Carmilla (1872)

"It was like the ardor of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet over-powering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips traveled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, "You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever."

Rating: 4.5/5

Author: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Premise: In an appropriately gothic castle, in the isolated Austrian countryside, a carriage accident forces young Carmilla into the care of a retired aristocrat. His daughter, our narrator Laura, forms an immediate friendship with the beautiful but uncanny newcomer. Strange occurrences within the house and neighboring village begin to escalate, all the while Carmilla's fragile health confines her to her room.

Recommend: For all horror fans and especially horror fans who are also lesbians. Carmilla ages well as a believable, beautiful, well-paced masterpiece. The landscape is touchable, the lore is fresh but deeply familiar, and the characters are alive. And best of all, it can be read in an afternoon.

In the vein of: Dracula (Bram Stoker, 1897), Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier, 1938), Eileen (Ottessa Moshfegh, 2015). 

Mood: Looking wistfully out of a bay window in a long poofy dress.