I downloaded this book in three parts from the Gutenberg website. I wasn't sure why it was broken up like that, but I was determined to give the gothic story another try.
I read two of the stories: Green Tea and The Familiar. While both stories have physical elements that affect the characters, the psychological effects of their persecution was the worst part. In Green Tea, the protagonist is afflicted by a demon-like monkey creature. The second story was worse. It was longer, so it had a lot more time to ramp up the anxiety. The protagonist starts out hearing footsteps following him. Then there's the letters and the man. The end almost had me checking behind my curtains.
I'm not finished with the book, but I have to stop. It isn't because they aren't written well, it's because I frighten easily. Once I was on a ride where I KNEW a shark was going to pop out of the water. My eyes were fixed on that spot, but I STILL jumped out of my skin when that thing broke through the water. I haven't been able to read much the past month, because I do most of my reading at night. The problem is, if I read scary stories before bed, I have nightmares...like I said, I scare easily.
This was the kind of gothic story I was expecting when I picked up the previous book. It seems that every 20 years, I read something to scare the snot out of myself. Then I swear off the genre forever. So, when I'm in my 60s, I'll probably read more horror since this experience will have faded from my mind, and I'll tell myself it won't be that bad.
The funny thing is that I picked this up because I wanted to read the story of Carmilla, a female vampire. Maybe one day I'll get back to this book, but I have to leave it for now. If you like this kind of story and you don't mind the dated way it's written, give it a shot. All you have to lose is a little sleep, right?
