Hungerstone
“What is a monster but a creature of agency?”
Title: Hungerstone
Author: Kat Dunn
Published: May 2024
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 . . .
Set against the violent wilderness of the Peaks and the uncontrolled appetite of the Industrial Revolution, HUNGERSTONE is a compulsive sapphic reworking of CARMILLA, the book that inspired DRACULA: a captivating story of appetite and desire.
Discussion Questions
Hungerstone uses many familiar elements of the gothic novel, including an isolated estate, a haunted atmosphere and a trapped heroine. Which gothic features stood out most to you, and how did they shape the mood of the story? Did the novel feel traditional, modern or a mixture of both?
The book is a retelling of Carmilla, originally written in the 1870s by a male author. Hungerstone gives voice, agency and anger to its female characters. Does this feel like a feminist retelling? What is the novel ultimately saying about power, repression and women who refuse to be obedient?
Some readers describe the pacing as slow, atmospheric and deliberately restrained, while others find it too gradual. How did the pacing work for you? Did the tension build in a satisfying way?
There are clear sapphic elements between Lenore and Carmilla, but they are subtle and often metaphorical. Did you want these elements to be more explicit, or did the quiet, suggestive approach feel right for the story?
Lenore begins as a quiet, obedient wife who fears her husband, but she ends the novel as someone very different. Did her transformation feel believable? At what point did you feel your sympathy for her shift, or did it not shift at all?
The novel explores the limited legal and social power available to women. How does the book show the impact of patriarchy on Lenore, Cora, and the other women in the village? Which moments of female resistance felt most powerful to you?
Who is the true villain of the book? Henry is violent and controlling, but Carmilla brings danger as well. Did you see Carmilla as a liberator, a threatening force, or something more complicated?
How would you describe the writing style? Was it lyrical, heavy, atmospheric or restrained? Did it add to the mood or make the story feel distant? Were there any passages that stayed with you?
Cora and Lenore are interesting mirrors of one another. One accepts her place, the other eventually refuses it. What do you think the novel is saying through the contrast between these two women?
The novel uses hunger and consumption as central metaphors, both literal and symbolic. Characters hunger for food, blood, freedom, vengeance and desire. Which hunger felt most important to you? Did the metaphor ever feel too strong, or just right?
Further Reading
“Kat Dunn on Vampires, Desire, and Queering the Gothic” (CrimeReads): https://crimereads.com/carmilla-vampires-kat-dunn/
Episode 10.7: In Conversation with Kat Dunn, author of ‘Hungerstone’: https://darkacademicals.com/podcast/q9bmelz9ifx61tr4zetsktolgfovtv
The Feminist Book Club Review: https://www.thefeministbookclub.co.uk/blog/a-hunger-for-more-appetite-and-autonomy-in-kat-dunns-hungerstone?utm_source=chatgpt.com
'I'm always mindful of queerness being seen as a trend in fiction': https://uk.news.yahoo.com/kat-dunn-author-queer-voices-interview-121225143.html
