Status
Checked out
Publication
Penguin Books (1990), Paperback, 128 pages
Description
From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss-in-Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires, werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
This collection of Carter's short stories is made up of those which riff on traditional fairy tales and folklore. It includes multiple versions of "Beauty and the Beast" and "Little Red Riding Hood," as well as "Puss in Boots," Bluebeard, and others. The narrative tone ranges from a sort of
While these are construed as "adult tales" (and I would certainly hesitate to read them to children), they simply bring an adult perspective to the sort of questions and enigmas that have always lurked in such traditional stories. A few involve a little -- very little -- "updating," in that there is occasionally a telephone mentioned, or some other piece of culture or technology to imply a twentieth-century setting. But on the whole, Carter keeps her subjects in the timeless realms of dream and desire.
Carter's prose is luxuriant, and the brevity of these stories makes them apt bedtime reading from one grownup to another.
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mid-range erotic storytelling (in the title piece), to pretty hilarious banter ("Puss in Boots," which thanks to the Shrek movies, my mind's ear heard in the voice of Antonio Banderas), to surreal impressionism ("The Erlking"). While these are construed as "adult tales" (and I would certainly hesitate to read them to children), they simply bring an adult perspective to the sort of questions and enigmas that have always lurked in such traditional stories. A few involve a little -- very little -- "updating," in that there is occasionally a telephone mentioned, or some other piece of culture or technology to imply a twentieth-century setting. But on the whole, Carter keeps her subjects in the timeless realms of dream and desire.
Carter's prose is luxuriant, and the brevity of these stories makes them apt bedtime reading from one grownup to another.
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LibraryThing member edwinbcn
In 1977, Angela Carter published a translation of The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault. Each of these translations consisted of short story, 3 - 6 pages, followed by a moral. The most that can be said of this translation is that stylistically it is rather modern, a somewhat unusual feature of fairy
It is likely that Angela Carter was inspired by Charles Perrault in the way of dealing with the stories. Contrary to what the Brothers Grimm tried to make people believe, namely that Perrault's fairy tales are authentic representations of European or French Folklore, Charles Perrault had picked up various fairy tales and used them as a basis for his own, quite unique tales which can best be characterised as "works derived from pre-existing folk tales." Perrault rewrote these stories to include elements of then-contemporary French life and fashion, to reshape the tales into stories which would appeal to French aristocratic readership.
Likewise, Angela Carter has rewritten the fairy tales, including elements of modern, late Twentieth Century life and fashion, to reshape Perrault's fairy tales into stories which appeal to contemporary readership. This has resulted in very elaborate, stylistically baroque works, stories which are clearly based on the fairy tales, but have none of the feel of juvenile literature that so many simple, short fairy tales have. They are, one could say, fairy tales "for adults", largely teaching readers the same lessons or morals, but in stories which can be enjoyed at a much higher level.
Particularly, the story of Bluebeard, in this collection renamed The bloody chamber has been reworked into a long (40 pages) artistic story, with elaborate descriptions of scenery, fabrics and couleur locale , in a very baroque, and verbose style of descriptions. Another story from the Perrault collection is Puss-in-Boots, which takes quite a different turn. The other stories, are derived from other well-known fairy tales such as "The Courtship of Mr Lyon", "The Tiger's Bride" and "The Erl-King."
It is hard to imagine any readers not familiar with at least half of the fairy tales which form the basis of these short stories. However, no reader will feel bored, more likely refreshed by Angela Carter's unique approach to these tales.
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tales to readers used to the style of the Brothers Grimm.It is likely that Angela Carter was inspired by Charles Perrault in the way of dealing with the stories. Contrary to what the Brothers Grimm tried to make people believe, namely that Perrault's fairy tales are authentic representations of European or French Folklore, Charles Perrault had picked up various fairy tales and used them as a basis for his own, quite unique tales which can best be characterised as "works derived from pre-existing folk tales." Perrault rewrote these stories to include elements of then-contemporary French life and fashion, to reshape the tales into stories which would appeal to French aristocratic readership.
Likewise, Angela Carter has rewritten the fairy tales, including elements of modern, late Twentieth Century life and fashion, to reshape Perrault's fairy tales into stories which appeal to contemporary readership. This has resulted in very elaborate, stylistically baroque works, stories which are clearly based on the fairy tales, but have none of the feel of juvenile literature that so many simple, short fairy tales have. They are, one could say, fairy tales "for adults", largely teaching readers the same lessons or morals, but in stories which can be enjoyed at a much higher level.
Particularly, the story of Bluebeard, in this collection renamed The bloody chamber has been reworked into a long (40 pages) artistic story, with elaborate descriptions of scenery, fabrics and couleur locale , in a very baroque, and verbose style of descriptions. Another story from the Perrault collection is Puss-in-Boots, which takes quite a different turn. The other stories, are derived from other well-known fairy tales such as "The Courtship of Mr Lyon", "The Tiger's Bride" and "The Erl-King."
