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catapocalypse's review
2.0
There are skilled storytellers of Le Fanu's time period, but this collection does not prove him to be one of them. Most of the stories ramble on unnecessarily, and there are many loose ends and irrelevancies. A few of the stories felt redundant in their plot and themes.
It was still worth reading "Carmilla," for the sake of historic vampire lore, but this story also suffered the above flaws.
It was still worth reading "Carmilla," for the sake of historic vampire lore, but this story also suffered the above flaws.
jeannemarie's review
3.0
I normally do not like to read ghost stories, especially those that emphasize terrorizing people. I came across the author Joseph Sheridan LeFanu when reading another fiction book, Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers. I wanted to know why Sayers seemed to feel that Sheridan LeFanu was a better writer of ghost stories than Wilkie Collins.
These stories are well written with the sensibilities of Victorian England. They appeal to the senses, but if read with an intellectual focus, are satisfying. I read the first one, Squire Toby's Will, open to the sensationalistic aspect of the story. It reminded me why I don't read ghost stories. However, changing my reading focus to a more intellectual, critical reading, made me appreciate the stories and how well they feed into people's fears of the supernatural.
I will not read any others because I don't like the genre. My curiosity was satisfied.
These stories are well written with the sensibilities of Victorian England. They appeal to the senses, but if read with an intellectual focus, are satisfying. I read the first one, Squire Toby's Will, open to the sensationalistic aspect of the story. It reminded me why I don't read ghost stories. However, changing my reading focus to a more intellectual, critical reading, made me appreciate the stories and how well they feed into people's fears of the supernatural.
I will not read any others because I don't like the genre. My curiosity was satisfied.
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