Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

15 reviews

eva_vva's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Confinement, Stalking, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Gore, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

An odd novella, to be sure, and yet one that has earned its place among my favorite classics. An interesting take on sapphic desire, love, and identity accompanied by very intriguing, lore-heavy vampirism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

_n_m_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Lesbophobia

bearystarry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Loved this. Even though I'd heard people talk about this book before, I was not expecting it to be this overtly romantic? Loved the specific vampire lore here as well. I think this will be something I want to reread pretty often.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, and Murder

dellydoos's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Predating the infamous Dracula and his tale, Carmilla may not be widely recognized, yet its value and significance still should demand your attention. This was a great little novel. Lesbian vampires, set in a historical Germanic/French setting, hello? What a slay. 

The atmospheric narrative, narrated in the first person, drew me into the world of Laura and Carmilla, establishing a captivating dynamic. This book was the embodiment of the old gothic horror, black forests, abandoned churches, remote mansions, it was all so perfectly eerie. 
The unfolding tale masterfully explored the complexities of desire and danger, woven into the fabric of a bygone era. The historical backdrop added an extra layer of intrigue, giving life to the haunting setting. 

However, the brevity of the novella, clocking in at a swift 100 pages, did pose some challenges. The plot unfolded rapidly, occasionally leaving me grappling to fully comprehend the swift and mysterious events. While the sparse yet atmospheric descriptions contributed to the novel's charm, I found myself yearning for more detail to enrich the storytelling. The use of old-timey language, though generally fitting for the setting, at times created a barrier, making it challenging to fully grasp the implied meanings conveyed by the characters.

The setup and interplay between Laura and Carmilla stood out as highlights, but the lack of character development or arcs was noticeable. The narrative remained primarily plot-driven, with the characters serving as instruments to propel the story forward. In the end, Carmilla provided an engaging yet somewhat elusive reading experience, earning it a solid 3/5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault and Stalking

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

snackattackisback69's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Lesbophobia

Minor: Death and Death of parent

kurumipanda's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Racism and Stalking

emlen's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Death, Suicide, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i really enjoyed this! the concept and plot were amazing, the characters were so interesting, and the writing was accessible. i wish the the characters were more flushed out and the plot was explored in more length. overall, it was a fun sapphic vampire story which was the precursor to Dracula!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Stalking, and Toxic friendship