It is hard to imagine any readers not familiar with at least half of the fairy tales which form the basis of these short stories. However, no reader will feel bored, more likely refreshed by Angela Carter's unique approach to these tales.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Taking some very well known fairy tales and legends, Angela Carter tweaked and twisted them into her collection entitled [The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories]. I was quite taken with this collection finding something to admire in just about every story. These tales are often described as
These are not stories to read to young children, these are stories meant for adults and as such explore some sexual elements along with the violence and magic. Some of the tales like “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”, a version of the Beauty and the Beast are very close to the familiar tale. But then there are the ones like “The Lady of the House of Love” that blends the vampire legend with the story of Sleeping Beauty. This was my favorite of the collection, it quite simply held me enthralled. “Her teeth and claws have been sharpened on centuries of corpses, she is the last bud of the poison tree that sprang from the loins of Vlad the Impaler who picnicked on corpses in the forests of Transylvania.”
These stories were my introduction to Angela Carter and I am now on a mission to track down more by this author who in turn both beguiled and unnerved me with this collection.
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“feminist‘ in nature” and, if by that, they mean stories of the female as aggressor and males as victims then, yes, that is partially true. But first and foremost what I loved about these stories was the writing. Beautiful, detailed description along with her earthy and sensuous language created an alluring, hypnotic walk on the dark side.These are not stories to read to young children, these are stories meant for adults and as such explore some sexual elements along with the violence and magic. Some of the tales like “The Courtship of Mr. Lyon”, a version of the Beauty and the Beast are very close to the familiar tale. But then there are the ones like “The Lady of the House of Love” that blends the vampire legend with the story of Sleeping Beauty. This was my favorite of the collection, it quite simply held me enthralled. “Her teeth and claws have been sharpened on centuries of corpses, she is the last bud of the poison tree that sprang from the loins of Vlad the Impaler who picnicked on corpses in the forests of Transylvania.”
These stories were my introduction to Angela Carter and I am now on a mission to track down more by this author who in turn both beguiled and unnerved me with this collection.
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LibraryThing member EJAYS17
Another challenge book bites the dust! This time it's British author Angela Carter's collection of adult fairy tales.
There are 10 stories collected in The Bloody Chamber. They sometimes do the same tale more than once. I'll try to cover them as best I can in this review.
The Bloody Chamber, the
The Courtship of Mr Lyon, this is the first of 2 retellings of the Beauty and the Beast legend. This one is very similar to the original and has a rather sad ending, although it isn't as violent as some of Carter's other retellings in this collection. I confess to particularly liking the faithful King Charles spaniel.
The Tiger's Bride, the second of the Beauty and the Beast stories. This explores a theme that crops up regularly in these stories of Carter's, that of shapeshifting. The ending was unseen and rather haunting.
Puss-in-Boots, the title is a reimagining of the identically titled fairy tale. It's uncharacteristically humourous and that was Carter's intent with this, to write an out and out funny story. She succeeded admirably.
The Erl-King. Not many people have heard of the Erl-King these days. My mother committed a poem about the malignant, life stealing forest spirit to memory, so I was aware of the legend. The character was also used as the basis for a Buffy episode. Carter's Erl-King is also a life stealer, but he appears to be a shape shifter as well.
The Snow Child, a very brief Snow White story. It was based on an obscure version that the Brothers Grimm collected, but never published. You'll realise why if you read it.
The Lady of the House of Love, this wasn't actually based on a fairy tale as such, it's about a vampiress, one of the descendants of Vlad the Impaler. It is characteristically bleak, but it does contain one of the best and what I see as truest descriptions of a vampire. This one doesn't sparkle.
The Werewolf, the first of 3 Little Red Riding Hood stories, all which feature werewolves. I'd never actually made the connection before, although thinking about it, it's fairly obvious. In this Granny is far from the put upon old woman preyed upon by a wolf.
The Company of Wolves, film maker Neil Jordan expanded on this and made it into a film. While there is a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story a good half of it is spent with other werewolf stories.
Wolf-Alice, the final story in the collection is another werwolf tale. I couldn't see any real connection with the Red Riding Hood story here, it was mostly about a girl who believes herself to be a wolf.
There's not a lot of narrative substance to most of the stories and it's fairly easy to pick what fairy tale they've targeted. Carter doesn't really develop her characters much either, not unusual when working with such limited space as a short story, what she does do is paint a picture with words. Her command of language and description is extraordinary, she uses a world of words and catches you up in her sensual imagery. A few themes are explored. I've mentioned a seeming fascination with shape shifting or the ability to hide one's true nature from the world outside. The subject of female subjugation comes up, for instance both of the Beauty characters are effectively sold into marriage with the Beast, one for a rose her father stole and the other was lost in a game of cards. The females in those stories generally use their very femininity as a weapon against the men who have taken possession of them, virginity is greatly prized. There's a regular mention of the colour red and of blood, especially it's appearance on snow, virginity, the first bleeding and women's menstruation are also often alluded to.
