Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Carmilla

Really liked this! I think the framing device works well here, and allows for closing lines that feel appropriately spooky. I will say that this is less a novella, and more like a small collection of very related ghost stories. Because of that this "book" doesn't have a traditional story structure, it's more like Laura's story, which contains the story Spielsdorf tells about himself and Bertha, the story of the Karnstein estate, the story of the Baron and his ancestor, and sort of the story of the doctor. I think because of the short length of the book and the framing device this works, but you should expect this to not really be a novella going into it.

The scenery descriptions do a lot to set the mood. I love how gothic this story feels. Spielsdorf's description of

Carmilla preying on Bertha is so genuinely creepy and well-written.

Some lines hit really well (

"We now laughed together over our momentary horrors."

)and make the whole book kind of feel like a campfire ghost story which I like. I like that the book kind of has the

Baron clarify the vampire lore

at the end, I think it makes sense given the framing device and clears up any confusion the reader might have had without cluttering up the main story. For vampire lore, I love the idea of a

vampire having an obsession over a victim that they nurture and draw out, while simultaneously gorging themselves on victims they don't care for to tide themselves over

. I also think the whole

'sleeping in a coffin floating in blood seven inches deep with your eyes wide open, heart beating, looking and being very alive and not pale or anything'

thing is a great image and absolutely needs to be in a vampire movie. So gross and fun. In general I like that Carmilla doesn't seem

dead at all - she's not pale, her heart beats, a doctor examining her doesn't find anything unusual - it's just that she has to drink blood and return to her coffin to rest everyday and has other specific traits that make it clear she's not really human.

I think the

Baron not seeking out Carmilla's grave and killing her before the events of the book

is a bit of a plot hole, but overall I think the story is good, an appropriate length, makes for good campfire story material, and has fun lore. Worth the read!

Content Warnings

savvy999's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Much to think about. Brilliantly conflicted by Carmen maria machado’s annotation and forward of dubious veracity, the complexity and queerness of the text is undeniable and made new in this version.

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aweirdlookingdog's review against another edition

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plantdonut's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

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vigil's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

there wasn't any portion of this book that disliked reading, though i have mild hang up about the ending. the pacing of this book is consistent, though depending on the angle you view it from, could be seen as slow, medium, or fast, depending on what you count as plot progression. The language is very accessible considering it's a classic, but not simplistic or dull. i think the dialogue, especially between carmilla and laura, is the standout.

the plot began to trail off upon the introduction of the general, though the answers to the mysteries throughout the book were fully delivered (a bit too fully, you could say) in a very sussinct manner that, once finished, quickly pushed you towards the climax.

the ending was, in my opinion somewhat anti-climatic, but i understand that was the style of the time. i do think that in making carmilla more of a vague outline of a monster, rather than something present, both added and detracted from the climax, which really need more of her actually in it.

i really found carmen maria machado's introduction to be informative as well as her footnotes, though they often leaned towards comedy.

she's totally right on one front however. there's no way that wasn't an orgasm.

i had a fun time with this book though i think if it were longer, it would've made the book much better. especially the climax.

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