Carmilla: Prose style
17 lenses on prose style for Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8 H9 H10 H11 H12 H13 H14 H15 H16 H17
H1. Readability score per chapter. Count
Flesch reading ease for the whole book is about 65 (higher is easier; 60 to 70 is plain English).
Reading ease per chapter, chapter by chapter
H2. Vocabulary range. Count
3,987 different words. On average 51 in every 100 words are new within a 500 word stretch. 2,109 words appear only once.
H3. Signature words: what this author uses far more than others. Count
vampire, father, madame, general, general's. See the full lens on the book page.
H4. Adverb and adjective rates. Count
About 17.19 words ending in 'ly' and 11.17 likely adjectives per 1,000 words. (rough estimate from word lists)
'ly' words per 1,000, chapter by chapter
H5. Share of weak verbs such as "was" and "had". Count
'Was', 'were', 'had', 'is' and 'are' make up 3.7% of all words.
H6. Passive voice rate. Count
About 9.2% of sentences use a passive form such as 'was taken'. (rough estimate from word lists)
H7. Variety of sentence openings. Count
The five most common first words start 43% of sentences: i, the, it, she, he.
| First word | Sentences |
|---|---|
| i | 274 |
| the | 119 |
| it | 85 |
| she | 81 |
| he | 56 |
| my | 51 |
| but | 51 |
| we | 39 |
| you | 38 |
| in | 30 |
H8. Rhythm: how much sentence length varies. Count
Sentence length varies by 0.73 of its mean on average (higher means a more varied rhythm).
Variation per chapter, chapter by chapter
H9. Similes and metaphors: how many, and of what kind. Both
33 likely similes ('like a', 'as ... as'): 1.18 per 1,000 words. (rough estimate from word lists)
Ch 2, para 15: I thank God my child died without a suspicion of the cause of her sufferings. She is gone without so much as conjecturing the nature of her illness, …
Ch 2, para 16: In these terms ended this strange letter. Though I had never seen Bertha Rheinfeldt my eyes filled with tears at the sudden intelligence; I was startled, as well …
Ch 3, para 9: “Don’t approach, one at a time is as much as she can at present converse with; a very little excitement would possibly overpower her now.”
Ch 3, para 14: It is furnished in old carved oak, with large carved cabinets, and the chairs are cushioned with crimson Utrecht velvet. The walls are covered with tapestry, and surrounded …
Ch 3, para 17: “How do you like our guest?” I asked, as soon as Madame entered. “Tell me all about her?”
Ch 4, para 19: From these foolish embraces, which were not of very frequent occurrence, I must allow, I used to wish to extricate myself; but my energies seemed to fail me. …
The book uses similes sparingly but effectively, mostly comparing supernatural sensations to physical objects. Metaphors of blood, light, and darkness dominate, with Carmilla herself as a central metaphor for seductive danger masked by beauty.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 7, Ch 13, Ch 14
I felt immediately delightfully soothed, and fell asleep again. I was wakened by a sensation as if two needles ran into my breast very deep at the same moment, and I cried loudly. (Ch 1, para 14)
At the same time a light unexpectedly sprang up, and I saw Carmilla, standing, near the foot of my bed, in her white nightdress, bathed, from her chin to her feet, in one great stain of blood. (Ch 7, para 42)
H10. Senses used: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Both
Share of sense words. sight 66%, sound 21%, touch 11%, taste 2%, smell 0%. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Sense | Words |
|---|---|
| sight | 256 |
| sound | 83 |
| touch | 41 |
| taste | 9 |
| smell | 1 |
Sight dominates throughout, especially visions and visual recognition. Sound appears in dialogue and screams. Touch is crucial for the vampire's needle-like wounds. Smell is minimal. Taste is absent.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 9
I saw a solemn, but very pretty face looking at me from the side of the bed. It was that of a young lady who was kneeling, with her hands under the coverlet. (Ch 1, para 14)
I felt immediately delightfully soothed, and fell asleep again. I was wakened by a sensation as if two needles ran into my breast very deep at the same moment, and I cried loudly. (Ch 1, para 14)
At the same time a light unexpectedly sprang up, and I saw Carmilla, standing, near the foot of my bed, in her white nightdress, bathed, from her chin to her feet, in one great stain of blood. (Ch 7, para 42)
H11. Repetition, lists of three and other patterns. Both
35 lists of three in the pattern 'a, b and c': 1.25 per 1,000 words. (rough estimate from word lists)
Repetition of the anagram names Carmilla, Mircalla, Millarca emphasises hidden identity. Lists of three appear in the destruction ritual: stake, decapitation, burning. The pattern of illness, denial, revelation repeats across Laura and Bertha's stories.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16
Aye,” he said; “that is Millarca. That is the same person who long ago was called Mircalla, Countess Karnstein. Depart from this accursed ground, my poor child, as quickly as you can. (Ch 14, para 32)
H12. Old words that may trip modern readers. Count
Old forms that may trip a modern reader: whence, art, anon.
