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fevvers's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
amy_12's review against another edition
4.25
Gorgeously baroque writing, replete with folklore references and literary allusions
casparb's review
On my neverending mission to confuse goodreads as to who I am here we are with spicy Carter I like her lots there's a sensitivity a gentleness to her prose which is I think what develops the explosions and protrusions (if we allow the term) into what they are as sharp sharp writing good stuff will see more
phoebe912's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
danycatreader's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Honestly, everything written by Carter is great, but I expected so much more. The title story isn't that good, and the rest have varying degrees of quality. My favorite one is Peter and the Wolf because it captures that Bloody Chamber energy in its best aspects, but the rest are hit or miss for me. There are some that Carter tries to be postcolonial, but she goes as much as a white British woman can go, which is a bit disappointing, to say the least. I will continue reading Carter, though.
missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
[3.5 stars]
Even though I only gave this collection a mediocre rating I always really enjoy reading Carter's stories. It's just that often I'm confused and then sometimes get a little bored because I don't understand what's going or how all of this fits together. In this collection every story is inspired by a famous person, real or fictional, you could say. Some deal with the alleged murderess Lizzie Borden, others with Poe, Baudelaire, or Shakespeare's work. All of them, as is typical for Carter, make lots of references to fairy tales, folklore, and mythology. This collection specifically also hints at its own fabrication/fictionality several times, always calling into question which version of one story is the true one. What's so enjoyable about Carter's stories to me is her lush writing, with sentences such as "Language crumbled into dust under the weight of her speechlessness." (from Peter and the Wolf) and her subtle feminist twist on gender roles. My favorites in this collection include The Fall River Axe Murders, The Kiss, and The Kitchen Child.
Even though I only gave this collection a mediocre rating I always really enjoy reading Carter's stories. It's just that often I'm confused and then sometimes get a little bored because I don't understand what's going or how all of this fits together. In this collection every story is inspired by a famous person, real or fictional, you could say. Some deal with the alleged murderess Lizzie Borden, others with Poe, Baudelaire, or Shakespeare's work. All of them, as is typical for Carter, make lots of references to fairy tales, folklore, and mythology. This collection specifically also hints at its own fabrication/fictionality several times, always calling into question which version of one story is the true one. What's so enjoyable about Carter's stories to me is her lush writing, with sentences such as "Language crumbled into dust under the weight of her speechlessness." (from Peter and the Wolf) and her subtle feminist twist on gender roles. My favorites in this collection include The Fall River Axe Murders, The Kiss, and The Kitchen Child.
freyaxx's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
theaurochs's review against another edition
4.0
Angela Carter takes us on another magical, vivid tour through dreamscapes, modern fairy tales, and genuinely powerful women. Her prose is mystical and hypnotic, her characters sharp, well defined and unapologetic. Her stories are a delight to read, even when they're uncomfortable, which they frequently are. Each one is a delicious little morsel; perfectly formed and perfectly satisfying. Great little book.
donasbooks's review against another edition
5.0
*Instagram Review*:
Instagram Review: www.instagram.com/p/B5_Ro8PA_0w/
This collection of modernized myths by Angela Carter is one of my favorite short story collections in my expansive library. While I wouldn't classify any of these stories as horror (probably Weird fiction is a more appropriate tag), each of them will provide the reader, for different reasons and in part due to familiarity with the source material, with a jarring reading experience.
"The Fall River Axe Murders," the initiating story, for example, a retelling of the Lizzie Borden ax murders, favors the details of Lizzie's activities and state of being leading up to the murders. Carter delivers these aspects of the critical day in Lizzie's life in great detail. Sometimes, Carter's delivery of detail becomes excruciating, as she attempts to communicate the sense of restriction and confinement she imagined Lizzie must have been feeling that morning in the heat, in all her clothing, in her traditionally patriarchal household. But as Carter's delivering all this information we've never considered about the character Lizzie, the reader also already knows the outcome -- that Lizzie murders her parents later that morning.
Carter handles each of the myths or figures in this collection with grace and thoughtfulness. Any reader who enjoys dark fiction, particularly dark fantasy or dark myths, would like this collection. I should not that Carter wrote most of these stories from a feminist lens. If that kind of thing bothers you, definitely consider that before reading this collection.
Instagram Review: www.instagram.com/p/B5_Ro8PA_0w/
This collection of modernized myths by Angela Carter is one of my favorite short story collections in my expansive library. While I wouldn't classify any of these stories as horror (probably Weird fiction is a more appropriate tag), each of them will provide the reader, for different reasons and in part due to familiarity with the source material, with a jarring reading experience.
"The Fall River Axe Murders," the initiating story, for example, a retelling of the Lizzie Borden ax murders, favors the details of Lizzie's activities and state of being leading up to the murders. Carter delivers these aspects of the critical day in Lizzie's life in great detail. Sometimes, Carter's delivery of detail becomes excruciating, as she attempts to communicate the sense of restriction and confinement she imagined Lizzie must have been feeling that morning in the heat, in all her clothing, in her traditionally patriarchal household. But as Carter's delivering all this information we've never considered about the character Lizzie, the reader also already knows the outcome -- that Lizzie murders her parents later that morning.
Carter handles each of the myths or figures in this collection with grace and thoughtfulness. Any reader who enjoys dark fiction, particularly dark fantasy or dark myths, would like this collection. I should not that Carter wrote most of these stories from a feminist lens. If that kind of thing bothers you, definitely consider that before reading this collection.