A Hunger for More: Appetite and Autonomy in Kat Dunn’s Hungerstone
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn is a dark, gothic reimagining of Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla - the novella that famously inspired Dracula - set in the shadowy, windswept landscapes of Victorian England. Rich with atmosphere and emotional depth, it explores themes of female desire, repressed rage, and the suffocating weight of societal expectations. At its core, Hungerstone poses a piercing question: what do women hunger for in a world determined to confine them?
The novel centres on Lenore Crowther, a 30-year-old aristocrat locked in a marriage of strategic convenience to Henry Crowther, a steel magnate. Lenore, of high birth but little fortune, and Henry, lacking in title but heir to a vast industrial empire, form a union that is socially advantageous but devoid of love. Together their life is safe, structured, and sterile - offering Lenore stability, but little passion, freedom, or fulfillment.
When Henry abruptly relocates them from the bustling familiarity of London to the decaying Nethershaw estate in the remote Peak Lands, the isolation intensifies Lenore’s sense of displacement. It is here, amid the mists and the moors, that they rescue Carmilla Kernstein from a carriage accident - and invite her to stay.
Carmilla’s arrival is a catalyst. Mysterious, sensual, and defiantly unconventional, she fascinates Lenore from the outset. The longer she remains at Nethershaw, the more Lenore is forced to confront her own long-buried desires and simmering dissatisfaction with her life. What begins as intrigue deepens into longing - an emotional and erotic awakening that threatens to unravel everything Lenore has been taught to value.
Lenore’s privilege, though perhaps outwardly enviable, is built on restriction. As a woman of her class, her role is narrowly prescribed: be dutiful, be ornamental, be silent. She is bound by her husband’s name, status, and expectations. In this light, her hunger is not just for touch or affection - it is for selfhood. For autonomy. For escape.
The evolving relationship between Lenore and Carmilla captures the intricate tensions of female desire in a world that punishes women for wanting more. Their bond - undeniably charged with attraction - transcends romantic or physical desire. It becomes a testament to the power of female solidarity in a culture that thrives on pitting women against each other. In Dunn’s world, that solidarity becomes a quiet form of revolution in itself.
The gothic setting - Nethershaw’s crumbling corridors, the bleak moorland, the shadows that cling to every surface - all act to mirror Lenore’s inner turmoil. The recurring motif of hunger, both physical and symbolic, pulses through the novel, representing a yearning for freedom, authenticity, and the right to claim one’s own narrative.
Ultimately, Hungerstone is a fierce feminist reimagining of a classic gothic tale. Through Lenore’s journey of self-discovery and quiet rebellion, Dunn crafts a story that is haunting, sensuous, and profoundly moving. For anyone interested in stories where the personal is political, and where desire becomes a form of defiance, Hungerstone is a must-read!
*This book review has been written by Jessica Pagel (@fiftytwo_books), Hungerstone is published by Bonnier Books LTD. If you’d like to become a book club review writer, or if you are a publisher and would like to contact us, please email: londonfeministbookclubcic@gmail.com