| Word | Times |
|---|---|
| whence | 2 |
| art | 2 |
| anon | 1 |
H13. Showing against telling, with examples. AI
The book shows rather than tells through Laura's direct experience of symptoms, dreams, and observations. The General's narration in chapters 11 to 14 shifts to telling, but his account includes shown scenes of the masked countess and Millarca's arrival.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 11, Ch 12
I saw a solemn, but very pretty face looking at me from the side of the bed. It was that of a young lady who was kneeling, with her hands under the coverlet. (Ch 1, para 14)
She held me close in her pretty arms for a moment and whispered in my ear, “Good night, darling, it is very hard to part with you, but good night; tomorrow, but not early, I shall see you again. (Ch 3, para 60)
At the same time a light unexpectedly sprang up, and I saw Carmilla, standing, near the foot of my bed, in her white nightdress, bathed, from her chin to her feet, in one great stain of blood. (Ch 7, para 42)
H14. How much description comes before action. Both
Description is woven into action rather than preceding it. Laura describes Carmilla's appearance as they meet and bond. The portrait is revealed during unpacking. Settings emerge through characters' movements and reactions.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 5, Ch 11
The artist now produced it, with evident pride. It was quite beautiful; it was startling; it seemed to live. It was the effigy of Carmilla! (Ch 5, para 8)
I remarked a young lady, dressed magnificently, but wearing a mask, who appeared to me to be observing my ward with extraordinary interest. (Ch 11, para 8)
H15. Filter words such as "saw", "felt", "heard". Count
Filter words ('saw', 'felt', 'heard' and so on): 5.84 per 1,000 words.
| Word | Times |
|---|---|
| saw | 52 |
| seemed | 30 |
| heard | 26 |
| thought | 20 |
| felt | 16 |
| knew | 15 |
| watched | 3 |
| wondered | 1 |
H16. Shifts in tone. AI
Tone shifts from Laura's childhood terror to adolescent fascination with Carmilla, then to growing dread and illness. The General's narrative brings urgency and anger. The final chapter settles into reflective melancholy mixed with relief.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 7, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 14
It was long before the terror of recent events subsided; and to this hour the image of Carmilla returns to memory with ambiguous alternations—sometimes the playful, languid, beautiful girl; sometimes the writhing fiend I saw in the ruined church (Ch 16, para 16)
H17. How the comedy works. AI
Comedy is minimal and dark. Carmilla's petulant reaction to religious forms provides brief levity. The General's frustration at being duped offers ironic humour. Overall the book prioritises horror over comedy.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 10, Ch 11
You pierce my ears,” said Carmilla, almost angrily, and stopping her ears with her tiny fingers. “Besides, how can you tell that your religion and mine are the same; your forms wound me, and I hate funerals. (Ch 4, para 36)
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