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deathmetalheron's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexism, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
james1star's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
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
2.0
Really didn’t like this all that much. It’s somewhat well written but also confusing, things do happen but it’s hard to fully know why/how and what the point of it is. This made it rather convoluted and I needed to revisit parts to try and get any semblance of what’s going on. It’s billed as a feminist adult retelling of folkish tales but honesty a lot of the time women were being controlled in some way by men, bowing to them, and really didn’t do much. At times they have sexual agency but was very meh. The best story was the titular one but still nothing much to write home about. I have sadly been put off wanting to read anything else by Carter, at least for the near future, but it may change.
These are my thoughts on each story, I’ve tried to avoid spoilers but it’s my initial notes:
The bloody chamber - 17 yo marries older man, honeymoon in his childhood castle by French coast, he goes to USA, finds his dungeon and previous 3 wives dead, what will happen to her, slightly vampiric? Bluebeard retelling - 3.5
My Lyon - ‘modern’ beauty and the beast retelling but he’s a lion - 3
Tigers bride - woman’s dad bets with her and loses so goes to a desolated palace later finding out this person is a tiger - 2
Puss-in-Boots - cat helps his master contact a woman he’s become in love with who’s trapped in a bad marriage, very camp - 2
Erl-King - lovely nature writing but no clue on the plot, think it’s an allegory about a woman losing her virginity or emotional abuse in a relationship? Confusing - 2.5
Snow child - started great about a count dreaming up a child (was getting snow white vibes) who appears in the snow but his wife wants rid, girl falls after pricking her finger on a rose and then he ‘unfastened his breeches and thrust his virile member into the dead girl.’ I’m sorry what? How tf did it get there - 1 star worst thing I’ve ever read! Would gladly give it less if I could! Dis-gust-ing!!
Lady of the house of love - queen of the vampires lives in an old ruined château feasting on young men her mistress brings, then a soldier arrives and possibly breaks her ‘spell’ but at what cost…? - 3
Werewolf - girl set to visit grandma but encounters a wolf, chops off the hand and finds out her grandma is a witch who’s also that werewolf so town turn on her, potential but too convoluted and quick - 2.25
Company of wolves - red riding hood kinda but make it confusing, felt uncomfortable reading it, possibly making reference to the beastliest of man in the way some turn into/are (were)wolfs? - 2
Wolf-Alice - [note: why three werewolf stories all tougher?!] feral child ‘raised’ by wolves is a mix, stays with ‘another werewolf’ (?), starts puberty and the stress/unknowing of her first period, confusing and boring - 2
Average 2.33 ⭐️ but because of that vile snow child one I’m manually downgrading to a straight 2.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Animal death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and Classism
decepticons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Slavery
jovianjournals's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
This book is probably the worst book I've read in my life.
Claiming to create a retelling of fairy tales, Angela Carter writes stories showing how women can take back some of the power in those fairy tales. Her ideas are great; the execution is horrifying and downright disappointing.
While she may have been going for a "Satire" approach, these short stories go too far and do not seem feminist to me in the least bit. Describing a girl's first period as being started because "a wolf... must have nibbled her cunt while she was sleeping" serves absolutely no purpose, and you cannot claim that the story is about "women taking their agency back" when half the stories are about teenagers or pre-pubescent teenagers willingly having sex with adult men/monsters.
Some reviews have claimed that these books are supposed to be read as the men's sexual desires actually representing the women's inner desires; thus, when the characters give in to the male's advances, they are really giving into their own. Through her stories featuring bestiality, pedophilia, incest, Carter basically asks the question "what if the claim that girls are really asking for it when they are raped were true?"
Furthermore, from a writing perspective I found her stories to be boring and not well written. Many praise her elaborate writing style, but it seems as though she is trying to hide the lack of substance in her stories with flowery writing. Some of the descriptions felt pulled straight out of a fanfiction. The plots of each short story are also severely lacking; even the stories which otherwise do better trying to present her messages fail due to disuse of characters and plot points.
This book should be marketed as erotica. If it were marketed as such, I'd say it's fine. But this is not a masterful genre-defying book of feminist prose; it's a collection of erotic rewrites of fairy tales. Some have a bit more meaning, but for the most part, it's just erotica. If you enjoy that, I'd encourage reading it! She certainly goes in depth describing the sex, and it probably composes at least a third of the book. But if you're looking for what the book markets itself as, I'd look elsewhere - though I do always encourage people to read things for themselves to decide.
Claiming to create a retelling of fairy tales, Angela Carter writes stories showing how women can take back some of the power in those fairy tales. Her ideas are great; the execution is horrifying and downright disappointing.