It's a fascinating look at some well known fairy tales and really gives them a different feel. Despite it's brevity it is not an easy read and will make you think.
More adult retellings of these old stories are very popular right now. I haven't read a lot of these, but I can recommend some of Robin McKinley's work, especially Beauty, which fits in well with The Bloody Chamber collection, Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty legend with a Holocaust victim. There's also the comic Fables, which as the title suggests puts a very different spin on legends and fairy tales, the Fables companion book 1001 Nights of Snowfall, which investigates the old stories is particularly recommended, especially their look at the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
There are 10 stories collected in The Bloody Chamber. They sometimes do the same tale more than once. I'll try to cover them as best I can in this review.
The Bloody Chamber, the
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title story is a retelling of the Bluebeard legend from his final bride's point of view. She manages to find out what he's done and although unable to escape the serial wife murderer, her spirited mother comes to the rescue.The Courtship of Mr Lyon, this is the first of 2 retellings of the Beauty and the Beast legend. This one is very similar to the original and has a rather sad ending, although it isn't as violent as some of Carter's other retellings in this collection. I confess to particularly liking the faithful King Charles spaniel.
The Tiger's Bride, the second of the Beauty and the Beast stories. This explores a theme that crops up regularly in these stories of Carter's, that of shapeshifting. The ending was unseen and rather haunting.
Puss-in-Boots, the title is a reimagining of the identically titled fairy tale. It's uncharacteristically humourous and that was Carter's intent with this, to write an out and out funny story. She succeeded admirably.
The Erl-King. Not many people have heard of the Erl-King these days. My mother committed a poem about the malignant, life stealing forest spirit to memory, so I was aware of the legend. The character was also used as the basis for a Buffy episode. Carter's Erl-King is also a life stealer, but he appears to be a shape shifter as well.
The Snow Child, a very brief Snow White story. It was based on an obscure version that the Brothers Grimm collected, but never published. You'll realise why if you read it.
The Lady of the House of Love, this wasn't actually based on a fairy tale as such, it's about a vampiress, one of the descendants of Vlad the Impaler. It is characteristically bleak, but it does contain one of the best and what I see as truest descriptions of a vampire. This one doesn't sparkle.
The Werewolf, the first of 3 Little Red Riding Hood stories, all which feature werewolves. I'd never actually made the connection before, although thinking about it, it's fairly obvious. In this Granny is far from the put upon old woman preyed upon by a wolf.
The Company of Wolves, film maker Neil Jordan expanded on this and made it into a film. While there is a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story a good half of it is spent with other werewolf stories.
Wolf-Alice, the final story in the collection is another werwolf tale. I couldn't see any real connection with the Red Riding Hood story here, it was mostly about a girl who believes herself to be a wolf.
There's not a lot of narrative substance to most of the stories and it's fairly easy to pick what fairy tale they've targeted. Carter doesn't really develop her characters much either, not unusual when working with such limited space as a short story, what she does do is paint a picture with words. Her command of language and description is extraordinary, she uses a world of words and catches you up in her sensual imagery. A few themes are explored. I've mentioned a seeming fascination with shape shifting or the ability to hide one's true nature from the world outside. The subject of female subjugation comes up, for instance both of the Beauty characters are effectively sold into marriage with the Beast, one for a rose her father stole and the other was lost in a game of cards. The females in those stories generally use their very femininity as a weapon against the men who have taken possession of them, virginity is greatly prized. There's a regular mention of the colour red and of blood, especially it's appearance on snow, virginity, the first bleeding and women's menstruation are also often alluded to.
It's a fascinating look at some well known fairy tales and really gives them a different feel. Despite it's brevity it is not an easy read and will make you think.
More adult retellings of these old stories are very popular right now. I haven't read a lot of these, but I can recommend some of Robin McKinley's work, especially Beauty, which fits in well with The Bloody Chamber collection, Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty legend with a Holocaust victim. There's also the comic Fables, which as the title suggests puts a very different spin on legends and fairy tales, the Fables companion book 1001 Nights of Snowfall, which investigates the old stories is particularly recommended, especially their look at the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
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LibraryThing member kant1066
I usually don’t prefer the short story as a literary form, but I was in the mood for something whimsical and mercurial, so I thought these self-described fairy tales would do the trick. And they did. “The Bloody Chamber” is a collection of ten stories, all based around the fairy tales that we
Of course, it can be magical to go back and read stories that you haven’t read in decades, and that is a small part of this book’s charm. But for me, the greatest part of the book was the language. It is grandiloquent, rococo, big, and coruscating. It’s the kind of language that is right at home in fairy tales, and I felt this from the first sentence of the first story: “I remember how, that night, I lay awake in the wagon-lit in a tender, delicious ecstasy of excitement, my burning cheek pressed against the impeccable linen of the pillow and the pounding of my heart mimicking that of the great pistons ceaselessly thrusting the train that bore me through the night, away from Paris, away from girlhood, away from the white, enclosed quietude of my mother's apartment, into the unguessable country of marriage.”
