CARMILLA

Before Dracula there was Carmilla, a haunting, revolutionary tale of love and vampirism in the early 19th century. Nothing is what it seems when a wealthy English widower and his daughter Laura unexpectedly welcome the young Carmilla into their isolated Styrian castle. Although Laura is quickly charmed by Carmilla's grace and beauty, she thereafter falls victim to a strange, unidentifiable illness that threatens to take her life. And when an old family friend reappears to shed light on Carmilla's mysterious past, Laura realises her dear friend may prove deadly after all. The novel is testament to Le Fanu's extensive literary career and brilliant imagination, and has immortalised sensationalist romance-horror, much like the alluring vampiress herself. 128pp, new full price paperback.