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In a Glass Darkly: Green Tea, the Familiar, Mr. Justice Harbottle, the Room in the Dragon Volant, Carmilla

by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

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Jules said:

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" Green Tea: ⭐⭐⭐⭐+1/2
The Familiar: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mr. Justice Harbottle: not read yet
The Room in the Dragon Volant: not read yet
Carmilla: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Carmilla: I read this immediately after finishing Bram Stoker's Dracula. The vibe was very similar and I enjoyed it thor Green Tea: ⭐⭐⭐⭐+1/2
The Familiar: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mr. Justice Harbottle: not read yet
The Room in the Dragon Volant: not read yet
Carmilla: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Carmilla: I read this immediately after finishing Bram Stoker's Dracula. The vibe was very similar and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Both stories touch on the sexual perversion of female vampires, which I image was intended as a criticism of promiscuity given the time they were written. My personal interpretation is that these women have thrown off the shackles of convention and are liberated in one sense. But in the other sense, they are still "othered" by society because they no longer fit the submissive mold. Their vampiric curse in this interpretation is that they must make a choice between personal liberation and acceptance into society. Upon choosing the former, they subject themselves to an eternity of being persecuted as monsters. I also think about the treatment of female vampires when it comes to their relationship with children. Dracula's wives (including Lucy after she turns) specifically thirst for the blood of children, which Dracula himself doesn't seem to have a preference for. The killing of children is the ultimate perversion of the female role in society. They are also sterile after becoming vampires, again defeating their societal purpose as child-bearers and ultimately condemning women who remain childless. In the end, Carmilla is executed as a monster for having shed the conventions of womanhood and pursuing personal liberation. I don't know if Le Fanu intended for Carmilla to be a feminist work, but I am certainly interpreting it as such.

Green Tea: The creepy monkey vibes are immaculate. I kind of wish the exposition had been a bit shorter and that the mystery of the monkey had been more drawn out. Dr. Hesselius's role is interesting. He heals maladies of the "material" nature. At the same time, he believes that some maladies are indeed spiritual and he has little help to offer in these cases. His helplessness in trying to heal Reverend Jennings seems inevitable. The monkey serves as an excellent metaphor for depression and suicidal ideation. It seems that the demon's aim is to isolate Jennings. It disappears for weeks at a time when he retreats to his country home, but immediately reappears when he makes attempts to return to his work or be a part of society. He is able to resist the suicidal ideations when he is walking with his niece. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of sparing her the trauma of witnessing such a tragedy. When he finally commits the act, it is in complete and utter isolation. His connection to loved ones was the only thing that could have saved him. But it was the very thing that became increasingly difficult to pursue due to the monkey's influence. Again, an incredibly apt image of how depression impedes us from pursuing the very things that will help us heal. Finally, there is the allusion to addiction in Jennings's consumption of green tea. He innocently began to use the stimulant to help him stay awake while working on his passion project. But his overindulgence triggered the arrival of the monkey. This parallels the use of other drugs, such as alcohol, which may be used innocently and in moderation at first, but quickly becomes one's downfall when abused. It accelerates our descent into depression and isolation, AKA summoning a demon monkey into the mind.

The Familiar: This felt pretty similar to Green Tea, but not as good? Le Fanu definitely did a great job with the progression of Barton's descent into madness. I especially liked how the back-and-forth of him getting better and then seeing the Watcher again at the most unexpected times. The end left a little something to be desired. I just felt like I wanted a little more explanation. The reveal about him having done something terribly violent and now being punished for it seemed kind of tacked on. I wonder if it would have been better to slowly hint at this throughout the story. Or maybe I just had a harder time relating to Barton on a personal level, so I didn't enjoy it as much as Green Tea. Nevertheless, a wonderfully spooky read. ...more "

21 hours, 59 min ago · see review