And the thunderously operatic opening that describes the swashbuckling Puss-in-Boots: “Figaro here; Figaro, there, I tell you! Figaro upstairs, Figaro downstairs and – oh, my goodness me, this little Figaro can slip into my lady’s chamber smart as you like at any time whatsoever that he takes the fancy for, don’t you know, he’s a cat of the world, cosmopolitan, sophisticated; he can tell when a furry friend is the Missus’ best company. For what lady in all the world could say ‘no’ to the passionate yet toujours advances of a fine marmalade cat?” How can you read sentences like that and not be sucked in with a naïve child-like sense of expectation?
Two things to note: as other reviewers have said, even though I read most of these back-to-back, they might be best spread out over several days. The next time I read them, I’ll know to savor them instead; they’re simply too full of imagination to read all at one sitting. Also, several people have mentioned (sometimes approvingly, sometimes not) Carter’s “feminism.” This isn’t the postmodern French feminism that I could understand someone disliking. It is only a smart, humorous, introspective look at the inner lives and concerns of girls and young women. I thought it a much-wanted counterpoint to the inner lives of boys that we see in a lot of similar literature. In fact, I think many of them would make fantastic bedtime stories. To read these stories is to love them.
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read (or should have read) as a child, including Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, Puss-in-Boots, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. Most of them are very short, while one (the eponymous story) is about forty pages long. All of these are taken from the original source in the seventeenth-century writer Charles Perrault, whom Carter translated from the French. Of course, it can be magical to go back and read stories that you haven’t read in decades, and that is a small part of this book’s charm. But for me, the greatest part of the book was the language. It is grandiloquent, rococo, big, and coruscating. It’s the kind of language that is right at home in fairy tales, and I felt this from the first sentence of the first story: “I remember how, that night, I lay awake in the wagon-lit in a tender, delicious ecstasy of excitement, my burning cheek pressed against the impeccable linen of the pillow and the pounding of my heart mimicking that of the great pistons ceaselessly thrusting the train that bore me through the night, away from Paris, away from girlhood, away from the white, enclosed quietude of my mother's apartment, into the unguessable country of marriage.”
And the thunderously operatic opening that describes the swashbuckling Puss-in-Boots: “Figaro here; Figaro, there, I tell you! Figaro upstairs, Figaro downstairs and – oh, my goodness me, this little Figaro can slip into my lady’s chamber smart as you like at any time whatsoever that he takes the fancy for, don’t you know, he’s a cat of the world, cosmopolitan, sophisticated; he can tell when a furry friend is the Missus’ best company. For what lady in all the world could say ‘no’ to the passionate yet toujours advances of a fine marmalade cat?” How can you read sentences like that and not be sucked in with a naïve child-like sense of expectation?
Two things to note: as other reviewers have said, even though I read most of these back-to-back, they might be best spread out over several days. The next time I read them, I’ll know to savor them instead; they’re simply too full of imagination to read all at one sitting. Also, several people have mentioned (sometimes approvingly, sometimes not) Carter’s “feminism.” This isn’t the postmodern French feminism that I could understand someone disliking. It is only a smart, humorous, introspective look at the inner lives and concerns of girls and young women. I thought it a much-wanted counterpoint to the inner lives of boys that we see in a lot of similar literature. In fact, I think many of them would make fantastic bedtime stories. To read these stories is to love them.
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LibraryThing member lkernagh
First published back in 1979, this short story collection consists of 10 stories that are based upon and variations of fairy tales and folklore, in particular the stories of Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, Puss and Boots and Little Red Riding Hood as well as the folktales of Erlking and The
The Bloody Chamber - A very 'sensory' and well written Gothic horror, with everything revolving around feelings and sensory perception.
The Courtship of Mr. Lyon - A rich,cleaner retelling of The Beauty and The Beast as a showcase to display the differences between opulence of environment (beautiful material things) and that of the non-material bonds between individuals.
The Tiger's Bride - A more introspective take on The Beauty and The Beast, which I preferred over the more opulent fairy tale style of The Courtship of Mr. Lyon.
Puss-in-Boots - Carter's more playful side emerges here with a fun, Three Musketeers-styled take on Puss in Boots as told by Puss, a.k.a Figaro.
The Erl-King - I like the idea of malevolent creature (Erlking) who haunts forests and carries off travelers to their deaths and enjoyed Carter's take on the erl-King as a haunting presence in the forests like the selkies or sirens of northern sea-based country tales.
The Snow Child - This story, which appears to be a twisted take on a bitter an unsatisfied marriage left me thinking "Eeew"! It is my least favorite of all the stories but it has peaked my interest in reading Eowyn Ivey's [The Snow Child], which I believe to be based on the same style of folklore.
