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In a Glass Darkly

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 1,290 ratings · 71 reviews

This remarkable collection of stories, first published in 1872, includes Green Tea, The Familiar, Mr. Justice Harbottle, The Room in the Dragon Volant, and Carmilla. The five stories are purported to be cases by Dr. Hesselius, a 'metaphysical' doctor, who is willing to consider the ghosts both as real and as hallucinatory obsessions. The reader's doubtful anxiety mimics th...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published October 7th 1999 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published 1872)

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Apr 24, 2013 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 4 of 5 stars

"What a fool I was! and yet, in the sight of angels, are we any wiser as we grow older? It seems to me, only, that our illusions change as we go on; but, still, we are madmen all the same."

DEMON MONKEY

I read the Folio Society edition of this book and that red-eyed demon monkey was on the front cover. It was disconcerting to me and to my daughter who every time she saw it would ask me to turn the book over, so she wouldn't feel the intensity of the monkey's gaze.

I read this book predominately i...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Shovelmonkey1 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: horror fans and anyone who likes a good ghostly yarn

Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by: 1001 books list

Shelves: 1001-books, bookcrossing-books, read-in-2011

*applause*
Once again those good old boys from the days of "classic" literature show everyone how it's done without the aid of special effects, bells and whistles and ludicrous vampire based sex scenes (any who has ever seen or had Tru blood described to them will know what i'm talking about). This is a great book of short stories (Green Tea, The Familiar, Mr Justice Harbottle, The Room in Le Dragon Volant and Carmilla) all linked by the fact that they are case studies brought to the attention of...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Jacob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, short-fiction, 2011, horror

October 2011

The one about the distressed Reverend haunted by a demonic monkey? Yeah, that was ok.

The one about the retired Navy man haunted by a figure from his past? Eh, sure.

The one about the judge haunted by the ghost of an innocent man he condemned to death? Oh, yeah, whatever.

The one about the young and naïve Englishman travelling in France, haunted by nothing but an ever-growing sense of danger and unease as he befriends a mysterious Marquis, pines for the young and equally mysterious Coun...more

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Mar 17, 2008 Cody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, short-fiction

A wonderful, well-made example of Victorian Gothic horror. Sheridan le Fanu' s stories range between the fearfully haunting and the hauntingly sensuous—particularly the sapphic vampire tale "Carmilla"—and are all slow-burning. My only complaint, which is really no fault of the author, is with the repetition intrinsic to this sort of narrative. Gothic horror stories generally have the same plot arc, which can grow trying after two or three in a row. Instead, read these at intervals: Pick the book...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century-fiction, victorian, victorian-lit, spooky

I read "Green Tea" a couple of years ago and while I did enjoy it, the style and the story were very good, I just couldn't quite get past the part where it was green tea that was making him crazy. It was just a tiny bit amusing. So I didn't re-read it this time. I found "The Familiar" to be a little disappointing, particularly after enjoying "Carmilla" so much. It was nice to see a continuation of the creepy walking home story, but I felt that there wasn't enough characterisation to carry me thr...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Francis rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's kinda creepy, like..

You're walking down a road with your yellow haired dog. He's happy just looking around, tongue hanging out, ears up. But You're sure thirsty and wish you had yourself a drink of water or something wet like. When before you know it, this old boy comes along with his pretty daughter, who seems kinda shy, but in an odd kinda way.

There both real friendly and they both go on, telling you how much they admire that cute old yellowed hair dog of yours and how funny it is, you an...more It's kinda creepy, like..

You're walking down a road with your yellow haired dog. He's happy just looking around, tongue hanging out, ears up. But You're sure thirsty and wish you had yourself a drink of water or something wet like. When before you know it, this old boy comes along with his pretty daughter, who seems kinda shy, but in an odd kinda way.

There both real friendly and they both go on, telling you how much they admire that cute old yellowed hair dog of yours and how funny it is, you and your dog having the same color of hair and all. You thank them and then you explain about how thirsty you and old thumper are (old thumper, that's your dog ..ya know, the yellow haired one.)

Well, they suggest that you and old thumper stop by for supper and spend the night. Now you think, that's real friendly like, only you wonder why his mouth twitches on one side when he smiles, and why she keeps looking down at the ground; her being so pretty and all.

