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danelleeb 's review for:
In a Glass Darkly
by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
In a Glass Darkly is a collection of 5 short stories based on the posthumous papers of a 'metaphysical doctor' (a psychiatrist) who is willing to believe in ghosts.
The first story is Green Tea in which an English clergyman claims he is being followed by a demon that takes the form of a monkey with red eyes. This monkey is invisible to everyone else and is driving the clergyman to madness, ruining his life.
The second story is The Familiar in which a sea captain comes back to Dublin and is engaged to be married. This sea captain is stalked by a sinister dwarf who reminds him of past deeds and leads to the captain's eventual confinement to a room. Thinking he is saved from the dwarf, he is then plagued by voices.
The third story, Mr. Justice Harbottle is a story of karma if there ever was one. Judge Harbottle is visited by those he condemned and a murderous version of himself in his dreams.
The fourth story, and one of the best, is The Room in the Dragon Volant where a young Englishman, drunk on his new inheritance, finds himself in love with a mysterious Countess. Stressing that she wants to rid herself of her overbearing husband, the young Englishman blindly follows where she leads. Disaster stikes after the young man refuses to acknowledge the madness she has brought into his life.
The fifth and final story, another one of the best, Carmilla, is a vampire story that influenced Bram Stoker (it was written 20+ years before Stoker wrote his version). A man and his daughter take in a beautiful, strange, young girl after a carriage accident near their schloss. Unbeknownst to them, the girl has evil intentions. (I was surprised by the overt lesbian love theme going on in this one.)
In a Glass Darkly was first published in 1872 and it amazes me how creepy the stories still are in this day and age. It's noted in the edition that I read that Le Fanu influenced not only Stoker, but also Henry James, James Joyce, Charlotte Bronte, and Charles Dickens - and if you are at all familiar with any of those authors, you can see elements of their works in Le Fanu's.
It is entirely Victorian and gothic and it should be read in the quiet hours of the night for full effect. (Or, as Henry James noted, it's "the ideal reading...for the hours after midnight"). If you are a fan of any of the aforementioned authors, you should pick this up - you most certainly will enjoy it.
The first story is Green Tea in which an English clergyman claims he is being followed by a demon that takes the form of a monkey with red eyes. This monkey is invisible to everyone else and is driving the clergyman to madness, ruining his life.
The second story is The Familiar in which a sea captain comes back to Dublin and is engaged to be married. This sea captain is stalked by a sinister dwarf who reminds him of past deeds and leads to the captain's eventual confinement to a room. Thinking he is saved from the dwarf, he is then plagued by voices.
The third story, Mr. Justice Harbottle is a story of karma if there ever was one. Judge Harbottle is visited by those he condemned and a murderous version of himself in his dreams.
The fourth story, and one of the best, is The Room in the Dragon Volant where a young Englishman, drunk on his new inheritance, finds himself in love with a mysterious Countess. Stressing that she wants to rid herself of her overbearing husband, the young Englishman blindly follows where she leads. Disaster stikes after the young man refuses to acknowledge the madness she has brought into his life.
The fifth and final story, another one of the best, Carmilla, is a vampire story that influenced Bram Stoker (it was written 20+ years before Stoker wrote his version). A man and his daughter take in a beautiful, strange, young girl after a carriage accident near their schloss. Unbeknownst to them, the girl has evil intentions. (I was surprised by the overt lesbian love theme going on in this one.)
In a Glass Darkly was first published in 1872 and it amazes me how creepy the stories still are in this day and age. It's noted in the edition that I read that Le Fanu influenced not only Stoker, but also Henry James, James Joyce, Charlotte Bronte, and Charles Dickens - and if you are at all familiar with any of those authors, you can see elements of their works in Le Fanu's.
It is entirely Victorian and gothic and it should be read in the quiet hours of the night for full effect. (Or, as Henry James noted, it's "the ideal reading...for the hours after midnight"). If you are a fan of any of the aforementioned authors, you should pick this up - you most certainly will enjoy it.