MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - MobileRead October 2012 Discussion: Carmilla by J. Sheridan LeFanu (spoilers)

victauria · 10-20-2012, 11:02 AM

I didn't vote for this one, but I ended up reading Carmilla and the one that I did vote for...this one was better! So it was a good win.

I enjoyed the whole book, though when I finished it I liked it considerably less than I thought I would during the beginning and middle. Loved the atmosphere created, it was rich and very visual, though only somewhat spooky to me (being far more jaded, perhaps, than his original audience). I felt the characters were engaging and believable, in the main.

However,the story didn't end well for me partly because it somehow seemed rushed or maybe I just wanted more material dealing with unraveling the mystery, finding the culprit, and so on.

But the real buzz kill for me was his vampire paradigm...I mean, really?

Spoiler:

I've read a lot of vampire books, and each one has a slant on the origins, rules for walking among humans, how to kill, etc., but this version just didn't hold up to common sense (did I just say vampires and common sense in the same sentence?!). So that downgraded my mental rating quite a bit.

That said, I would probably read it again because I liked the place that LeFanu took me to. I would just have to be better prepared to part company at the end.

10-20-2012, 11:02 AM	#2
victauria Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,990 Karma: 17560944 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Florida, USA Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD	I didn't vote for this one, but I ended up reading Carmilla and the one that I did vote for...this one was better! So it was a good win. I enjoyed the whole book, though when I finished it I liked it considerably less than I thought I would during the beginning and middle. Loved the atmosphere created, it was rich and very visual, though only somewhat spooky to me (being far more jaded, perhaps, than his original audience). I felt the characters were engaging and believable, in the main. However,the story didn't end well for me partly because it somehow seemed rushed or maybe I just wanted more material dealing with unraveling the mystery, finding the culprit, and so on. But the real buzz kill for me was his vampire paradigm...I mean, really? Spoiler: The explanation of how vampires came to be and their "living" conditions....seriously? Sloshing about in seven inches of blood, but she was able to get out and be spotless and presentable once back at the schloss? And no reek of blood either? And to just leave it at "utterly inexplicable" for the exit and re-entry? And where did all this blood come from...how did it remain liquid...if there is that much blood, why go after more people in the village? And vampires are created by suicide? Come on!...is this supposed to be the church's cautionary tale? I believe this was the point where a paperback book would have hit the wall. Fortunately, I have a Kindle so that kind of display is no longer possible! I've read a lot of vampire books, and each one has a slant on the origins, rules for walking among humans, how to kill, etc., but this version just didn't hold up to common sense (did I just say vampires and common sense in the same sentence?!). So that downgraded my mental rating quite a bit. That said, I would probably read it again because I liked the place that LeFanu took me to. I would just have to be better prepared to part company at the end.