05-09-2012, 07:14 AM
May contain some spoilers
Clarimonde (La Morte Amoureuse, or Loving lady death, 1836) by Theophile Gautier is actually a novella but I read it in book form. It is fascinating story about mad, no-right-no-wrong passion between Romuald, a young priest and the story´s narrator, and Clarimonde, a supernaturally beautiful courtesan and vampire. Gautier´s imagery and writing are gorgeous and never seedy, despite Clarimonde´s prostitution and references to her "impure", orgy-filled life, and in her sumptuous Romantic elegance, Clarimonde is more interesting than most modern vampires. Actually, despite Catholic voices of two priests, Romuald and his mentor, hard-as-stone Sérapion, I was not surprised to find out that Gautier was an atheist and hedonist who believed in beauty for beauty´s sake. 10/10.
Clarimonde (La Morte Amoureuse, or Loving lady death, 1836) by Theophile Gautier is actually a novella but I read it in book form. It is fascinating story about mad, no-right-no-wrong passion between Romuald, a young priest and the story´s narrator, and Clarimonde, a supernaturally beautiful courtesan and vampire. Gautier´s imagery and writing are gorgeous and never seedy, despite Clarimonde´s prostitution and references to her "impure", orgy-filled life, and in her sumptuous Romantic elegance, Clarimonde is more interesting than most modern vampires. Actually, despite Catholic voices of two priests, Romuald and his mentor, hard-as-stone Sérapion, I was not surprised to find out that Gautier was an atheist and hedonist who believed in beauty for beauty´s sake. 10/10.