“You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one forever.”

• Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
• Published in 1872, edition published in 2013 by Hesperus Press Limited
• Genres: Fiction, Classic, Horror, Romance, Vampire, Gothic Horror, Gothic Romance, Ghost Story, LGBTQIAP+
• Tropes: Mysterious Traveler, Will They Won’t They, WLW…ish
• Spice Level: 🌶️
• SJ’s Rating: 8 out of 10

While certainly not the most action packed thing I’ve ever read, I will definitively say this is a masterpiece. This book has everything: love, lust, VAMPIRES, Victorian oppression of women, VAMPIRES, and mildly gay stuff! Published 25 years before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Carmilla tells the story of Laura, a young woman of means, and Carmilla, a mysterious traveler around Laura’s age that comes to stay with her and her father in their lonely, ominous castle. Everything seems chill, until Laura starts seeing weird, dark shapes around her bedroom at night. Not to mention the oddly hot (for Victorian times) dreams about her new bestie, Carmilla.

I genuinely had no idea what to expect when I started reading Carmilla. It was included in a “sapphic reads” BookTok list, and while I would definitely categorize this as a sapphic book, the “sapphic” is solidly in quotations. Being written in the Victorian era, any reference to sexuality or lesbianism is viewed through a Victorian lens, and is therefore seen as something dark and villainous. Any reference to female sexuality is seen as inherently threatening. So when Carmilla begins clearly lusting after Laura, Laura has concerns and feels a bit unsafe. It’s clear to the reader what’s happening, but not necessarily to Laura. Carmilla frequently wants to kiss Laura on the mouth or sighs loudly across the room at her, which in turn had me screaming “CARMILLA IS HITTING ON YOU, YOU IDIOT!” Meanwhile, Laura’s just sitting there like “wow my friend Carmilla sure is an affectionate friend.” Glad to see the lesbian dating scene was just as difficult then as it is now, lol.

It’s interesting that the book is both so ahead of its time (because it’s clearly written about some gay shit) and is also still very much a product of its day. The entire book is a bit of a contradiction. The character of Laura has so much freedom because her father allows her to do as she pleases, but that freedom can be taken from her at any point. The men talk AROUND her instead of TO her, denying her the ability to make any real decisions for herself. Laura ultimately is robbed of most of her agency. Everything that happens to her ends up downplayed – because the things women go through ultimately aren’t important.

I could say a bunch more stuff about how this book is incredibly intelligent, and remarkable for this time, but I would have to take a hard left into spoiler territory and I actually want folks to read it. I was genuinely fascinated with this book. It is very much a product of its time, but also simultaneously ahead of its time with gender politics. Truly a wild romp through the Victorian era…with vampires!