While she may have been going for a "Satire" approach, these short stories go too far and do not seem feminist to me in the least bit. Describing a girl's first period as being started because "a wolf... must have nibbled her cunt while she was sleeping" serves absolutely no purpose, and you cannot claim that the story is about "women taking their agency back" when half the stories are about teenagers or pre-pubescent teenagers willingly having sex with adult men/monsters.
Some reviews have claimed that these books are supposed to be read as the men's sexual desires actually representing the women's inner desires; thus, when the characters give in to the male's advances, they are really giving into their own. Through her stories featuring bestiality, pedophilia, incest, Carter basically asks the question "what if the claim that girls are really asking for it when they are raped were true?"
Furthermore, from a writing perspective I found her stories to be boring and not well written. Many praise her elaborate writing style, but it seems as though she is trying to hide the lack of substance in her stories with flowery writing. Some of the descriptions felt pulled straight out of a fanfiction. The plots of each short story are also severely lacking; even the stories which otherwise do better trying to present her messages fail due to disuse of characters and plot points.
This book should be marketed as erotica. If it were marketed as such, I'd say it's fine. But this is not a masterful genre-defying book of feminist prose; it's a collection of erotic rewrites of fairy tales. Some have a bit more meaning, but for the most part, it's just erotica. If you enjoy that, I'd encourage reading it! She certainly goes in depth describing the sex, and it probably composes at least a third of the book. But if you're looking for what the book markets itself as, I'd look elsewhere - though I do always encourage people to read things for themselves to decide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
rhi_'s review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
mrs_gale's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I really didn't like this, i found it very tedious and often boring which surprised me. Carter is a feminist and you can tell with the themes of innocence female victims and the animalistic, primitive nature of male characters repeated in every story.
I found the writing difficult to follow, Carter changes from characters and the narrator quite often which I didn't like.
There are 10 short stories in this book.
1. THE BLOODY CHAMBER.
Didn't mind this story, but I've never read the original Bluebeard story this is based from.
2. THE COURTSHIP OF MR LYON.
Just a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Nothing special yet I adore Beauty and the Beast so I thought I'd enjoy this but nope.
3. THE TIGER'S BRIDE.
Another Beauty and the Beast retelling. Beauty ends up with the Beast because her dad gambles her away. Beauty's father isn't the usual sweet, kind man and I thought it was an interesting take on it . However the Beast just wants to see her naked and at the end Beauty turns herself into a beast so she can be with the Beast. Urgh.
4. PUSS IN BOOTS.
Most interesting main character in all these stories. The story was a bit odd though.
5. THE ERL KING.
Way too odd and didn't like it.
6 THE SNOW CHILD.
Shortest story in this book by far but probably the most shocking.
7. THE LADY OF THE HOUSE OF LOVE.
Didn't like this one at all.
8. THE WEREWOLF.
Odd she wasn't bothered by her Granny's death.
9. THE COMPANY OF WOLVES.
I don't remember this one. Odd since it's near the end of the book so I read it only a few hours ago.
10 WOLF-ALICE.
A weird one. Didn't enjoy it.
Overall I do not recommend. This was almost a DNF for me.
I found the writing difficult to follow, Carter changes from characters and the narrator quite often which I didn't like.
There are 10 short stories in this book.
1. THE BLOODY CHAMBER.
Didn't mind this story, but I've never read the original Bluebeard story this is based from.
2. THE COURTSHIP OF MR LYON.
Just a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Nothing special yet I adore Beauty and the Beast so I thought I'd enjoy this but nope.
3. THE TIGER'S BRIDE.
Another Beauty and the Beast retelling. Beauty ends up with the Beast because her dad gambles her away. Beauty's father isn't the usual sweet, kind man and I thought it was an interesting take on it . However the Beast just wants to see her naked and at the end Beauty turns herself into a beast so she can be with the Beast. Urgh.
4. PUSS IN BOOTS.
Most interesting main character in all these stories. The story was a bit odd though.
5. THE ERL KING.
Way too odd and didn't like it.
6 THE SNOW CHILD.
Shortest story in this book by far but probably the most shocking.
7. THE LADY OF THE HOUSE OF LOVE.
Didn't like this one at all.
8. THE WEREWOLF.
Odd she wasn't bothered by her Granny's death.
9. THE COMPANY OF WOLVES.
I don't remember this one. Odd since it's near the end of the book so I read it only a few hours ago.
10 WOLF-ALICE.
A weird one. Didn't enjoy it.
Overall I do not recommend. This was almost a DNF for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
amu_m3's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism, Slavery, and Torture
bingosoap's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gore and Cannibalism
suzylit's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A landmark in the feminine literary tradition. Four decades later those fairytale retellings still ring true.
I was just a little frustrated by some of the stories I would have wanted more of.
I was just a little frustrated by some of the stories I would have wanted more of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
caraineastlondon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, and Murder