Carmilla

Written before Dracula, Carmilla also tells of middle-class people preyed upon by the ancient aristocracy. This book by John Sheridan Le Fanu makes great use of Gothic elements like castles and ruined chapels, and of an exotic setting. An insidious stranger, who pretends friendship and affection, stalks an innocent, Laura. After a brief frame, designed to lend authenticity to the tale, Laura begins to tell her story. She describes her surroundings, her schloss isolated in a trackless forest near a deserted village and the ruins of a castle. Her first supernatural experience, she says, occurred at the age of six. A lovely woman appeared in her room, and caused her great pain.