Episode 10.3: ‘Hungerstone’ by Kat Dunn
Both Sarah and I have big buzzwords outside of dark academia, and several of them are vampires and ‘Carmilla’ retelling and we added ‘Hungerstone’ to our line up so fast when we learned that this novel is inspired by ‘Carmilla’ b Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, a sapphic vampire novella that predated ‘Dracula’.
Even with my slight aversion to historical fiction, reading this and talking about it on Season 10 was a no-brainer.
FOR WHAT DO YOU HUNGER . . . ?
Lenore is the wife of steel magnate Henry, but ten years into their marriage the relationship has soured, and no child has arrived to fill the distance growing between them. Henry's ambitions take them from London to the Peak District, to the remote, imposing Nethershaw estate, where he plans to host a hunting party. Lenore must work to restore the crumbling house and ready it for Henry's guests - their future depends on it.
But as the couple travel through the bleak countryside, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into Lenore's life. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night, Carmilla who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger . . .
As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk . . .
But does the Gothic lead in dark academia with ‘Hungerstone’?
In this episode we discuss:
The motifs of blood
The crumbling estate of Nethshaw and the way it interacts with Lenore’s crumbling marriage and mental state
Carmilla’s presence in the novel, and her lack of presence on page
You can listen to it here:
TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Hungerstone’ by Kat Dunn
‘Carmilla’ by Sheridan Le Fanu
‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker
‘Lenore’ by Edgar Allan Poe
‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens
‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë
‘Carrie’ by Stephen King
‘Rebecca’ by Daphne Du Maurier
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Thank you to Manilla Press for providing review copies of ‘Hungerstone’ for us to read for the podcast. This is not a sponsored episode or post, just gifted copies of the novel, and our opinions and views have not been influenced by the gifts.