The Lady of the House of Love came across as a vampire story with a Miss Havisham twist to it.
The Werewolf - Is a great twist on the Red Riding Hood tale and actually sent a shiver down my spine.
The Company of Wolves - Really just another take on the Red Riding Hood theme. Interesting.
Wolf-Alice - This is my favorite story in the collection. I love how Carter works the self-awareness development of an otherwise feral child into this one. Apparently it is supposed to be another variant on the Red Riding Hood theme, o it must be based on a more obscure version of the tale.
Overall, an interesting and very well written collection of erotic, bawdy and in some instances, sado-masochistic and subversive takes on traditional fairy tales and folklore. Well worth the read, if for the beautiful prose alone!
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Snow-child. Carter has been quoted as stating that: "My intention was not to do 'versions' or, as the American edition of the book said, horribly, 'adult' fairy tales, but to extract the latent content from the traditional stories." Some have categorized these stories as fairy tales with a subversive feminist twist, which I do not agree with. Adult stories these definitely are, but a feminist angle is not the predominant focus of these stories, although Carter did manage to bring up the concept of a 'virgin' in every single story. Some stories are more Gothic in nature than others, some more horrific and yes, these stories do have a theme of sex and violence that will probably offend some readers. I love how Carter took her skill with the written word - the prose is breathtakingly beautiful and wonderfully descriptive! - to create different stories, with different outcomes, based upon a given premise. Quick snapshots of the various stories in this collection are listed below:The Bloody Chamber - A very 'sensory' and well written Gothic horror, with everything revolving around feelings and sensory perception.
The Courtship of Mr. Lyon - A rich,cleaner retelling of The Beauty and The Beast as a showcase to display the differences between opulence of environment (beautiful material things) and that of the non-material bonds between individuals.
The Tiger's Bride - A more introspective take on The Beauty and The Beast, which I preferred over the more opulent fairy tale style of The Courtship of Mr. Lyon.
Puss-in-Boots - Carter's more playful side emerges here with a fun, Three Musketeers-styled take on Puss in Boots as told by Puss, a.k.a Figaro.
The Erl-King - I like the idea of malevolent creature (Erlking) who haunts forests and carries off travelers to their deaths and enjoyed Carter's take on the erl-King as a haunting presence in the forests like the selkies or sirens of northern sea-based country tales.
The Snow Child - This story, which appears to be a twisted take on a bitter an unsatisfied marriage left me thinking "Eeew"! It is my least favorite of all the stories but it has peaked my interest in reading Eowyn Ivey's [The Snow Child], which I believe to be based on the same style of folklore.
The Lady of the House of Love came across as a vampire story with a Miss Havisham twist to it.
The Werewolf - Is a great twist on the Red Riding Hood tale and actually sent a shiver down my spine.
The Company of Wolves - Really just another take on the Red Riding Hood theme. Interesting.
Wolf-Alice - This is my favorite story in the collection. I love how Carter works the self-awareness development of an otherwise feral child into this one. Apparently it is supposed to be another variant on the Red Riding Hood theme, o it must be based on a more obscure version of the tale.
Overall, an interesting and very well written collection of erotic, bawdy and in some instances, sado-masochistic and subversive takes on traditional fairy tales and folklore. Well worth the read, if for the beautiful prose alone!
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LibraryThing member bragan
There are certain books that, when I finally get around to reading them, leave me wondering how the hell I managed to reach the age I have without having done so before. This collection was definitely one of those. Because I love fairy tale retellings and reworkings, and Angela Carter's are --
Only it turns out they're even more than that. I found this collection absolutely stunning. Carter's writing seems to weave a dark, complicated magic of its own. Which is all the more impressive because, in some of these stories, there were moments when I stopped, pulled back a little, thought about the kind of language she was using to tell her tale, and realized that, honestly, it all feels like it ought to be a little... overwrought. Purple, even, in places. And yet, holy crap, does it somehow work to just pull you along, somehow. The language, the imagery, the familiar fairy tale elements and the way they twist and transform into shapes that are completely unexpected and yet somehow don't feel as if they should be unexpected... It all seems to work to completely bypass the rational part of my brain and inject something wonderful and disturbing directly into my veins. And yet, I have the very strong feeling that I could probably revisit these stories any number of times, with or without my analytical brain fully engaged, and find something new to think about in them every time.
It's a rare and incredible thing when I finish a work of fiction and find myself just sitting there saying wow out loud for a little while afterward. This collection did it for me twice: once when I finished "The Lady of the House of Love" (a vampire tale with echoes of Sleeping Beauty), and then again when I finished the whole collection.
Wow.
