Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu. Chapter 1 - An Early Fright


Read by Louisa Thornton

(3.8 stars; 13 reviews)

Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu is a chilling tale of the un-dead, standing out as an all-time horror classic. In this first chapter, we meet Laura, who lives a lonely existence in a remote schloss in Styria, on the border of Austria and Hungary. Her life takes a turn when the beautiful young Carmilla arrives, coinciding with a series of unexplained deaths in the area.

As Laura and Carmilla's friendship grows, Laura experiences a series of nightmares and mysterious nocturnal visitations, leading to a gradual decline in her health. The story unfolds with a haunting excerpt where Laura describes a solemn yet pretty face looking at her from the side of the bed, setting the stage for the eerie events to come.


This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

License

Chapters

An Early Fright 13:34

Reviews

Carmilla


(2 stars)

An audio book depends upon the strength of the voice artist. In this case, the result becomes disappointment and irritation. The young lady displays little verbal skill. She breaks up nearly every sentence. The same inflection gets applied over and over again. Emphasis consistently (as opposed to occasionally) ends up on pronouns or adjectives instead of verbs or nouns. More, she shows little or no emotional connection to the words she's reading. CARMILLA itself is a minor classic, a haunting and beautiful tale. This staccato uninspired reading renders it unpleasant to hear.