Well, you have yourself a great dinner, and that pretty daughter of his, whose young, but not that young, keeps smiling at you and keeps offering you more ta drink, something thats got a little kick, which you like, so you take have more and old thumper, he don't seem to mind either.

Well fore you know it, you fall off inna deep slumber and what seems like a long time later you wake up. Well, that old boy and his daughter they offer to fix you and old thumper breakfast but old thumper he can't be found, anywhere.

So, you all go searching through the woods all day, looking for old thumper but he ain't no where to be found. And that pretty girl, she's just heart broken, but nights comin' on, so you decide you'll have yourself some supper and try again tomorrow.

Well you have yourself a big old supper of something that's tasting really good and she's still free with that corn liquor that you like so much. You're starting to feel tired and whoozy when that old boy smiles at you and you start thinking ..was that a bit of yellow fur, I just seen between his molars.

Just then, that pretty girl smiles at ya and you're thinkin' her teeth are lookin' kinda yellow as well and then with that odd smile of hers she says, "You sure got yourself some pretty yellow hair." And her Papa, he says "He sure do, don't he." Then all of a sudden, you're feelin' kinda tired and real nervous like. And then you start speculating, bout exactly what time you'll be wakin' up in the morning, or not?

Yep, it's kinda like that, five stories that'll fill ya with all kinds of nervous speculations.
(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Vishy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In ‘Middlemarch’, at one point, George Eliot starts a chapter (Book III, Chapter XXIX, first paragraph, in case you are interested) with this sentence : “One morning, some weeks after her arrival at Lowick, Dorothea…”. And then immediately she asks – “but why always Dorothea? Was her point of view the only possible one…?” And then she promptly goes on to tell us about other characters and Dorothea doesn’t make an appearance for a long while. Something similar happened to me when I was trying to...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Lee Foust rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some of the best ripping yarns of one Anglo-Irish mid-century Victorian weaver of ghost, adventure, and vampire tales. Perfect for the winter weather; perfect for those rainy, dark, and dimly-lit chilly days and nights beneath the eiderdown, warm drink in hand, in my late 19th century Continental European digs. Ah, you see, atmosphere is everything here, there, in both tale told and in the setting of one's reading. The mists swirl and the first-person narrators stand clueless before all-too-obvi...more Some of the best ripping yarns of one Anglo-Irish mid-century Victorian weaver of ghost, adventure, and vampire tales. Perfect for the winter weather; perfect for those rainy, dark, and dimly-lit chilly days and nights beneath the eiderdown, warm drink in hand, in my late 19th century Continental European digs. Ah, you see, atmosphere is everything here, there, in both tale told and in the setting of one's reading. The mists swirl and the first-person narrators stand clueless before all-too-obvious mysteries: be fair, we know all about ghosts and vampires, while our narrators are only just now learning to face the supernatural and are prejudiced by reason and convention, I suppose. These were more innocent times, Gothic-wise, in which secret passages could still secretly link decaying chateau with a haunted and little-patronized country inn, and in which vampires still returned to unmarked sepulchers in Gothic chapels attached to a scenic Styrian schloss to live amphibiously in blood the whole morning through.

The linking device that Le Fanu cooked up in order to connect these five short-story to novelette-length tales is weak: the introductions explaining that these are part of the papers of a metaphysical researcher, Dr. Hasselius, could easily have been dispensed with--but it would have cut only five or so pages of the whole, but feel free to skip the intros as they add nothing to the tales. Of course, centering themselves primarily upon rollicking--if atmospheric--adventure tropes (especially in the penultimate tale, "A Room in the Dragon Volant," which I enjoyed immensely) means that Le Fanu's tales fall somewhat short of the sheer perverse __frisson__ often achieved by his contemporary E. A. Poe or the later Victorian (and personal favorite) Arthur Machen, who so convincingly captures the dream world and hints at its being a passage into other, hidden--perhaps forbidden--eldrich regions of Gods and creatures best left unnamed--yes, and Lovecraft as well, hack that he was (don't take this wrong, I love his very bad writing and revel in the contradiction). Still, these are far superior texts, in my humble opinion, to the pedestrian mysteries of the more popular Victorian ghost-tale tellers like Dickens, Wilkie Collins, or Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Far superior.

