In a Glass Darkly
Encyclopedia
In a Glass Darkly is a collection of five short stories
by Sheridan Le Fanu
, first published in 1872, the year before his death. The second and third are revised versions of previously published stories, and the fourth and fifth are long enough to be called novella
s.
The title is taken from 1 Corinthians 13
, a deliberate misquotation of the passage which describes humanity as perceiving the world "through a glass darkly".
Dr Martin Hesselius.
was what unsealed Jennings's "inner eye" and led to the haunting. Emanuel Swedenborg
's book Arcana Coelestia
(1749) is cited on the power of demons.
. The story is set between 1746 and 1748, and is retold by a Londoner called Anthony Harman from the account given in letters by an elderly friend.
. A naive young Englishman in France attempts to save a mysterious countess from her intolerable situation.
, set in Styria, Austria
. This story was to greatly influence Bram Stoker
in the writing of Dracula
. It also served as the basis for several films including Hammer's The Vampire Lovers
(1970) and Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer
's Vampyr
(1932).
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Sheridan Le Fanu
Sheridan Le Fanu
Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era....
, first published in 1872, the year before his death. The second and third are revised versions of previously published stories, and the fourth and fifth are long enough to be called novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s.
The title is taken from 1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 13
Chapter 13 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, written by Paul the apostle covers the subject of love, principally the love that Christians should have for everyone. In the original Greek, the word αγαπη agape is used throughout...
, a deliberate misquotation of the passage which describes humanity as perceiving the world "through a glass darkly".
Stories
The stories, which belong to the gothic horror and mystery genres, are presented as selections from the posthumous papers of the occult detectiveOccult detective
Occult detective stories combine the tropes of the detective story with those of supernatural horror fiction. Unlike the traditional detective the occult detective is employed in cases involving ghosts, curses, and other supernatural elements...
Dr Martin Hesselius.
Green Tea
An English clergyman named Jennings confides to Hesselius that he is being followed by a demon in the form of an ethereal monkey, invisible to everyone else, which is trying to invade his mind and destroy his life. Hesselius writes letters to a Dutch colleague about the victim's condition, which gets steadily worse with time as the creature steps up its methods, all of which are purely psychological. The title refers to Hesselius's belief that green teaGreen tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
was what unsealed Jennings's "inner eye" and led to the haunting. Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg
was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
's book Arcana Coelestia
Arcana Coelestia
The Arcana Cœlestia, quae in Scriptura Sacra seu Verbo Domini sunt, detecta, usually abbreviated as Arcana Coelestia or under its Latin variant, Arcana Caelestia, is the first and largest work published by Emanuel Swedenborg in his theological period...
(1749) is cited on the power of demons.
The Familiar
A revised version of The Watcher (1851). A sea captain, living in Dublin, is stalked by "The Watcher", a strange dwarf who resembles a person from his past. He starts to hear accusatory voices all about him, and eventually his fears solidify in the form of a sinister bird, a pet owl owned by his fiancée, Miss Montague.Mr Justice Harbottle
A revised version of An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street (1853). A cruel judge in the Court of Common Pleas, Elijah Harbottle, finds himself under attack by vengeful spirits, and in a disturbing dream he is condemned to death by a monstrous doppelgängerDoppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
. The story is set between 1746 and 1748, and is retold by a Londoner called Anthony Harman from the account given in letters by an elderly friend.
The Room in the Dragon Volant
Not a ghost story but a notable mystery story, in 26 chapters, which includes the theme of premature burialPremature burial
Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally or intentionally...
. A naive young Englishman in France attempts to save a mysterious countess from her intolerable situation.
Carmilla
A tale of a lesbian vampireLesbian vampire
Lesbian vampirism is a trope in 20th century exploitation film that has its roots in Joseph Sheridan le Fanu's novella Carmilla about the predatory love of a female vampire for a young woman :...
, set in Styria, Austria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
. This story was to greatly influence Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
in the writing of Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
. It also served as the basis for several films including Hammer's The Vampire Lovers
The Vampire Lovers
The Vampire Lovers is a 1970 British Hammer Horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, Kate O'Mara, and Jon Finch. It is based on the J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla and is part of the so-called Karnstein Trilogy of films. The other films in...
(1970) and Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Carl Theodor Dreyer, Jr. was a Danish film director. He is regarded by many critics and filmmakers as one of the greatest directors in cinema.-Life:Dreyer was born illegitimate in Copenhagen, Denmark...
's Vampyr
Vampyr
Vampyr is a 1932 horror film directed by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film was written by Dreyer and Christen Jul based on elements from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's collection of supernatural stories In a Glass Darkly. Vampyr was funded by Nicolas de Gunzburg who starred in the film under...
(1932).