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charl0tt3's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
novabird's review against another edition
5.0
Angela Carter’s writing reminds me of the perfume, Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. It is luxuriously and darkly lush. Although I was entranced by her gendered female retelling of fairy tales, I was left with a sliver of disappointment. Some women desire sovereignty above being partnered in a mollifying relationship.
thestarsaligned's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
witajnieznajomy's review
2.0
I really enjoyed 'The Erl-King' and 'The Lady of the House of Love', but otherwise the stories felt the same, had repetitive descriptions, focused on "virginity" and "white" symbolism, which may have been Carter's intention to bring a full-Gothic atmosphere, the sublime and perhaps mock the original tales, but in the end I was overwhelmed.
also, coincidentally I learned that the band Wolf Alice named itself after Carter's story "Wolf-Alice". I love to learn new things.
also, coincidentally I learned that the band Wolf Alice named itself after Carter's story "Wolf-Alice". I love to learn new things.
spectracommunist's review against another edition
4.0
Told in a feminist and dark perspective, this makes the fairy tales retelling on a background of our society, such savage. Carter uses the means such as animalism, eroticism, deceit, adultery and murder for the femininity to break-on-through the societal gender stereotypes and reach somewhere really empowering. However, the masculinity or the male ego isn't always on the antagonist side here. The point being that the discrimination is the fruit of the civilization and not the opposite gender. We see that the Bloody Chamber, being the first tale, starts in the midst of civilization and as we read upto Wolf-Alice the theme tends to be more towards savagery. As the animals, either we love or devour each other or thyself and there's no objectification. All the tales are so bloody gothic and there are lots of symbolism in the props. And the writing is utterly pelucid and elaborate that it seems to be written at the times of those original ones.
rachsimpson's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A mixed bag as with any short story collection. The stories varied in style, length and tone with themes such as female sexuality and virginity and metamorphoses pulling them together. Particular favourites of mine include the titular tale, The Bloody Chamber, followed by The Werewolf, The Courtship of Mr Lyon, The Erl-King and The Lady of the House of Love.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Modern/feminist twists on well-known fairy tales
I loved listening to these on Audible. Fairy tales were traditionally tales that were spread via tellings, person to person, so to listen to someone reading them took me back to childhood but in a weird way.
These are NOT Disney fairy tales. In fact, there is some rather adult content in them, as warning for you.
There is a retelling of Bluebeard, two (confusingly, to a listener) back-to-back Beauty and the Beasts, with different plots and twists, Puss in Boots, The Earl King, Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood (three versions of this). Expanding from the original structure of known tales, there is a lot more description, very beautifully written, and a lot more is given to the characters to both say and think. My favourite was the Bluebeard story, The Bloody Chamber.
I found the morals a lot deeper than those you think of from the originals, and loved the new turns Carter came up with for the tales, especially as some tales were rewritten multiple times and from different perspectives.
Emilia Fox has a beautifully clear voice and narrated excellently. Richard Armitage was also superb, and you wouldn't have known it was him through some of the voices he put on. A great pairing and very easy to listen to.
An essential read for anyone studying traditional tales or interested in modern versions and interpretations.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy for review purposes.
I loved listening to these on Audible. Fairy tales were traditionally tales that were spread via tellings, person to person, so to listen to someone reading them took me back to childhood but in a weird way.
These are NOT Disney fairy tales. In fact, there is some rather adult content in them, as warning for you.
There is a retelling of Bluebeard, two (confusingly, to a listener) back-to-back Beauty and the Beasts, with different plots and twists, Puss in Boots, The Earl King, Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood (three versions of this). Expanding from the original structure of known tales, there is a lot more description, very beautifully written, and a lot more is given to the characters to both say and think. My favourite was the Bluebeard story, The Bloody Chamber.
I found the morals a lot deeper than those you think of from the originals, and loved the new turns Carter came up with for the tales, especially as some tales were rewritten multiple times and from different perspectives.
Emilia Fox has a beautifully clear voice and narrated excellently. Richard Armitage was also superb, and you wouldn't have known it was him through some of the voices he put on. A great pairing and very easy to listen to.
An essential read for anyone studying traditional tales or interested in modern versions and interpretations.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy for review purposes.