Carmilla

This is a smallish book, a little over 8x5.5x.67 inches and only 160 pages, but in its hardback form it’s still a substantial size and beautiful enough to display in a home library or leave out in view on the bookshelf or coffee table. The dust jacket is gorgeous in matte black and red foil graphics. The story itself is thought to be one of the original vampire gothic novels and although it reads a little haltingly at first, as one becomes accustomed to the Victorian style of writing, the story becomes fully engrossing as it is suspenseful, horrific, and haunting, one which hurries the reader along at quite a clip as it coaxes the imagination to conjure vivid images of Laura’s ‘schloss’, the people in it, and the surrounding, secluded, heavily wooded Austrian countryside. Besides being a vampire story, I must say, there’s also some devious trickery and emotional manipulation afoot in this story (SURE that “woman” is Carmilla’s “mother! *giant eye roll* ), which will churn the reader’s emotions into a frothy tailspin. I first read this short novel when I was in high school and an avid library card user. Now I’m building my own home library collection which I knew would be incomplete without my very own copy of “Carmilla.” Buy this book. You’ll want to read it again.

A wonderful edition! Perfectly sized! And beautiful! I bought this to replace the copy I got in middle school.

The classic story that eventually gave birth to Dracula. I really enjoyed its ominous, dark atmosphere. But it ended very quickly — the solution with the execution came almost too fast — and I, personally missed the tension of the chase that Dracula has so well. And while the subtle erotic undertones were probably quite daring in the 1800s, in today’s context they’re almost invisible. Still it's a nice read if you enjoy the dark classics.

The book came in alright conditions. The dust jacket did not come damaged, however it did have scuff marks on the red glossy design of the book. The scuff marks are visible in lighting as you can see in my photos. The book underneath the dust jackets is black with glossy red letters on the spine of the book.

Such a pretty book. The hard cover is shiny, but I’m much happier with the paperback (pictured). It’s a very good book.

Great quality book! Fantastic and eerie story! Easy read!

This book was amazing! I read jt so many times at it made me more and more into it everytime!

In short, Carmilla is a little tough to read because of the syntax and diction, but the story is interesting for an early vampire work. And it's nowhere near as gay/lesbian as people like to say. In fact, not at all really. I generally liked it and may read again. I would recommend for those who like vampires and classical literature.

Of course. Here's an honest review in a real human tone. --- Reading Carmilla after a lifetime of Dracula lore is a fascinating experience. It’s a slow, atmospheric, and deeply sensual gothic story that feels surprisingly modern in its themes. The vampire, Carmilla, is a haunting and charismatic predator, and the intimate, obsessive relationship she forms with the narrator, Laura, is the unsettling heart of the story. It’s a short read, but it packs a punch with its eerie tension and psychological horror. You can absolutely see the DNA of Dracula here—the isolated setting, the creeping dread, the aristocratic predator. But Carmilla has its own unique, queer subtext and a focus on feminine power and desire that makes it a compelling classic in its own right. A must-read for any vampire or gothic literature fan to understand where it all really started.

Comprei esse livro com a esperança que fosse igual as imagens apresentadas. Me decepcionei quando o livro chegou e, ao invés de me deparar com uma capa elaborada, encontrei uma fina folha de papel *removível* que circundava o livro. Em suma, a capa não passa de um papel fino de baixa qualidade. Definitivamente não era o que eu esperava. Não recomendo a compra desse livro. Sobre o conteúdo, dispensa comentários. Um clássico da literatura gótica que merecia mais carinho em um produto supostamente *de luxo*.

3.25⭐️ A tale of its time, and a definite setting stone to all vampire lore and books that came after. The eery and lyrical prose, the enchanting woods, and the castle-like setting, and the romantic characters all play a part in making this an example of gothic literature. Read it in one sitting, and enjoyed this dark vampire story.

Carmilla. Discovered this absolute gem of a book first published in the year 1871. Beautifully written, every line a delight it tells the story of a female vampire. Short, not one line is superfluous, (only 156 pages) I could not put it down. Not a single self indulgent, wordy or boring sentence by the writer. No excessive or explicit horror just a matter of fact telling of a chilling tale set in a beautiful wooded countryside. It’s as perfect as can be.

Vampires and sapphic, that is all you need to know. Quick and easy to read. A must read if you like Dracula and other vampire stories