Started: April 24
Finished: June 11
Notes: This 19th-Century Irish author is perhaps best remembered today for his novella Carmilla which had a huge influence on gothic literature and eventually even Dracula. However, Le Fanu also penned no small number of novels, nearly all of them mysteries and/or gothic to some extent or another. I've read some of his shorter works but never one of his novels, so I'm interested to experience this, doubly so since Le Fanu has been compared to Wilkie Collins, another 19th-Century author who has caught my attention these last couple of years.
Mini review: Well, that was a long one, and somewhat slow, but it gradually built up to a fairly satisfying ending in the last 50 or so pages. For me, Le Fanu is not quite as a good a read as Wilkie Collins, mainly because Le Fanu's tale here is so slow in building, but I am willing to suggest him for those who enjoy Victorian literature, especially of the gothic variety. The plot? Through tragedy a young lady goes to live wither her uncle who has become her guardian, and this uncle has a dark past. Those are the bare bones of this story, and I won't say more because it would be giving too much away to potential readers. In fairness, I can't say I'll look for another Le Fanu novel, but I can say I'm glad I read this one.
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