One warning: the first tale, "Green Tea" is the weakest--is even a bit silly. However, be not afraid, read on! Each tale improves upon the previous, or so it seemed to me, and my enjoyment grew as I plunged on through, culminating in the most famous pre-__Dracula__ vampire tale, "Carmilla," the novelette that links so many of the vampire conventions codified by Stoker's __Dracula__ to Dr. John Polidori's (first-ever-vampire-in-the-English-language) short story "The Vampyre." "Carmilla," therefore, represents a sort of missing link in the vampire-tale/legend world, with its even more interesting (than most, than __Dracula__ certainly) feminine themes of innocence, adolescent sensuality, propriety, and--dare I say it?--lesbianism. There, I said it! Pretty highly recommended--but only with the right setting and with the right atmosphere of course. (now, poof! This reviewers vanishes in a puff of smoke.)(less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Tonk82 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, misterio

Sheridan Le Fanu es un maestro de las historias de fantasmas y espíritus. No solo tuvo una extensa producción de novelas y relatos de misterio/terror como El tío Silas o La casa junto al Cementerio, sino que influenció totalmente a escritores posteriores (aunque se llevaron muy poco tiempo) de la talla de Henry James o M. R. James. Con el tiempo la fama de sus mejores obras se ha mantenido hasta cierto punto, pero desgraciadamente parece que su obra, al margen de "Carmilla", está un poco olvidad...more Sheridan Le Fanu es un maestro de las historias de fantasmas y espíritus. No solo tuvo una extensa producción de novelas y relatos de misterio/terror como El tío Silas o La casa junto al Cementerio, sino que influenció totalmente a escritores posteriores (aunque se llevaron muy poco tiempo) de la talla de Henry James o M. R. James. Con el tiempo la fama de sus mejores obras se ha mantenido hasta cierto punto, pero desgraciadamente parece que su obra, al margen de "Carmilla", está un poco olvidada.

In a glass Darkly fue una de sus últimas publicaciones, y una de las más elaboradas. Reúne 5 historias con el nexo común de pertenecer al extraño Doctor Hesselius, especialista en medicina metafísica, y posiblemente el primer gran doctor de lo oculto.

Varias de las historias ofrecen unos hechos sorprendentes, que dejan al lector sin saber muy bien que pensar de lo ocurrido, ya que el propio Doctor a veces expone unos rocambolescos razonamientos a modo de explicación, generalmente sobre la apertura del "sentido interior" de algunas personas que les hacen sensibles al mundo de los espíritus.

-Té Verde - **** : Uno de los relatos más conocidos y el único donde el Doctor es activo protagonista. La narración de los hechos está tan bien hilvanada como es habitual en el autor, empezando por pequeños detalles y escalando progresivamente hasta unos extremos terroríficos. En este caso el paciente es un pobre sacerdote que empieza a ser acosado por lo que parece ser el espíritu de mono. Posiblemente sea la historia donde las explicaciones del Doctor más deslucen el resultado final.

-El Familiar - **** : Va muy en la linea del anterior. Un hombre que se ve acosado, primero por pisadas, y luego por un hombre que le persigue de forma cada vez más siniestra. Me parece bastante superior a Te Verde, y el clímax final es absolutamente maravilloso.

-Carmilla - ***** : En opinión del que escribe, el mejor relato Vampírico de todos los tiempos. Hay tantos detalles y lecturas en él que es difícil hacer una reseña corta. Está narrado en primera persona por una chica de 18 años que vive aislada con su padre en un viejo castillo. Un día, por diversas razones, acaban hospedando a otra chiquilla llamada Carmilla, y una extraña relación empezará a fraguarse entre ellas dos, a medio camino de la amistad y la pasión.

Hay muchos detalles destacables: la narración en primera persona le confiere una fuerza tremenda, está repleto de sueños y visiones ominosas, el personaje de Carmilla es absolutamente enigmático y fascinante, el entorno donde ocurre toda la acción es muy sugerente, y tiene casi todos los elementos que uno desearía en una historia vampírica. Hasta en su parte final Le Fanu se atreve a incluir a un oscuro personaje que sabe como cazar vampiros, claro precursor del insigne Abraham Van Helsing.

Hay algo fascinante y ligeramente sugerente en toda esta historia. Tiene un magnetismo difícil de encontrar. Es la historia mas reeditada de su autor, normalmente en recopilaciones, quitando el prólogo que hace referencia al Doctor Hesselius.

-El juez Hartbottle - ***** : Vuelve un poco a la línea de los dos primero relatos, pero para mi gusto es el mejor de los tres. Es una genuina historia de fantasmas que persiguen a un odioso juez, entregado a todo tipo de perversiones y que imparte la justicia como a él más le conviene.

