Reviews

Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter

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_ells_19_'s review against another edition

3.0

Had to read this for Uni and although it is not something I ever would have chosen myself, and it wasn't necessarily an enjoyable read, I think the book itself and the way Angela writes is very interesting

foe's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

1.5

Content Warnings

shannone's review against another edition

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sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

moonpix's review

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4.0

Enchantingly written despite not reaching the stylistic heights of her later work. Also quite interesting thematically (if sometimes muddled, and with troubling racial politics) as a feminist critique of mythologies. You feel these twin projects, of the sensual pleasures of writing and the deconstructing of myths, begin to really come together with this novel. In order to unravel folklore and religion you have to understand their pull, and the tactile beauty of her prose allows her to get up close to it all. It ends up creating a real subtlety where she herself, along with her characters, simultaneously falls prey to and wars against myth and its consequences.

So yeah, still just about the most exciting writer I have ever read

soinavoice's review against another edition

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3.0

The thing about Angela Carter is that even when she's mediocre, she's mediocre Angela Carter, and even when you're flipping through going "meh," and "wow, this is dated," and "what exactly are you trying to do here," everything is still written in the most glorious prose. Much can be forgiven an author who writes passages like this:

She never felt that time was passing for time was frozen around her in this secluded place where a pastoral quiet possessed everything and the busy clock carved the hours into sculptures of ice.

and this:

She lost the very idea of time, for the Barbarians did not segment their existence into hours, nor even morning, afternoon and evening but left it raw in original shapes of light and darkness so the day was a featureless block of action and night of oblivion.

(I'm not sure why all my favorite passages had to do with the passage of time, that's just how it panned out.)

But yeah, as a novel, this really didn't work for me, and went steadily downhill from its opening. As a piece of aesthetics, well. It's Angela Carter. 'nuff said.