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rightfully, it turns out -- regarded as standout examplesOnly it turns out they're even more than that. I found this collection absolutely stunning. Carter's writing seems to weave a dark, complicated magic of its own. Which is all the more impressive because, in some of these stories, there were moments when I stopped, pulled back a little, thought about the kind of language she was using to tell her tale, and realized that, honestly, it all feels like it ought to be a little... overwrought. Purple, even, in places. And yet, holy crap, does it somehow work to just pull you along, somehow. The language, the imagery, the familiar fairy tale elements and the way they twist and transform into shapes that are completely unexpected and yet somehow don't feel as if they should be unexpected... It all seems to work to completely bypass the rational part of my brain and inject something wonderful and disturbing directly into my veins. And yet, I have the very strong feeling that I could probably revisit these stories any number of times, with or without my analytical brain fully engaged, and find something new to think about in them every time.
It's a rare and incredible thing when I finish a work of fiction and find myself just sitting there saying wow out loud for a little while afterward. This collection did it for me twice: once when I finished "The Lady of the House of Love" (a vampire tale with echoes of Sleeping Beauty), and then again when I finished the whole collection.
Wow.
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LibraryThing member adammademe
I love me some fucked up fairy tails. Except for the lamentably poor (and over-long) Puss-n-Boots, this collection is fantastic. Her short shorts are especially visceral.
LibraryThing member iayork
Angela Carter - The Bloody Chamber: A very good collection of short stories.
We had to read this for our English Literature course and I'm very glad I did. Carter is a very talented writer and this book deserves the recognition and awards it got.
The best stories to watch out for are;
The Bloody
The Tiger's Bride
The Snow Child
The Werewolf
Carter's language is very elaborate, so if you're going to read it, do as my English tutor said; "Read actively. Have a pen in your hand and a dictionary next to you". Trust me, she was right.
A very good read if you can understand what is going on. All the stories are based on old fairytales (i.e. The Tiger's Bride is based on Beauty and The Beast) so if you can work out how the story is similar and find links you should be able to appreciate the stories.
We had to read this for our English Literature course and I'm very glad I did. Carter is a very talented writer and this book deserves the recognition and awards it got.
The best stories to watch out for are;
The Bloody
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Chamber, The Tiger's Bride
The Snow Child
The Werewolf
Carter's language is very elaborate, so if you're going to read it, do as my English tutor said; "Read actively. Have a pen in your hand and a dictionary next to you". Trust me, she was right.
A very good read if you can understand what is going on. All the stories are based on old fairytales (i.e. The Tiger's Bride is based on Beauty and The Beast) so if you can work out how the story is similar and find links you should be able to appreciate the stories.
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LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
The short stories in The Bloody Chamber are a combination of reinterpreted fairy tales and original short stories with a gothic fairy tale motif. Carter's language and imagery is dark and sensual, a breakdown of the typical "hero(ine) versus villain." Instead, moralities mingle, sometimes the dark
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side is the more alluring one, and the good guy doesn't always save the day. It's a challenge to oversimplified and moral fairy tales, leading the reader into a more complex and compelling fantasy world. Show Less
LibraryThing member LittleRaven
The prose is clear and often seductive. It's intelligent, sharp, funny, romantic, and dark.
LibraryThing member ChicGeekGirl21
Bizarre, feminist takes on classic fairy tales.
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
A feminist retelling of familiar fairy tales - I liked this, but I didn't love it and it feels unnecessary somehow. Anyone who has read the unsanitized versions of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen and even Andrew Lang's color-coded fairy tale books knows that fairy tales aren't
This collection of stories also suffers from being essentially the same story, told and re-told, which might work as a literary device for a collection and an overarching metaphor for the author's view on the endangered woman in our stories, but doesn't work for me within this context.
This also suffers in comparison to The Path, an amazing adventure game by Tale of Tales that draws from various version of Little Red Riding Hood and puts you in the loosely drawn center of danger. The game is far from linear, functions less as a video game and more as a linked series of impressions and expertly uses its form to elucidate the story. Yes, read this, but play that to learn something more about storytelling and fairy tales.
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pretty. They occur in dark and glorious places filled with danger and people who mean you no good.This collection of stories also suffers from being essentially the same story, told and re-told, which might work as a literary device for a collection and an overarching metaphor for the author's view on the endangered woman in our stories, but doesn't work for me within this context.
This also suffers in comparison to The Path, an amazing adventure game by Tale of Tales that draws from various version of Little Red Riding Hood and puts you in the loosely drawn center of danger. The game is far from linear, functions less as a video game and more as a linked series of impressions and expertly uses its form to elucidate the story. Yes, read this, but play that to learn something more about storytelling and fairy tales.
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LibraryThing member devenish
Ten adult adaptations of fairy stories. These are most certainly not for the easily shocked. The title story 'The Bloody Chamber' is a retelling of the Bluebeard myth and is chilling indeed.'The Courtship of Mr Lyon' puts both Beauty and the Beast in a new light. 'The Lady of the House of Love' is
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a Vampire tale told from a completely different angle from the usual.'The Werewolf',although only two pages long,is a little gem,telling of Red Riding Hood and the Wolf,but yet again the well-known story is turned on its head.So all of these tales are full of horror told in Carter's very own unique style. Show Less
LibraryThing member g026r
The prose was far too ornate and, dare I say it, purple for my tastes.
While I'm certainly not one to generally complain about slow moving, there comes a point when my eyes glaze over and I start thinking "enough with the descriptions already, can we have some sort of plot soon?"
While I'm certainly not one to generally complain about slow moving, there comes a point when my eyes glaze over and I start thinking "enough with the descriptions already, can we have some sort of plot soon?"
LibraryThing member caerulius
Quite possibly my favorite of Carter's works. The Bloody Chamber is dark, gorgeous and almost deSadean in its subversion of the traditional fairy tale.
Stories include treatments of Bluebeard (in the title story), Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots, a vampiric Sleeping Beauty and no
Stories include treatments of Bluebeard (in the title story), Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots, a vampiric Sleeping Beauty and no
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fewer than 3 tales inspired by Red Riding Hood, one of which "The Company of Wolves" was the basis for the independent film of the same name, the screenplay of which was also penned by the illustrious Ms. Carter. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nickelini
The Bloody Chamber is a collection of short stories that are all inspired by fairy tales. They all have a distinctly adult and very dark side to them. Sounds like something I'd like, but alas, I didn't. Carter writes many stunningly beautiful sentences and has an exquisite gift for imagery.
Recommended for: people who like new twists on fairy tales.
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Unfortunately, I didn't find the sentences worked when placed together. The parts did not make a whole. I find quite often that retellings of myths and fairy tales have a distant, distracted tone to them that just doesn't do it for me.Recommended for: people who like new twists on fairy tales.
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LibraryThing member Kplatypus
The Bloody Chamber was recommended by a friend of mine upon my mentioning that I sometimes enjoy retellings of classic fairy tales. It's a collection of short stories, retold in a number of ways- some change the historical setting of the stories, such as in the titular story, while others change
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the moral of the story, such as in "The Werewolf." Some were easily recognizable- "The Bloody Chamber" is clearly a revision of Bluebeard- while others weren't as clear to me- some, like "the Erl-King" and "The Tiger's Bride" were completely new to me, though I assume some of that is simply caused by a lack of familiarity with some fairy tales. Although the stories in The Bloody Chamber are more explicit and sometimes more gruesome than the versions that most Americans are familiar with (see Disney versions), they were pretty much on par with the more traditional versions in that respect (see original Brothers Grimm versions). The back of the book refers to the sensuality of the stories repeatedly and, in several reviews, the feminist aspect- neither one was particularly apparent to me, which I consider a good thing. These were neither particularly feminist, unlike some more self-concious retellings, nor "sensual," which I find too often means that the author has introduced sexuality into inappropriate places. Some of the stories did give the female characters more active roles, and some did involve sex, or sexuality, so in a very literal sense they may be feminist and sensual- I just want to separate the unfortunate connotations that these terms often have from these stories. Some of the stories were excellent- I especially recommend "The Bloody Chamber," "The Tiger's Bride," and "Wolf-Alice"- while others were only acceptable- "Puss-in-Boots," for example, was cute but not particularly amazing. Thumbs up for the writing style, which is descriptive without being verbose, and precise without being confusing, brusque, or hard to follow. Show Less
LibraryThing member iron_queen
A short but enjoyable collection of short stories exploring "beast" feminism in the form of classic fairy tales. While I hesitate to call myself a feminist, I am a big believer in the validity of sexual hunger in women, not just the romantic yearning for a husband and children. Carter explores this
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theme in deep linguistic shades of black and red, with vivid and luscious, if violent, imagery. It was a treat to read such delicious works of fiction that both spoke to me and excited my love of fairy tales. Show Less
LibraryThing member veevoxvoom
In The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter takes a handful of fairy tales and rewrites them. From the eponymous tale of Bluebeard to the chilling fable of Snow White to the rollicking hijinks of Puss-in-Boots, Carter’s renditions of classic stories breathes dark, sensual, baroque life.
Most of these
If you have no interest in fairy tales, I’m not sure if you will enjoy this book. But if you’re a fan, or if you’re curious to see the lushness behind many Disney-fied stories, Angela Carter is for you.
Most of these
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stories aren’t original retellings. That is, they don’t add any new twist to the tale that will shock you. Quite a few of the stories simply transplant the settings and one or two details. With that said, I enjoyed this anthology anyway, because even if she’s only retelling the stories, Angela Carter does it in a language that is magical. Her powers of description are immense and her metaphors stayed with me hours after I finished reading the book. My favourites were “The Bloody Chamber” because Bluebeard has always been my favourite fairy tale, but I also really liked the short blasting power of “The Snow Child.”If you have no interest in fairy tales, I’m not sure if you will enjoy this book. But if you’re a fan, or if you’re curious to see the lushness behind many Disney-fied stories, Angela Carter is for you.
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LibraryThing member steller0707
Here is Angela Carter's feminist take on fairy tales. Macabre? Yes! But so are the original tales.