Lo que al principio parecen unas sencillas bromas, pronto se convierten en terribles profecías de condena eterna y muerte. Alcanzando en sus momentos finales tintes absolutamente kafkianos. La idea de los muertos injustamente condenados persiguiendo a su juez funciona como un reloj suizo y hay a mitad de su desarrollo, un juicio al juez, que debe ser una de las mejores escenas de la historia del horror literario.

-La posada del dragón Volador - **** : No se trata de un relato sobrenatural, sino más bien un relato largo de misterio y aventuras. El protagonista sigue los pasos de una bella mujer infeliz, casada con un terrible hombre que no la deja vivir en paz. Hará de todo ello su responsabilidad y se propondrá salvar a la inocente mujer de las garras de su marido.

Es la historia más larga, y está escrita en un tono bastante más ligero que las otras 4. Tiene mucho humor, misterio, personajes carismáticos, revelaciones sorprendentes, y muy buena ambientación. Sin duda, un gran relato de aventuras cuyo principal problema es, quizá, que no cuadra del todo con respecto a los otros relatos escritos en este libro.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Bookhode rated it 2 of 5 stars

I liked how this collection of stories (actually 3 short stories and 2 novellas) grew in importance and dread towards the end of the book.

It starts off with a strange introductory tale about a young priest who used green tea to effectively open his third eye, but that only led to his possession by an evil spirit, insanity and death. What I found interesting here was Le Fanu's scientific approach in explanation of the phenomenon, and the fact that the main character had no chance in his battle wi...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of six Victorian ghost/horror stories first published in 1872. Though the stories were predictable, I reminded myself of the time period during which these stories were first published.

I enjoyed Green Tea (I can still see the monkey’s eyes!), The Familiar (What a way to go completely mad!), and my favorite, Carmilla (the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula??). Though the story was interesting, The Room in the Dragon Volant was my least favorite. The story was quite l...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book of five short stories was first published in 1872, a year before Le Fanu's death. Two are revised versions of stories written in the 1850's; four are "ghost stories", one is a dark mystery. The Victorian prose is wonderful once you become comfortable with the style, if you are not already familiar with it from other works of the period (LOTS of commas and sub-clauses in most sentences). Don't expect to be frightened, unless you pretend to be one of the ladies of the period who read the...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Liz M rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 0_own, 1001

This collection of stories was a quick, fun read. It is framed as if the stories were actually case studies found in the papers of an occult doctor.

"Green Tea" was the most disappointing story. In this instance, the Doctor relayed the incidents in letters to a friend, adding another degree of separation between the reader and the individual experiencing a horrific visitation, resulting in a ho-hum story.

"The Familiar" was sufficiently creepy with excellent pacing & ratcheting of suspense.

