The Bloody Chamber (Oberon Modern Plays)

This is an absolutely enchanting revision of the traditional "Bluebeard" folktale. The story is dark and its characters are engaging.Although it follows the original story somewhat it has its own unique ending that makes this a great novella all on its own. I highly recommend this story for anyone interested in modern fairy/folktale revisions.

Carter's collection sheds a feminist retelling of many famous fairy tales. I especially liked what she did with Blackbeard and the Puss in Boots.

Included in this collection is the story behind the film, "In the Company of the Wolves."

Don't come to this collection expecting Grimm's. Come to it expecting great storytelling and interesting perspectives on the tales we thought we knew so well.

Carter's collection of reworked faerie and folk tales is quite amazing. She succintly carves out the heart of the story and places it in a new form. And her use of potent sensuality (like in the wonderful "Puss in Boots") is marvelous. I wanted to like the book more, but all the stories aren't as captivating, so. The book is remarkable for its intelligence and sparkling originality.

Angela Carter wields a deliciously decadent pen once again in The Bloody Chamber. This slim volume is packed with familiar tales retold with a dark gothic twist, each tempered with a saucy wit and the ability to impart new meaning onto old standards. Heroines are erotic, independant and canny, and their victories contain a bite, an edge that places these tales outside the traditional happy ending. Stories are beautifully overblown and hyperreal. The Bloody Chamber is stunning in its delicacy and sly, subtle humour that tempers even the darkest tale. This world is very female , where the instigators of action and solvers of perilous events are mothers, daughters, wives and wild girls. Carter's work is too beautiful to describe - she needs to be read again and again, and each time, a new shade can be seen to her impressive legacy. She is an addictive read.

Carter manages to rewrite some well known fairy tales out of an emancipatory point ot view: not only men but also women should be allowed to enjoy a good sexlife. She undermines not only the patriarchal society but also several conventionally accepted binary opposites as human- animal, fact-fiction,... Her stories explore the marginal, the twilight.

A very good collection of short stories.
We had to read this for our English Literature course and I'm very glad I did. