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mymiddlename123's review against another edition
2.0
Overall: (2.5 stars)
These are my first Angela Carter stories so I must first comment on her writing style. It's a little strange and a bit hard to follow. She uses a lot of "big words" so it kind of makes the writing seem more forced and less natural. I know I must sound like a complete dumb-dumb to say that. But, it's true. I don't mind big words, but it seems like she took a thesaurus and found the most complicated version of every word she wanted to use. I just think stories read better when the people think/talk more naturally in them, rather than use words that no one really ever says except when authors use them like in stories like these.
In addition, the way the dialog was setup throughout the stories was very strange. It seemed like the main character would mostly think about what people were saying as opposed to just having regular dialog going on. For example, lots of dialog wasn't in quotations so it was hard to tell what was the narrator's thoughts and what was actually said. Some of the dialog was normal, but a lot of it was written like this. I'm not sure if it's because of the fairy-tale/folklore theme going on or if that's just Angela Carter's style. I haven't read too much in the genre, but I would have preferred a regular dialog throughout.
Finally, most of the stories in this collection start off fairly strong -- if you can get past her writing style -- but they all end very abruptly and leaving you saying "what?"; because you have no idea what just happened. Most of the endings are quite blurry and do not draw a clear picture as to what exactly happened. Maybe to leave room for interpretation -- or to confuse the hell out of you.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter: (3.5 stars)
This is a retelling of the folktale Bluebeard. I had never read the folktale before so, in order to try to differentiate between it and this one, I read the summary on Wikipedia first. I would say I probably would have appreciated this story more, had I not read the summary and knew generally what would happen. I thought it would be a lot more different than the original so I didn't think it'd matter. Oh well.
I won't get into much to prevent spoilers but basically a young girl of seventeen marries a much older aristocrat who is very rich. He takes her to his castle after they are married. But, not even a day passes before he is taken away on business. While he is away she learns some horrifying secrets about him and fears what her fate might be when he returns.
Overall, I liked this dark and morbid version of a folktale, but I couldn't see much difference in it than in the original. Like I said above, although I haven't read that one, this one seemed to fall pretty close into place with the summary I read about the original folktale. I suppose I was hoping for something a little different, but it was still entertaining and I thought it was one of the stronger stories in the collection, probably because it was the longest.
The Courtship of Mr. Lyon by Angela Carter: (2 stars)
This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In this version, Beauty's father's car breaks down close to the Beast's castle. He goes to the castle seeking help from whoever lives there. While leaving he picks a white rose from the garden and is surprised when a Beast roars at him for stealing. He explains that the flower is for his daughter and shows the Beast her picture. The Beast allows him to take the flower, in return for bringing Beauty there for dinner the following night. From there, the story really begins...
This story was only about 20 pages long and I thought it was pretty rushed. It probably could have been good if she'd added just a few more pages. But, as it was, the ending was really abrupt and strange. Not like "oh this is a Gothic fairy tale and it has a dark ending" kind of strange, just "strange". Overall, I didn't like this one that much.
The Tiger's Bride by Angela Carter: (3 stars)
This was another retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was...interesting. It was a lot weirder than the last story and a bit confusing as well. But, some parts were deliciously Gothic I couldn't help but love them. For example:
"...removed the sables from my shoulders. The sables thereupon resolved themselves into a pack of black, squeaking rats that rattled immediately down the stairs on their hard little feet and were lost to sight."
How fantastically disgusting is that! She was wearing them around her neck! I had to read that one a couple times to make sure I read that right.
Anyways, in this story Beauty is won by the Beast in a card game. Her father bets her when he's lost everything else and loses her to the Beast. She is taken to his home, which she finds out is much more than it first appears -- both the things and the people in it.
I liked this one better than the first retelling she did, but it was a bit confusing. I had a hard time visualizing most of what happened, especially at the end. Although, if it's what I think happened, it's kind of a cool, different ending. But, I'm not even sure if I've gotten it right. I'll give it three stars because I loved the more Gothic feel it had.
Puss in Boots by Angela Carter: (3.5 stars)
This is a retelling of, obviously, Puss in Boots. I've never read the original so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The closest thing I've ever heard about Puss in Boots was from Shrek; although from at least the physical description of Puss, I suppose that's close.
From reading the Wikipedia description of the original, this one seems quite close to the same plot. Puss' master falls in love with a woman who is already married. They start corresponding through letters and Puss and the woman's cat, Tabs, start helping his master plot to win the woman over.
I thought this was quite entertaining. It was written more in the third person than the first person so it was a little tough to switch modes after the first stories were in first person. But, after you get used to it, I thought this was really quirky and fun, with a delectably dark side to it. Loved it!
The Erlking by Angela Carter: (2 stars)
This is a retelling of the Erlking legend. I'd never heard of it so I read about it after the fact (due to how much I wish I didn't read the Bluebeard one before reading The Bloody Chamber).
This story is from the perspective of a girl who is apparently having an affair with the Erlking. We don't know how old she is, but she is basically just talking about him and how he lives and what she observes about him. Near the end of the tale, she comes to a disturbing conclusion about him and their relationship.
I did not like this one. I realize this entire anthology is written by a feminist, but the feminist influences in this one were just screaming at me. I'm not a feminist at all, so I thought the conclusions she draws about the Erlking and the reasoning were just so far fetched and ridiculous -- it could only have been written by a feminist.
The Snow Child by Angela Carter: (1 stars)
This is supposedly based very roughly on Snow White, although I cannot really see much of a similarity at all -- other than there's snow and there's a white girl.
In this story a Count and Countess are out for a ride in the countryside. The Count is wishing for a daughter with everything that they see -- everything reminds him of how much he wants a daughter. Finally, a girl appears out of nowhere, exactly as he wishes her. From there...it get's strange.
I don't even know what to say about this story except -- what the hell? This was only 2 pages long so there isn't much room for any kind of development of anything. But, what truly disturbs me is this (spoiler, do not read if you haven't read this already):
Umm...what? So, he wishes for a daughter, gets her, she dies from the prick of a thorn on a rose, and so then he proceeds to fuck her? Oh yeah, totally. That makes absolute sense. *rolls eyes*
Anywho, I did not like this one at all. It was too short and too disturbing. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for f*cked up stuff, but the quote from the story above just pushes it too far.
The Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter: (2 stars)
According to Wikipedia, this is based on a radio play called Vampirella, although I've never heard of it so I have nothing to base that on.
In this story a vampire Countess lives in a castle all by her lonesome. She likes to lure young men to the castle for "dinner". One day a bicyclist is brought to her castle and she is taken back by him. What happens next is bound to change her life forever.
I liked this story for the most part, until the end. The ending didn't really make much sense to me at all. I was quite confused as to what really happened. I don't know if it has to do with, again, her writing style that I just cannot get used to or something else. But, I just didn't like this one that much because the ending wasn't very clear.
The Werewolf by Angela Carter: (3.5 stars)
This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but in this one, Red is a bit different than the she is in the original. In addition, the other characters aren't quite what they seem at first.
I loved this! It was quite short so not much happened, but it was a really unique and funny twist to the original tale and I quite enjoyed it. You won't guess what happens in this one so don't even try. :)
The Company of Wolves by Angela Carter: (3 stars)
This is another retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that's a bit closer to the original tale, although not quite, of course.
In this version, Red's little town has rumors going about of men who turn into wolves. But, being the young innocent girl she is, she doesn't fear much. She takes her knife into the woods while going to grandma's just in case, but still fears little. She encounters a young man along the way who helps and accompanies her on her journey to grandma's house.
This story, like many of her others in this collection, starts off pretty strong, but ends so abruptly and confusing. Nothing is clear. I think I understand the ending, but not entirely. I didn't like this one as much as the first version she did. I thought it was a bit more predictable and less of a surprise ending, but a strange one nonetheless.
Wolf Alice by Angela Carter: (2.5 stars)
According to Wikipedia, this is an obscure variant of Little Red Riding Hood with references to Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There; although I didn't really see similarities of either one in this story at all.
This is about a girl who was raised by wolves, although she is not a wolf. When her wolf family dies she is taken in by human nuns and eventually adopted by a Duke. This Duke is very strange and doesn't seem quite human, but then again, Alice doesn't feel quite human as well.
I thought this was kind of interesting. It kind of makes me think of it as a look at Nature vs. Nurture. However, like most of the stories in this collection, I thought the ending was confusing and abrupt. I don't really understand what happened at the end, but the rest of the story was alright.
These are my first Angela Carter stories so I must first comment on her writing style. It's a little strange and a bit hard to follow. She uses a lot of "big words" so it kind of makes the writing seem more forced and less natural. I know I must sound like a complete dumb-dumb to say that. But, it's true. I don't mind big words, but it seems like she took a thesaurus and found the most complicated version of every word she wanted to use. I just think stories read better when the people think/talk more naturally in them, rather than use words that no one really ever says except when authors use them like in stories like these.
In addition, the way the dialog was setup throughout the stories was very strange. It seemed like the main character would mostly think about what people were saying as opposed to just having regular dialog going on. For example, lots of dialog wasn't in quotations so it was hard to tell what was the narrator's thoughts and what was actually said. Some of the dialog was normal, but a lot of it was written like this. I'm not sure if it's because of the fairy-tale/folklore theme going on or if that's just Angela Carter's style. I haven't read too much in the genre, but I would have preferred a regular dialog throughout.
Finally, most of the stories in this collection start off fairly strong -- if you can get past her writing style -- but they all end very abruptly and leaving you saying "what?"; because you have no idea what just happened. Most of the endings are quite blurry and do not draw a clear picture as to what exactly happened. Maybe to leave room for interpretation -- or to confuse the hell out of you.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter: (3.5 stars)
This is a retelling of the folktale Bluebeard. I had never read the folktale before so, in order to try to differentiate between it and this one, I read the summary on Wikipedia first. I would say I probably would have appreciated this story more, had I not read the summary and knew generally what would happen. I thought it would be a lot more different than the original so I didn't think it'd matter. Oh well.
I won't get into much to prevent spoilers but basically a young girl of seventeen marries a much older aristocrat who is very rich. He takes her to his castle after they are married. But, not even a day passes before he is taken away on business. While he is away she learns some horrifying secrets about him and fears what her fate might be when he returns.
Overall, I liked this dark and morbid version of a folktale, but I couldn't see much difference in it than in the original. Like I said above, although I haven't read that one, this one seemed to fall pretty close into place with the summary I read about the original folktale. I suppose I was hoping for something a little different, but it was still entertaining and I thought it was one of the stronger stories in the collection, probably because it was the longest.
The Courtship of Mr. Lyon by Angela Carter: (2 stars)
This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In this version, Beauty's father's car breaks down close to the Beast's castle. He goes to the castle seeking help from whoever lives there. While leaving he picks a white rose from the garden and is surprised when a Beast roars at him for stealing. He explains that the flower is for his daughter and shows the Beast her picture. The Beast allows him to take the flower, in return for bringing Beauty there for dinner the following night. From there, the story really begins...
This story was only about 20 pages long and I thought it was pretty rushed. It probably could have been good if she'd added just a few more pages. But, as it was, the ending was really abrupt and strange. Not like "oh this is a Gothic fairy tale and it has a dark ending" kind of strange, just "strange". Overall, I didn't like this one that much.
The Tiger's Bride by Angela Carter: (3 stars)
This was another retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was...interesting. It was a lot weirder than the last story and a bit confusing as well. But, some parts were deliciously Gothic I couldn't help but love them. For example:
"...removed the sables from my shoulders. The sables thereupon resolved themselves into a pack of black, squeaking rats that rattled immediately down the stairs on their hard little feet and were lost to sight."
How fantastically disgusting is that! She was wearing them around her neck! I had to read that one a couple times to make sure I read that right.
Anyways, in this story Beauty is won by the Beast in a card game. Her father bets her when he's lost everything else and loses her to the Beast. She is taken to his home, which she finds out is much more than it first appears -- both the things and the people in it.
I liked this one better than the first retelling she did, but it was a bit confusing. I had a hard time visualizing most of what happened, especially at the end. Although, if it's what I think happened, it's kind of a cool, different ending. But, I'm not even sure if I've gotten it right. I'll give it three stars because I loved the more Gothic feel it had.
Puss in Boots by Angela Carter: (3.5 stars)
This is a retelling of, obviously, Puss in Boots. I've never read the original so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The closest thing I've ever heard about Puss in Boots was from Shrek; although from at least the physical description of Puss, I suppose that's close.
From reading the Wikipedia description of the original, this one seems quite close to the same plot. Puss' master falls in love with a woman who is already married. They start corresponding through letters and Puss and the woman's cat, Tabs, start helping his master plot to win the woman over.
I thought this was quite entertaining. It was written more in the third person than the first person so it was a little tough to switch modes after the first stories were in first person. But, after you get used to it, I thought this was really quirky and fun, with a delectably dark side to it. Loved it!
The Erlking by Angela Carter: (2 stars)
This is a retelling of the Erlking legend. I'd never heard of it so I read about it after the fact (due to how much I wish I didn't read the Bluebeard one before reading The Bloody Chamber).
This story is from the perspective of a girl who is apparently having an affair with the Erlking. We don't know how old she is, but she is basically just talking about him and how he lives and what she observes about him. Near the end of the tale, she comes to a disturbing conclusion about him and their relationship.
I did not like this one. I realize this entire anthology is written by a feminist, but the feminist influences in this one were just screaming at me. I'm not a feminist at all, so I thought the conclusions she draws about the Erlking and the reasoning were just so far fetched and ridiculous -- it could only have been written by a feminist.
The Snow Child by Angela Carter: (1 stars)
This is supposedly based very roughly on Snow White, although I cannot really see much of a similarity at all -- other than there's snow and there's a white girl.
In this story a Count and Countess are out for a ride in the countryside. The Count is wishing for a daughter with everything that they see -- everything reminds him of how much he wants a daughter. Finally, a girl appears out of nowhere, exactly as he wishes her. From there...it get's strange.
I don't even know what to say about this story except -- what the hell? This was only 2 pages long so there isn't much room for any kind of development of anything. But, what truly disturbs me is this (spoiler, do not read if you haven't read this already):
Spoiler
"Weeping, the Count got off his horse, unfastened his breeches and thrust his virile member into the dead girl. The Countess reined in her stamping mare and watched him narrowly; he was soon finished."Umm...what? So, he wishes for a daughter, gets her, she dies from the prick of a thorn on a rose, and so then he proceeds to fuck her? Oh yeah, totally. That makes absolute sense. *rolls eyes*
Anywho, I did not like this one at all. It was too short and too disturbing. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for f*cked up stuff, but the quote from the story above just pushes it too far.
The Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter: (2 stars)
According to Wikipedia, this is based on a radio play called Vampirella, although I've never heard of it so I have nothing to base that on.
In this story a vampire Countess lives in a castle all by her lonesome. She likes to lure young men to the castle for "dinner". One day a bicyclist is brought to her castle and she is taken back by him. What happens next is bound to change her life forever.
I liked this story for the most part, until the end. The ending didn't really make much sense to me at all. I was quite confused as to what really happened.
Spoiler
Did he change her into a human or did she die? Why did she just send him away. It was confusing.The Werewolf by Angela Carter: (3.5 stars)
This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but in this one, Red is a bit different than the she is in the original. In addition, the other characters aren't quite what they seem at first.
I loved this! It was quite short so not much happened, but it was a really unique and funny twist to the original tale and I quite enjoyed it. You won't guess what happens in this one so don't even try. :)
The Company of Wolves by Angela Carter: (3 stars)
This is another retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that's a bit closer to the original tale, although not quite, of course.
In this version, Red's little town has rumors going about of men who turn into wolves. But, being the young innocent girl she is, she doesn't fear much. She takes her knife into the woods while going to grandma's just in case, but still fears little. She encounters a young man along the way who helps and accompanies her on her journey to grandma's house.
This story, like many of her others in this collection, starts off pretty strong, but ends so abruptly and confusing. Nothing is clear. I think I understand the ending, but not entirely. I didn't like this one as much as the first version she did. I thought it was a bit more predictable and less of a surprise ending, but a strange one nonetheless.
Spoiler
Because someone killing my grandmother is totally what get's me hot. NOT.Wolf Alice by Angela Carter: (2.5 stars)
According to Wikipedia, this is an obscure variant of Little Red Riding Hood with references to Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There; although I didn't really see similarities of either one in this story at all.
This is about a girl who was raised by wolves, although she is not a wolf. When her wolf family dies she is taken in by human nuns and eventually adopted by a Duke. This Duke is very strange and doesn't seem quite human, but then again, Alice doesn't feel quite human as well.
I thought this was kind of interesting. It kind of makes me think of it as a look at Nature vs. Nurture. However, like most of the stories in this collection, I thought the ending was confusing and abrupt. I don't really understand what happened at the end, but the rest of the story was alright.
veecundill's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These stories are oozing with sensual language; bloody, dark and atmospheric.
I first read this collection when I was 17 and found it really quite shocking but also deliciously dark. Some of the shock value has definitely been diluted 30 years later, not sure if that is growing up or if we are exposed to so much more of this type of content today. What hasn't been diluted with time is the writing which is so sumptuous and evocative that it definitely leaves its stain.
I first read this collection when I was 17 and found it really quite shocking but also deliciously dark. Some of the shock value has definitely been diluted 30 years later, not sure if that is growing up or if we are exposed to so much more of this type of content today. What hasn't been diluted with time is the writing which is so sumptuous and evocative that it definitely leaves its stain.
raquel_henriques's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
sas02948's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
leila's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Hard to rate because while there isn’t a single bad story in this collection, I don’t think many of them left a lasting mark on me. However, I will be carrying The Lady of the House of Love with me for years to come; it’s the standout of the collection imo and probably one of the best short stories I’ve ever read.
bpaxton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
a re-read for me but a perfect short story collection. all of these interconnected stories follow a common theme with overlapping motifs in constant conversation with each other to build up a beautiful, vibrant, harsh, magical fairytale world.
each story is a self contained story with memorable, deep characters fulfilling their potential and completing their story arch.
Carter was such an incredible storyteller with a faultless imagination and a genius way with words.
her magnum opus for sure.
each story is a self contained story with memorable, deep characters fulfilling their potential and completing their story arch.
Carter was such an incredible storyteller with a faultless imagination and a genius way with words.
her magnum opus for sure.
olavboi1003's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
alf_read's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It’s an anthology based on subverting fairy tales but I didn’t find any of the twists particularly clever or interesting.