"...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a good series of short stories. The first three were definitely following the same theme and thought processes about what would happen if our poor decisions or attitudes were manifested as demons and how it would affect us. The last two stories were only linked to the others in that they also had supernatural elements, but every single story was unsettling and suspenseful like any horror book ought to be. Lately I have been on a Gothic Horror kick and this satisfied wonderfully. The fir...more This was a good series of short stories. The first three were definitely following the same theme and thought processes about what would happen if our poor decisions or attitudes were manifested as demons and how it would affect us. The last two stories were only linked to the others in that they also had supernatural elements, but every single story was unsettling and suspenseful like any horror book ought to be. Lately I have been on a Gothic Horror kick and this satisfied wonderfully. The first three stories were actually very interesting on a psychological level in that there was always a connection to the character's actions and the resulting demon that plagued them in one way or another and it was interesting to see these cause and effects. The first story, "Green Tea," set the tone for the rest of the book and is, in my opinion, the best one, along with "Carmilla." The main character, a clergyman, is troubled by hallucinations of a small monkey always following him and disturbing him, though only he can see it. He is convinced that it means him harm and feels that time is running out for him. It was full of suspense in all of the right places. Doctor Hesselius's narrative voice is what really added to the story and is what I think made it the most enjoyable of all of the stories in the book. He appears also in the second story, "The Familiar," to give a few notes before the story is told by a clergyman who met the main character of this particular story. This story is similar to the first. The main character is told not to walk through a certain section of the street he always walks in order to get home. He ignores this and continues, only to have someone stalking him and shadowing his footsteps. The more times he walks the street, the worse the new warnings become. There is a slow build up of whether what had been said to the main character would actually come to pass. It was a very creepy story and it kept me on my toes until I finished. The third story, "Mr. Justice Harbottle," involved a crooked judge who had a dream about being judged for his own sins by demons. This was the least enjoyable story for me. While the events were still as fantastic as the first two, I think I didn't like it as much because this was a person who you could readily say was a bad person from the beginning and was perhaps more deserving of being visited compared to the characters in the first two stories. The first two stories made me feel sympathetic, so perhaps I connected more with them versus the judge. The fourth story, "The Room in the Dragon Volant," would best be described as a romantic mystery story more than a horror story. It was also the longest of all the stories in the collection. The main character was a young Englishman who traveled to Paris to explore and try his hand at gambling. While traveling there, he meets a beautiful woman and her husband on the road and he instantly falls in love with her and follows her because of this infatuation, hoping that she is in an unhappy marriage and that somehow he can woo her. Odd things begin happening, but the only hint of the supernatural in this particular story is in some background given about how the hotel room he is staying in had several men disappear from it, never to be seen again. It was a good read, but I could see the ending coming from a mile away. The fifth story, "Carmilla," is a vampire story. The story is told by an an older woman of when she was a young girl living with her father in a mansion near a plagued town where people are dying off quickly and unexpectedly. A carriage comes by suddenly and an unconscious girl is left with them while the mother hurries off on an urgent mission that could last several months. The two girls become close friends, though the narrator is sometimes disturbed by the intensity of the other girl's interest in her. She starts to have odd dreams and both girls seem to become sick with very similar symptoms. It's a very good story and for me had the same feel of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" though much shorter. I loved this book and I plan on buying it sometime to add it to my collection.(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, horror, classics, short-stories

The only story that isn't technically horror is The Room in the Dragon Volant. Green Tea, The Familiar and Mr Justice Harbottle pretend to be psychological horror, but are actually paranormal horror, and share similar tropes. The medical BSing made me facepalm many a time. Might be: (view spoiler)

If the stories are rated individually:
Green Tea: 4/5
The Familiar: 3/5
Mr. Justice Ha...more

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May 26, 2010 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

eh. the first stories are pretty decent (although the second to last is fairly predictable), Carmilla is really the gem here though. None of them are scary, though Carmilla gave me very weird dreams, all of them are interesting. Carmilla is a bit predictable as well, since if you have ever heard of vampires it is obvious Carmilla is one, but its such an interesting read you don't mind most of the time when Laura, even hearing her symptoms described as having happened to someone else and being th...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

the first three short stories are really quite enjoyable (Green Tea being the real stand-out), but it's the final two stories that really did it for me.

the framing device -- that these are the lightly edited case-notes of the famed Dr. Hesselius -- was fun, even if it seems somewhat silly and cliched now. i started reading this when i went to Dublin for the weekend, and my wandering around the Georgian streets gave an interesting dimension to The Familiar.

The Room in the Dragon Volant was probab...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorian

Most people reading In A Glass Darkly today are going to be doing so because they've heard about Carmilla. Not only did Le Fanu write one of the earliest vampire stories (although there are several that predate this by some distance, most notably Polidori's The Vampyr and Varney the Vampire) he's also written one of the earliest popular stories I can recall that introduce lesbian desire in any significant way. True enough, Carmilla is the high point of this excellent set of short stories. As a V...more Most people reading In A Glass Darkly today are going to be doing so because they've heard about Carmilla. Not only did Le Fanu write one of the earliest vampire stories (although there are several that predate this by some distance, most notably Polidori's The Vampyr and Varney the Vampire) he's also written one of the earliest popular stories I can recall that introduce lesbian desire in any significant way. True enough, Carmilla is the high point of this excellent set of short stories. As a Victorian novella it's a short sharp shock, finely written, finely focussed and very unique in horror and sentiment. Le Fanu is at the top of his generally very good game. Carmilla is an attractive figure, probably every bit as enigmatic as Stoker's later (by almost 30 years, in fact) Dracula, as beautiful, charming and devastatingly attractive to the heroin one moment as she is mysterious and frightening the next. Despite the "erotic lesbianism" though this is perhaps less a story about lust - despite what later Hammer Horror would have us believe - and more one of comfort and companionship. There's a genuine spark between the two girls that one feels could have passed for love, despite the true predatory nature of Carmilla's character.

