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fairymodmother 's review for:
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
by Angela Carter
I think Angela Carter writes beautifully. But I think others have retold Bluebeard's Bride, Beauty & the Beast, the Vampire, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood both more imaginatively and with more exploration of the themes behind them. This is definitely a more succinct version of those tellings (aside from just reading the original/Grimm Brothers versions).
The prose was, as I said, stunning. Perhaps a bit on the melodramatic side a la the gothic novels these stories are set to mimic, but it admirably and artistically captured the darkness of the ideas behind the story.
Bloody Chamber: The titular story left me wanting. I loved the end, the maternal love in it, but it felt at odds with the underlying story, which I'm not sure was as explored as I'd have preferred. The anima was hinted at but I'm not sure I got the swirling of mother, maiden, crone, seductress and witch that really root this story in the feminine for me.
The Courtship of Mr. Lyon: This sort of just read to me like Cocteau's La Belle et La Bete.
The Tiger's Bride: A more interesting take on Beauty and the Beast where her capture and their romance is a sexual negotiation, a poker game between the feminine and masculine powers.
Puss In Boots: This one I liked quite a bit. I think the narrator for this (Puss) was a great way to look at it. There's a lot of literary inspiration and comedy/farce involved in the timeless tale of innocence seduced.
The Erl-king: Again, this one felt novel to me. Traditionally in our fairytales, the Erl-king is malevolent, all-powerful, and leader of the deadly Hunt. Here we see another version, just as deadly, perhaps just as cruel, but through the inverse of violence. I think this story is perhaps worth getting the entire collection for. It ended perfectly, in my opinion.
Snow-Child: Short, succinct, and the only one that felt like it had graphic violence against women, it's also the more traditional fairytale set up and delivery. I could see it being a good allegory for how certain men want to pursue and defile their dream ideal rather than honor women as they exist but I do feel like I'm doing a lot of the heavy lifting on that.
Lady in the House of Love: A sort of combo Erzebette of Bathory meets Sleeping Beauty mash up that felt like it got all of Erzebette and not much of Sleeping Beauty. This was fertile ground, I think it could have accomplished more if it had stuck to its guns.
Company of Wolves: A little more violence against women. I listened to it not an hour ago and that's really all that I recall of it.
Wolf-Alice: Again, this one felt novel to me. Innocence and animalism, affection and affectation, it flips the werewolf story on its head with a woman raised entirely by wolves as the counterpoint. They foil each other and showcase the intersections of man and beast. I thought this one was very well done.
If you're a fairytale enthusiast, this one is worth looking at, but I think it's a great comparison point to more fleshed out or experimental works. The audiobook narrators did a great job, but aside from Puss and Erl-king I'm not sure they changed the value of the story for me. Those two were standout in all ways. 3.5 stars rounded up.
The prose was, as I said, stunning. Perhaps a bit on the melodramatic side a la the gothic novels these stories are set to mimic, but it admirably and artistically captured the darkness of the ideas behind the story.
Bloody Chamber: The titular story left me wanting. I loved the end, the maternal love in it, but it felt at odds with the underlying story, which I'm not sure was as explored as I'd have preferred. The anima was hinted at but I'm not sure I got the swirling of mother, maiden, crone, seductress and witch that really root this story in the feminine for me.
The Courtship of Mr. Lyon: This sort of just read to me like Cocteau's La Belle et La Bete.
The Tiger's Bride: A more interesting take on Beauty and the Beast where her capture and their romance is a sexual negotiation, a poker game between the feminine and masculine powers.
Puss In Boots: This one I liked quite a bit. I think the narrator for this (Puss) was a great way to look at it. There's a lot of literary inspiration and comedy/farce involved in the timeless tale of innocence seduced.
The Erl-king: Again, this one felt novel to me. Traditionally in our fairytales, the Erl-king is malevolent, all-powerful, and leader of the deadly Hunt. Here we see another version, just as deadly, perhaps just as cruel, but through the inverse of violence. I think this story is perhaps worth getting the entire collection for. It ended perfectly, in my opinion.
Snow-Child: Short, succinct, and the only one that felt like it had graphic violence against women, it's also the more traditional fairytale set up and delivery. I could see it being a good allegory for how certain men want to pursue and defile their dream ideal rather than honor women as they exist but I do feel like I'm doing a lot of the heavy lifting on that.
Lady in the House of Love: A sort of combo Erzebette of Bathory meets Sleeping Beauty mash up that felt like it got all of Erzebette and not much of Sleeping Beauty. This was fertile ground, I think it could have accomplished more if it had stuck to its guns.
Company of Wolves: A little more violence against women. I listened to it not an hour ago and that's really all that I recall of it.
Wolf-Alice: Again, this one felt novel to me. Innocence and animalism, affection and affectation, it flips the werewolf story on its head with a woman raised entirely by wolves as the counterpoint. They foil each other and showcase the intersections of man and beast. I thought this one was very well done.
If you're a fairytale enthusiast, this one is worth looking at, but I think it's a great comparison point to more fleshed out or experimental works. The audiobook narrators did a great job, but aside from Puss and Erl-king I'm not sure they changed the value of the story for me. Those two were standout in all ways. 3.5 stars rounded up.