Carmilla Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872)

For my gothic horror project I have chosen to read the novel Carmilla, this was written by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu in 1872, the book is about a young woman who preyed upon by a vampire called Carmilla.
The story starts with the main protagonist Laura who describes a dream she had many years ago where she is visited by a strange woman in her bedroom, she says that she didn't feel intimidated by this visit and ended up embracing the visitor and falling asleep, but then later awakes to a puncturing feeling in her breast. After this she becomes isolated and alone.
The story then continues 12 years later when Laura's father tells her of a letter he received from The General who was going to visit with his niece but she died In suspicious circumstances, the general then says that he will explain at a later date.
The book explains of carriage crash that happens outside of the castle and brings Carmilla into the familys care, Carmilla and Laura both recognise eachother from the dream that they both had when they were young, Carmilla's mother says that her journey is urgent and leaves Carmilla in Laura's fathers care.
Carmilla and Laura quickly become friends but carmilla starts to make strange romantic advances on Laura, Carmilla never tells Laura about her personal life and also never takes part in  the families prayers and often sleeps throughout the day and often sleep walks. When Laura takes part in a funeral hymn Carmilla scalds her saying it hurts her ears.
A shipment arrives of restored heirloom paintings and Laura finds a portrait of her ancestor Mircilla, Countess Karnstein, dated 1698, this portrait resembled Carmilla exactly even down to the mole on her neck.
Laura starts  having nightmares of a large cat like beast entering her room and biting her, then taking the form of a female and leaving the room, lauras health declines and a small blue dot appears on her chest.
General Spieldorf is the one that tells the story of how Carmilla is acutally Mircilla who preyed on his nice Bertha, the General tried to kill the beast who was preying on his daughter but she fled and his nice died shortly after. The general tries to kill Carmilla  but she flees again.
They then get Baron Vordenburg who rids areas of vampires to find Carmilla's tomb and drives a steak though her heart and strikes off the head.

Le Fanu, J (1872). Carmilla. Unknown: Chios Classics.