But, for me, this is a five star collection of stories and not just a five-star rating for Carmilla. The Room In the Dragon Volant, as far as I'm concerned, is every bit as excellent as a novella. Possibly less to modern readers tastes, it's a riff on the classic gothic novel of the late 18th century, featuring a hero who falls wildly and romantically for a woman in peril, a mysterious inn with a haunted past and much frolicing at masked balls. Le Fanu brilliantly takes this classic setup - that had, in the early 19th century been rewritten ad infinitum - and dissects it, placing his own eery twist on proceedings and delivering what is to my mind an end game that's truly quite disturbing.

The three shorter stories that round out the volume are all of high calibre and they're probably the most "modern" of the writings here, more influenced by the psychological horror of Poe than classic gothicism. In each, a central character is ultimately driven mad by a supernatural haunting that may or may not be brought about by an incident in his past or the overconsumption of a particular fluid. Green Tea is the most famous of these (and the other story that this volume is well known for) and it's definitely the best. It's a subtle and well written piece, proving that both demonic monkeys and the overconsumption of tea can be truly frightening things.

This is the second time I've read this book in a roughly ten year span. My concern was that I'd discovered it when I was younger and been excited by lesbian vampires, but that it wouldn't hold up as a "masterwork" anymore. Thankfully, it did. Le Fanu may not be the greatest author of the period but he certainly knew how to tell a great story and there's evidence of that five times over here. This is a cracking collection that everyone should become acquainted. For Carmilla, or not for Carmilla...(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Danelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, fiction, horror, short-stories, mine, favorites

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 engag...more 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.(less)

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Mar 11, 2008 minnie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Dracula, Gothic novels or horror in general

Shelves: classics, short-stories, favourites

The five stories in this collection by the Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu are all presented as case histories of Dr. Martin Hesselius (His conclusions are somewhat bizarre, especially in the case of Green Tea).The first story Green Tea is a chilling tale of a good man being terrorized by a horrible phantom- I don't want to give away what form this takes- who eventually urges him to self-destruction.The scene where he first sees this creature in an empty omnibus on a lonely road is extremel...more The five stories in this collection by the Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu are all presented as case histories of Dr. Martin Hesselius (His conclusions are somewhat bizarre, especially in the case of Green Tea).The first story Green Tea is a chilling tale of a good man being terrorized by a horrible phantom- I don't want to give away what form this takes- who eventually urges him to self-destruction.The scene where he first sees this creature in an empty omnibus on a lonely road is extremely eerie. The Familiar again finds a man haunted by a strange little person who won't give in until he's had his revenge. Mr. Justice Harbottle tells of a corrupt judge who gets his come-uppance.The Room in the Dragon Volant is an entertaining if convoluted gothic mystery wherein a naive young man gets mixed up with evil Counts, masquerade balls and secret passageways.
The best story is undoubtedly Carmilla, which was an influence on Bram Stoker. The setting is an isolated castle in a forest in Styria, where a mysterious woman stays with a lonely girl and her father. Its a beautifully written story with a dreamy atmosphere and haunting images, like the beautiful vampire walking up the avenue of Lime trees in the early hours. I loved the descriptions of Carmilla as beautiful but underneath there's something repulsive, which to me is the definitive Vampire type. The story has quite overt lesbian suggestions, which must have been quite taboo for the time it was written.
“She used to place her pretty arms about my neck, draw me to her, and laying her cheek to mine, murmur with her lips near my ear, “Dearest, your little heart is wounded; think me not cruel because I obey the irresistible law of my strength and weakness; if your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours. In the rapture of my enormous humiliation I live in your warm life, and you shall die—die, sweetly die—into mine. I cannot help it; as I draw near to you, you, in your turn, will draw near to others, and learn the rapture of that cruelty, which yet is love; so, for a while, seek to know no more of me and mine, but trust me with all your loving spirit.And when she had spoken such a rhapsody, she would press me more closely in her trembling embrace, and her lips in soft kisses gently glow upon my cheek. ”
Overall this collection is worth reading, my only criticism is the introductions and conclusions on some of the stories were a bit sleep inducing (I read late at night) but get past that and they are all classic supernatural tales.(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Allie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century-fiction

Interesting selection of supernatural short stories - you can certainly see how Le Fanu influenced Henry James, M. R. James and Bram Stoker. However as the introduction says, don't just read these stories to see how Le Fanu was the grandfather of the ghost story; the stories are intriguing and atmospheric in their own right. My favourites are the first three: 'Green Tea', 'The Familiar' and 'Mr. Justice Harbottle'.

