The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
Paperback - 2015
For the 75th anniversary of her birth, a Deluxe Edition of the master of the literary supernatural's most celebrated book--featuring a new introduction by Kelly Link
Angela Carter was a storytelling sorceress, the literary godmother of Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell, Audrey Niffenegger, J. K. Rowling, Kelly Link, and other contemporary masters of supernatural fiction. In her masterpiece, The Bloody Chamber --which includes the story that is the basis of Neil Jordan's 1984 movie The Company of Wolves --she spins subversively dark and sensual versions of familiar fairy tales and legends like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Bluebeard," "Puss in Boots," and "Beauty and the Beast," giving them exhilarating new life in a style steeped in the romantic trappings of the gothic tradition.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Angela Carter was a storytelling sorceress, the literary godmother of Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell, Audrey Niffenegger, J. K. Rowling, Kelly Link, and other contemporary masters of supernatural fiction. In her masterpiece, The Bloody Chamber --which includes the story that is the basis of Neil Jordan's 1984 movie The Company of Wolves --she spins subversively dark and sensual versions of familiar fairy tales and legends like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Bluebeard," "Puss in Boots," and "Beauty and the Beast," giving them exhilarating new life in a style steeped in the romantic trappings of the gothic tradition.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Publisher:
New York : Penguin Books, 2015.
ISBN:
9780143107613
0143107615
0143107615
Branch Call Number:
Fic
Characteristics:
xiv, 162 pages ; 22 cm.
Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
List - A Dose of Darkness: Frills-Free Fairy Tales for the Fatalistic Reader
SLPL_CenterfortheReader
Nov 14, 2016
SLPL_CenterfortheReader
Nov 14, 2016
Familiar Gothic tales flipped to reveal their feminist cores, plus one that was the basis for the 1984 movie The Company of Wolves.
From the critics
Comment
Add a CommentTen retold fairy tales. Dark and sensuous gothic stories from a feminist slant.
These are fairy and folktales done with an adult and, in many cases, a feminist lens. While probably more provocative when they came out in the late 1970s, they still have zing today.
I think I most enjoyed her retake on Bluebeard, a ribald Puss-in-Boots, and a twist on a vampire tale. Her lush and vibrant vocabulary create delectable treats to sink into. It's a fun collection that I recommend.
Amazing retellings of classic fairy tales. Gorgeous prose. Some stories have more of a sense of humor than one would expect.
Okay. I was super excited when I saw that this short story collection was finally in audiobook* format, but I'm not going to lie . . . I feel like reading it probably would have helped me appreciate the writing and metaphors of the stories. In other words, there were parts that I was like, "Man, I wish I wasn't driving so I could write this quote down," or, "I feel like there's some underlying meaning and/or symbolism that I'm missing, but that maybe I would get if I was holding the book in my hand." I think this missing element led me to have an overall underwhelming experience with this book. There were 2 or 3 stories that I really liked and others that left yucked-out or very confused. The narrators were fantastic though.
*The library does not own the audio version of the book. It's an Audible original.
Angela Carter is a whiz with words. Awesome, quick read.
One of my all-time favorites. Warning: only read if you like dark, intense tales.