Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

16 reviews

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. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Animal death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and Classism

francescaastraea's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

DO NOT accidentally give this to a child to read as a bedtime story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal death and Violence

rowanelisa's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

chefboyavi's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

These are fine. I think I’m a bit jaded as a former English major because I’ve read a lot of stuff like this. I’m also at a point in my life where if I'm gonna read modern fairytales, they better be gay otherwise what’s the point. 

The most interesting thing in reading these stories is that I also happened to be reading Tell Me I’m Worthless by Allison Rumfitt at the same time, which name drops Carter and The Bloody Chamber, so that was a weird coincidence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, and Cannibalism

katie0528's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

This is a collection of classic fairy tale retellings, from Beauty and the Beast, to Bluebeard, to Snow White, and Red Riding Hood. The retellings are a blend of classic and modern retellings, taking a darker edge and exploring the sexual undertones of many classic tales.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Confinement

breamfish1138's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

Carter has an amazing writing style that blends reality and dreams better than most authors I've ever read. Sure, the stories can get repetitive but when the descriptions are that vivid I really didn't care at all. Also, the feminist subtext? Yes please. Bear in mind the fairytales are, umm, of the German bedtime story varieties so expect a lot of macabre, weird, gory, horrific stuff. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Blood, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing and Sexual assault

It's super gory and messed up and weird. Would not recommend use as actual bedtime stories. And it doesn't TECHNICALLY count as cannibalism but a lot of people do get eaten.

acogna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual assault

andy_sfc_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I’m conflicted about this book because the writing is beautiful and so descriptive. You can literally see and feel everything that Angela Carter is writing. However, some of the content (even though I’m aware that the purpose of this book is to be discomforting) is so uncomfortable to read like The Snow Child. What was that?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Classism

jelliestars's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Infidelity

Minor: Racism and Abandonment

butlere's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Incest, Excrement, and Cannibalism