I think Le Fanu was a far more eloquent writer than Stoker and it's a shame that '...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Tim Petersik rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have a three-volume set for this Le Fanu classic. He is a master story-teller of the supernatural, able to ratchet the spook factor while never descending into grossness. The stories are all allegedly "cases" of a learned man who practices what was then called metaphysics. The stories go from ghostly hauntings to vampires, some fairly short, others (e.g., Camilla) fairly lengthy. It's a great book(s) to read during thunderstorms.

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Oct 20, 2011 Kingfan30 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books

Goodness it has taken me a while to read this! Normally I can read no matter what is going on in the background (TV, office chatter), but for this book I found I needed all my concentration, possibly because of the language. That said, I did enjoy this collection of stories. The Room In Le Dragon Volant was my least favourite, it was quite long in comparison to the other stories, the main character was easily led and the ending felt very rushed to me. My favourite was Carmilla, a very creepy sto...more

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May 14, 2013 David Elkin rated it 4 of 5 stars

You have to put yourself back in time to appreciate the stories. The five tales are somewhat different, but I like how the author tied them together. The longest tale I found to be the least supernatural, but I did enjoy it. The Vampire tale at the end was surprising with the just under the surface sexual tension between the two main femails very well done. If you are a fan of classic horror, well worth the read

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Sep 03, 2012 Betsy Curlin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book! I consists of one short story and the novel, Carmilla. The novel is beautifully written, and is important as only the second vampire story to be published in the English press. Instead of the male vampire we see in most novels, this vampire is a beautiful woman and practices her feeding with utmost discretion. The narrative flows beautifully, and the novel is compelling and atmospheric.

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Jul 26, 2012 Tim Keeton rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like Le Fanu's work. His are the types of stories I grew up on - dark, early 19th century stuff. This collection of stories is held together through the device of purporting to be the collected notes on cases by a particular "Van Helsing-like" character.

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Apr 16, 2012 Michaela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own-a-copy, gothic, best-titles

The Plot: A collection of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's darkest stories, including The Familiar and Carmilla.

My Verdict: Just brilliant. Dark and creepy and absolutely beautifully written. Carmilla is probably the most well known of the stories and whilst it is good The Familiar was my favourite. I think it was how well the characters were written. It seemed like there was something very real and personal in it.

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Feb 17, 2013 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

Upon reading the first story in this dark and mysterious collection, I thought immediately of Poe, James Hogg, and Maturin, to name just a few authors in the same neighborhood. And the shorts continued to create memorable vignettes steeped in suspense, dark streets, paranoiac recriminations, and lusty vamps. Glad not to see always the world this way...in a glass darkly.

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Feb 02, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 3Ms, Hannah, Jeannette, Kim

Shelves: 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, 3ms, e-books, gutenberg, gothic-romance, mtbr-challenge-2013, read-2013, short-stories, fiction-19th-century, irish-literature

In a Glass Darkly, v. 1/3
2* Green Tea
3* The Familiar
3* Mr. Justice Harbottle
In a Glass Darkly, v. 2/3
5* The Room in the Dragon Volant
In a Glass Darkly, v. 3/3
The Room in the Dragon Volant - Part II
4* Carmilla

Excellent stories written by one of the masters of the gothic style.

In a Glass Darkly, v. 1/3: free download available at Gutenberg Project

In a Glass Darkly, v. 2/3: free download available at Gutenberg Project

In a Glass Darkly, v. 3/3: free download available at Gutenberg Project

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Oct 26, 2012 Daisy Leather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: university

Fantastic! Most enjoyable book on my english course so far. I especially enjoyed the last two stories. Next week I'm reading Dracula, hopefully I'll pick up some useful comparison points between that and the story of Carmilla.

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About Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the premier ghost story writer of the nineteenth century and had a seminal influence on the development of this genre in the Victorian era.

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“What a fool I was! and yet, in the sight of angels, are we any wiser as we grow older? It seems to me, only, that our illusions change as we go on; but, still, we are madmen all the same.” — 5 people liked it

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