Reviews
This is how my stupid, wretched, useless, clingy, pathetic, intense, humiliating, absurd, and heartbreaking way of loving looks like.
I UNDERSTAND YOU, SIS.
beautiful writing and plot. obsessed with carmilla's declarations of love for laura.
however i was expecting more intimacy between them, i wish we spent more time focusing on exploring their relationship, but i really enjoyed this!
sapatona louca senhorrr
lésbica vampira 👏👏👏👏👏👏
A representation of the Victorian women's repressed sexuality and identity in a story of a blood-sucking and alluring female vampire that hypnotises young girls into lesbian love and lust. Though it still depicts that lustful part of the female identity as dangerous and damaging, it also depicts it as a reality that people choose to ignore and repress. As great and ahead of its time the story is on these matters, the class dynamics with the very highlighted importance of the newly emerging middle class and the thoroughly ignored and belittled plebians make it hard to enjoy the book to its fullest. Still, an essential and amazing read!
Now, I don’t want to upset the Oscar Wilde stans, but THIS is what I thought I was going to get with that ugly portrait book. This was written 18 years before that novel and gave me everything I wanted out of a queer classic, short of a happy ending. I find it funny that this was supposed to warn readers against sexual exploration and freedom but created a sapphic narrative to be consumed by gays for generations to come. I thought this was very easy to read. There weren’t any long, drawn out passages that made me roll my eyes at the pretentiousness of them. It was beautiful and to the point. I’m not a huge fan of classics thus far, but it’s ones like these that keep me interested in consuming more.
Listened to the Audible Dramatization. Did not expect the ending still!
the gay vampires are wild
3.5*
que homofóbico que una vampira y una humana no terminen juntas y felices … so what if she’s the devil ???
This is called homophobic karma.
“You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever.” Before Dracula there was Carmilla.
I liked it a lot. There’s something in 19th century gothic fiction (homoeroticism) that’s my shit.
3.5/5 "Dearest, your little heart is wounded; think me not cruel because I obey the irresistible law of my strength and weakness; if your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours. In the rapture of my enormous humiliation I live in your warm life, and you shall die--die, sweetly die--into mine. I cannot help it; as I draw near to you, you, in your turn, will draw near to others, and learn the rapture of that cruelty, which yet is love; so, for a while, seek to know no more of me and mine, but trust me with all your loving spirit."
they hate to see a lesbian winning
So much better because Carmen Maria Machado edits it
Okay, first of all I did listen to the dramatised version on Audible which was PHENOMENAL AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU LISTEN TO IT. But this novel gave me everything I needed in such an easy and short read. Like, lesbians, vampires, gothic victorian era atmosphere and language? What more could you need???? I truly wish this was more well known as the first novel of Vampires and what inspired the future ones to come, INCLUDING DRACULA (yes dracula's prologue was inspired by Carmilla). I truthfully could not put into words how much I loved this novel and it is definitely now one of my top reads of all time.
i live for carmilla's passionate declarations of "love" to laura
I wish we had spent more time on developing Carmilla and Laura's relationship. And regardless, the novella is still entirelly captivating.
the fact it came before dracula and the queer community really overhyped it i fear
If it was me I would simply allow her to suck me dry like a caprisun
this is a masterpiece! i didn't expect it to be sapphic AND vampire themed, imagine my surprise! the writing is gorgeous. i just feel like there is not enough details about carmilla and their "love" for each other, i wanted more intimacy. overall a really great read.
19th century lesbian vampire story?? Ahead of its time! Love it, miss Carmilla did nothing wrong in my eyes. Also anything Carmen Maria Machado works on is automatically perfect she has not a singular flaw
Highlights
You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever.
"I live in you; and you would die for me, I love you so."
"I am sure, Carmilla, you have been in love; that there is, at this moment, an affair of the heart going on."
"I have been in love with no one, and never shall," she whispered, "unless it should be with you."
Girls are caterpillars while they live in the world, to be finally butterflies when the summer comes; but in the meantime there are grubs and larvae, don't you see—each with their peculiar propensities, necessities and structure.
"You will think me cruel, very selfish, but love is always selfish; the more ardent the more selfish. How jealous I am you cannot know. You must come with me, loving me, to death; or else hate me and still come with me, and hating me through death and after. There is no such word as indifference in my apathetic nature."
"You are afraid to die?"
"Yes, every one is."
"But to die as lovers may—to die together, so that they may live together."
Girls are caterpillars while they live in the world, to be finally butterflies when the summer comes; but in the meantime there are grubs and larvae, don't you see—each with their peculiar propensities, necessities and structure.
But dreams come through stone walls, light up dark rooms, or darken light ones, and their persons make their exits and their entrances as they please, and laugh at locksmiths. I had a dream that night that was the beginning of a very strange agony.
Dearest, your little heart is wounded; think me not cruel because I obey the irresistible law of my strength and weakness; if your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours. In the rapture of my enormous humiliation I live in your warm life, and you shall die—die, sweetly die—into mine. I cannot help it; as I draw near to you, you, in your turn, will draw near to others, and learn the rapture of that cruelty, which yet is love; so, for a while, seek to know no more of me and mine, but trust me with all your loving spirit.
"I have been in love with no one, and never shall," she whispered, "unless it should be with you."
"I have been in love with no one, and never shall," she whispered, "unless it should be with you."
Favourite quote in the entire book. She speaks so poetically I love it.
you believe in nothing but what consists with your own prejudices and illusions.
and she is, if possible, a greater coward than I.
I don’t know you—I don’t know myself when you look so and talk so.
But curiosity is a restless and unscrupulous passion, and no one girl can endure, with patience, that hers should be baffled by another.
Young people like, and even love, on impulse.
I curse my conceited incredulity, my despicable affectation of superiority, my blindness, my obstinacy—all—too late.