Carter's writing is perfect, evoking just the right mood for the spooky, yet making the fantastic seem real. You can catch elements of Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding
There are ten stories in this volume. Outstanding to me are The Bloody Chamber, Puss in Boots, The Erlking and The Company of Wolves.
Carter's writing is perfect, evoking just the right mood for the spooky, yet making the fantastic seem real. You can catch elements of Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding
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Hood, albeit with some role reversals. Puss in Boots plays his tricks in a bawdy tale. Werewolves and a vampire make an appearance. There are ten stories in this volume. Outstanding to me are The Bloody Chamber, Puss in Boots, The Erlking and The Company of Wolves.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I debated giving this five stars. I love retellings of traditional tales, and these are indeed excellent.
However, having recently re-read Tanith Lee's similar collection (Red As Blood), I realize that I personally somewhat prefer Lee's take.
Carter has apparently stated that her intention here was
It's interesting, because it actually points out how common it has become for retellings to insist that their female characters be feisty heroines, and reminds a reader that there is a lot of power in a tale where the things that happen are beyond a character's control.
This was the first work I'd read by Carter, with the exceptions of a few short pieces in anthologies, and I've already ordered another of her books.
However, having recently re-read Tanith Lee's similar collection (Red As Blood), I realize that I personally somewhat prefer Lee's take.
Carter has apparently stated that her intention here was
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not so much to "re-tell" the story, but to "to extract the latent content from the traditional stories." Probably because of that, there are a great number of rather vague (if not innocent) maidens here, to whom things happen, or who do things without seemingly actively considering their actions. In most of these stories, a woman finds herself in a difficult position, which then must be resolved. Often, it is resolved in an extreme or ethically ambiguous manner, sometimes resulting in a happy ending, sometimes tragic, but the reader doesn't see a moment of struggle or decision, the result simply seems to happen.It's interesting, because it actually points out how common it has become for retellings to insist that their female characters be feisty heroines, and reminds a reader that there is a lot of power in a tale where the things that happen are beyond a character's control.
This was the first work I'd read by Carter, with the exceptions of a few short pieces in anthologies, and I've already ordered another of her books.
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LibraryThing member greeniezona
I had read the title story many years ago in an anthology of some sort, and loved it, but somehow never got around to reading anything else by Carter. But the design for this 75th anniversary edition finally pushed me over the edge, and I slid this book into my bag of books to read on the train to
Carter is often credited with reviving fairy tails or popularizing modernized or reworked fairy tales. It is certainly true that after the watered down fairy tales most of us are given growing up, Carter restores the immediacy, the peril, the bloodiness of these tales. Her stories are also often described as being feminist versions, and while not all the women and girls may be unproblematic heroines, they are all given voices, and agency, and choices here. (With the possible exception of the story "Puss-in-Boots.") The stories are all strange and yet familiar. Though I think my favorites were the least familiar: "Erl King," "The Tiger's Bride," "The Lady of the House of Love."
I loved the lushness of these stories.
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New York, then finished it between Lansing and Chicago.Carter is often credited with reviving fairy tails or popularizing modernized or reworked fairy tales. It is certainly true that after the watered down fairy tales most of us are given growing up, Carter restores the immediacy, the peril, the bloodiness of these tales. Her stories are also often described as being feminist versions, and while not all the women and girls may be unproblematic heroines, they are all given voices, and agency, and choices here. (With the possible exception of the story "Puss-in-Boots.") The stories are all strange and yet familiar. Though I think my favorites were the least familiar: "Erl King," "The Tiger's Bride," "The Lady of the House of Love."
I loved the lushness of these stories.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
This collection of short stories grounded in fairy tale and myth is both repellant and oddly fascinating. The horror they evoke is possibly closer to the mood engendered by fairy tales and myths in earlier centuries. They weren't like Disney movies. They're filled with ogres, witches who eat
My pick from the collection is “The Lady of the House of Love”, a story incorporating vampire lore. Its commentary on the First World War resonated with me because of my emphasis on World War I in last year's reading list.
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children, wolves who eat children, evil spells, and other frightening creatures. Carter's interpretation includes graphic sexual elements. While I could appreciate the outstanding quality of Carter's writing, the graphic elements exceeded my comfort zone.My pick from the collection is “The Lady of the House of Love”, a story incorporating vampire lore. Its commentary on the First World War resonated with me because of my emphasis on World War I in last year's reading list.
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LibraryThing member jentifer
A collection of revised fairy tales, this book is a treasure. "The Tiger's Bride" and "Wolf-Alice" are my favorites. Carter's writing is witty and full of great detail, but it doesn't distract the reader from the true meat of her stories: the moral and social ambiguity of her characters and the
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outcomes of the tales. I could (and will) read these stories again and again and find something new in them each time. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1979-01-28
Physical description
128 p.; 5.11 inches
ISBN
0143107615 / 9780143107613
Local notes
fiction