling because she has to deal with an urgent matter. Because her daughter has always been frail and is apparently injured, she cannot continue. The countess asks if Laura and her father would be kind enough to take her daughter in for a few weeks until she returns – Laura’s father reluctantly agrees.
Now Laura and the beautiful young Carmilla become very close. Laura had an experience years before when she was a little girl, in a dream, a young woman the spitting image of Carmilla, visited her bedside. Carmilla tells Laura that she too had the same dream, but it was Laura who visited her. (Sure, Laura girl, that was not dream) It is through this strange mutual experience that the two young women instantly connect. It’s interesting to read how close they become, it’s almost like a seduction on Carmilla’s part. She wants Laura to be emotionally dependent on her.
During Carmilla’s stay, several young woman in the nearby village fall sick and die. Before dying, some of the women reported that they were visited by a beautiful woman or ghost. It’s a mystery disease spreading through the area that is of concern to the residents of the village and the castle where Laura and her father live. Then Laura also falls ill. Her father calls a doctor.
The doctor advises him to see a priest. On the way to the priest, Laura and her father, meet their neighbor, the General, who has returned, on the road. The General tells them his entire story of how he and his niece met a countess and her daughter at a ball and while there, the countess was called away on an emergency. The countess’ daughter stayed with him and his niece until she returned. The General was convinced that his niece died because of this young guest. As the General and Laura’s father compared notes, Carmilla approached in a carriage to meet them. When the General and Carmilla saw each other, she ran off into the woods.
With the research the General had done on his travels, he disclosed Carmilla’s family line to Laura’s father. They went to the priest to investigate and find the location of Carmilla’s grave. As in Stroker’s novel, once Carmilla’s grave was located, her end came quick.
This novella was short, but full of descriptive picturesque scenery and countryside. The author also thoroughly developed the relationships between Laura and Carmilla, and Laura and her father. These relationships were key as to why Laura became a victim and why she was saved – a pleasure to read. I hope you all give this gothic novella a read, Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. I plan to sample some of his other mystery novels and ghost story titles. Oh, also pay a visit to Posman Books in Chelsea Market, NYC – lots of interesting shops. Have a happy and safe Halloween!