Théophile Gautier’s “Clarimonde,” first published in 1836 as “La Morte Amoureuse,” is a foundational work of the French Romantic and early Gothic tradition. The story is a confession narrated by Romuald, a pious young priest who, on the eve of his ordination, locks eyes with a woman of breathtaking beauty, the courtesan Clarimonde. This single glance shatters his devotion, planting a seed of worldly desire that torments him. Despite his efforts, he is ordained, but his spiritual life is forever haunted by her vision. By a twist of fate, he is summoned to administer last rites to a noblewoman and discovers the dying patient is none other than Clarimonde. As he gives her the final sacrament, she dies, seemingly severing their connection. However, Romuald’s trials have just begun. He is haunted by dreams so vivid they feel like a second life. In these visions, he is not a priest but a nobleman, living a life of opulent sin as Clarimonde’s lover. His superior, Abbé Sérapion, recognizes the demonic nature of this attachment and reveals a terrifying truth: Clarimonde is a vampire, a revenant who sustains her immortal beauty by feeding on the blood of the living. The story becomes a profound psychological battle between sacred and profane love, between spiritual duty and sensual obsession. Gautier’s lush, evocative prose creates a dreamlike atmosphere where the boundaries between reality and fantasy, sanctity and damnation, are blurred, making “Clarimonde” a classic tale of erotic horror and supernatural temptation.

Table of Contents:

• Clarimonde (Full Story)