JOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU: CARMILLA (ENGLISH EDITION) - THE GOTHIC VAMPIRE CLASSIC THAT INSPIRED BRAM

Lady Margaret est une jeune fille orpheline de mère. A la mort de son père fortuné, elle est placée chez son oncle et tuteur, le sinistre sir Arthur Tyrrell, qui a une réputation de meurtrier. A son arrivée dans sa nouvelle demeure, retirée, elle se lie immédiatement d'amitié avec sa cousine Emily. En revanche, elle ne cessera de nourrir méfiance et répulsion à l'égard de son cousin Edward, individu détestable qui cherche à la contraindre au mariage. Elle soupçonne qu'on en veut à son héritage. On veut la tuer... Comment ma cousine a été assassinée (1838) est la première nouvelle de Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873), écrivain irlandais des plus populaires à l'époque victorienne - avec Oncle Silas, Carmilla... Dans la tradition du roman gothique, l'auteur personnifie le diable sous les traits de l'oncle, persécuteur qui se cache sous le masque de la vertu. Il met en place un suspense, en passe de devenir un classique.

For some nights1slept profoundly: but still every morning I felt the same lassitude, and a languor weighed upon me all day.1 felt myself a changed girl. A strange melancholy was stealing over me, a melancholy that 1 would not have interrupted. Dim thoughts of death began to open, and an idea that 1 was slowly sinking took gentle, and, somehow, not unwelcome, possession of me. If it was sad, the tone of mind which this induced was also sweet. Whatever it might be, my soul acquiesced in it. Written in 1872, more than twenty years before Bram Stokers Dracula, Le Fanu's masterpiece is one of the first vampire stories. And Carmilla is the first female vampire in British literature. Born in Ireland, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu was a politician and a man of letters. The invisible prince, as he was nicknamed, would often ask bookshops for a lovely little ghost story Whereas his own were much admired by Henry James.

In a Glass Darkly" by J. Sheridan Le Fanu is a collection of supernatural tales, with the first volume focusing on the story of Mr. Jennings, a clergyman plagued by a mysterious and malevolent presence. The narrative is presented through the perspective of Dr. Martin Hesselius, a German physician with a keen interest in metaphysical medicine. Mr. Jennings recounts his experiences with a spectral monkey that haunts him, appearing at various times and places, and exerting a malevolent influence over his thoughts and actions. This presence disrupts his life, particularly his religious duties, and drives him to the brink of despair. Despite seeking medical advice and attempting various remedies, the apparition persists, leading Jennings to fear for his sanity and soul. Dr. Hesselius listens to Jennings' account with a mix of scientific curiosity and empathy, promising to investigate the case further. The story explores themes of psychological disturbance, the intersection of the spiritual and material worlds, and the limits of human understanding in the face of the supernatural.