Carmilla
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
Carmilla, publié en 1871, est le plus célèbre roman de l'écrivain irlandais Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
L'œuvre est d'ailleurs l'un des romans gothiques et vampiriques les plus célèbres du genre tant les atmosphères y sont puissantes et mystérieuses. Laura, candide à souhait, incarne la parfaite héroïne gothique. Carmilla, quant à elle, personnage énigmatique et dangereux, incarne la sensualité et présente l'homosexualité féminine sous un jour nouveau, sombre, venimeux et exalté.
Carmilla est un livre important dans la culture vampirique. À ce titre, il peut être considéré comme une œuvre majeure de la littérature fantastique du xixe siècle, romantique et macabre. Fait non négligeable, c'est un compatriote de Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, qui reconnaîtra plus tard la dette qu'il a envers celui-ci lors de la parution, en 1899, du roman qui allait immortaliser son nom, Dracula.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
