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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Brilliant collection and globally minded, as opposed to Eurocentric, tales. Some absolutely bizarre and non-sensical while others are more than a little familiar to tales we already know. Need to befriend some Inuits.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Some of the tales were very strange, and didn't really have a structure - they weren't really stories. Still, many were good to read and it was interesting seeing themes emerging in stories from all around the world.
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved the notes section in this -- all the fairy tale symbolism explained. I thought it was weird/cool how old women becoming young men was a reoccurring theme in Inuit tales.
To start with, it is important to mention that although you could be forgiven for thinking this is a collection of stories written by Angela Carter herself (like 'The Bloody Chamber', an excellent read), 'Angela Carter's Book of Fairytales' is in fact made up of tales Carter has collected from others. These tales originate from all over the world, with their origin printed at the top of each story, which makes for a very interesting read.
The Innuit tales, for example, are delightfully bawdy and open the collection on a high with a tale that is... not suitable for children. Tales from Africa seem regularly to feature a woman turned lioness, who must be beaten to return to her human form. The tales from the British Isles are often written in dialect, which, although challenging to read, makes for a highly entertaining story.
Carter's books are known to be subversively feminist, exploring female sexuality, power, and cunning, however, in this regard her fairytale collection seems, to me, lacking (although critics have acclaimed it as showing fairytales in a new, feminist, light). She organises the stories into sections, for example, 'Clever Women, Resourceful Girls, and Desperate Strategems', and although there are a few tales which definitely fit this category, I would argue that the majority of the heroines are not actually clever or resourceful, but instead gain their happy endings through following the instructions of another, minor, character. Those who do not follow these instructions to the letter are invariably punished, and so they rarely think for themselves. To me, even if the instructions were given by another woman (usually an old hag), this just reinforces the idea that women should be meek and do as they are told without question. But these are fairytales- this is what is to be expected!
All in all, although the feminist value of this collection is, in my opinion, overrated, and there are one too many variants of 'Cinderella', this is a very academically interesting collection in that the folktales of different countries could be a mirror of their culture. The variations in similar stories across the world are fascinating. Even without these observations, Carter's tales are a fun read, but if you are looking for a work typical of Carter's subversive, feminist, and highly visual style, 'The Bloody Chamber' would be a better place to start.
The Innuit tales, for example, are delightfully bawdy and open the collection on a high with a tale that is... not suitable for children. Tales from Africa seem regularly to feature a woman turned lioness, who must be beaten to return to her human form. The tales from the British Isles are often written in dialect, which, although challenging to read, makes for a highly entertaining story.
Carter's books are known to be subversively feminist, exploring female sexuality, power, and cunning, however, in this regard her fairytale collection seems, to me, lacking (although critics have acclaimed it as showing fairytales in a new, feminist, light). She organises the stories into sections, for example, 'Clever Women, Resourceful Girls, and Desperate Strategems', and although there are a few tales which definitely fit this category, I would argue that the majority of the heroines are not actually clever or resourceful, but instead gain their happy endings through following the instructions of another, minor, character. Those who do not follow these instructions to the letter are invariably punished, and so they rarely think for themselves. To me, even if the instructions were given by another woman (usually an old hag), this just reinforces the idea that women should be meek and do as they are told without question. But these are fairytales- this is what is to be expected!
All in all, although the feminist value of this collection is, in my opinion, overrated, and there are one too many variants of 'Cinderella', this is a very academically interesting collection in that the folktales of different countries could be a mirror of their culture. The variations in similar stories across the world are fascinating. Even without these observations, Carter's tales are a fun read, but if you are looking for a work typical of Carter's subversive, feminist, and highly visual style, 'The Bloody Chamber' would be a better place to start.
Short story collection so none of the usual boxes are applying! Stories were mostly 2 pages long but nice quick reads. Always interesting to read stories from other cultures.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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