In a Glass Darkly

By: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton, David Horovitch, Jonathan Keeble, Daniel Philpott, Sean Barrett, Alison Pettitt

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Demons, vengeful spirits, insanity, premature burials, and lesbian vampires. In a Glass Darkly contains five diabolical tales of horror and mystery that will get the heart racing. Each story, including the famous "Green Tea" and "Carmilla", is presented as a case from the posthumous papers of Dr. Martin Hesselius, a metaphysical physician who has no doubt as to the existence of supernatural phenomena - unlike our anxious protagonists.... These traditional yet unfamiliar tales were revered upon release, with Bram Stoker writing his own vampire story some 20 years later and Henry James once suggesting that this is "the ideal reading...for the hours after midnight".

Includes:

• "Green Tea"
• "The Familiar"
• "Mr. Justice Harbottle"
• "The Room in Le Dragon Volant"
• "Carmilla"

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2015 Naxos AudioBooks

Worth it for 'The Room in the Dragon Volant'

This was an interesting collection of stories, largely because of the place Le Fanu holds in the history of horror fiction. There's no doubt that he was a great writer, though some of the stories are rather dated now and, from my experience as a 21st century reader, a bit disappointing. I thought 'The Room in the Dragon Volant' was superb though. If I'd just heard that as a short story by itself I'd have given it 5 stars across the board! :0)

Ideas that promise much but fail to deliver

I came to this author and these stories specifically on a recommendation in an essay by M R James. The performances are excellent, but the stories were unengaging and tediously long for their narrative content. This may be due to their age (Le Fanu died in 1873) and how well worn their ideas have become over time. I'm glad to have read these (perhaps except "The Room in the Dragon Volant" which telegraphs its every moment long before arrival) but I won't be looking for more by Le Fanu.

an all time classic.

always loved reading these stories, with failing sight and age it's wonderful to have them so beautifully voiced. unique tales from the Invisible prince of Dublin, to use his nickname.