Carmilla: A Sapphic Vampire Story

This book might be one of the best I’ve read so far this year. I was first introduced to this book on TikTok, with people calling it the "lesbian vampire book," and I was immediately interested. But when I found out that it was written in 1872 and by a man, I was suspicious. I wondered if the story was really sapphic or just a headcanon people made up. After reading it, I can confidently say that it’s most definitely a sapphic story. I’m not good with summaries, so here’s what Goodreads says.

Laura lives a pretty lonely life with her sick dad in this isolated castle in the middle of the Austrian forest. But then, one night, this carriage crashes right in front of them, and that's how she meets the beautiful Carmilla. This is where their super intense friendship starts, and Laura is totally entranced by her new mysterious friend. But things get weird because Carmilla starts acting really strange and volatile, like wandering around at night, and Laura begins having these awful nightmares and feeling weaker every single day… This book actually came out twenty-six years before Dracula, so it's basically the original vampire story, and it is full of gothic romance and so much sexual tension.

I wish I had read this during the fall because the gothic vibe was just amazing. The story takes place in a remote and isolated castle in Austria. The castle is far from major towns and is surrounded by woods. The only thing near the castle is a ruined village. And the vibe was so dreamy and melancholic. 

Laura, the main character, is also isolated socially. The only people she really interacts with, other than the workers, are her father and her governesses. She doesn’t have any friends her own age until she meets Carmilla. Before meeting Carmilla, Laura was expecting a visit from the daughter of a friend of Laura’s father, but she had mysteriously died. This leaves Laura really desperate for companionship, so she doesn’t notice Carmilla’s strange habits.

One of the things that surprised me was how the sexual tension between Laura and Carmilla is so obvious; I thought I would have had to read between the lines. One of my favorite things about vampire stories is when the line between a vampire’s hunger and romantic desire is blurred. Carmilla often said things that made her sound like a lover instead of a friend. Her affections are so physically intense, she pulls Laura close, holds her hand, and whispers declarations of love. Carmilla was the original love bomber. However, Laura often feels conflicted. She is both attracted to and repulsed by Carmilla. She says that she often feels a physical coldness when Carmilla is close. It’s like her instincts are telling her to get away, but she’s pulled in by Carmilla’s beauty and love.

Another thing I love about vampire stories is how small things differ between authors. One thing I noticed about the portrayal of vampires in classics and modern media is their morality. In modern stories, like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, the main characters are often sympathetic and struggle between their hunger and their guilt. However, in classics, they don’t have that guilt. They are pure predators. This shift in portrayal can also be seen in what they represent. In classics, vampires were metaphors for societal fears, “shameful” sexuality, or the loss of religious faith, while in more modern stories, they are metaphors for identity and isolation, the outsider who wants to be loved.

(image found on pinterest)

To end this blog, here’s one of my favorite quotes…

“I have never been in love with no one, and never shall," she whispered, "unless it should be with you.”

― Sheridan Le Fanu, Carmilla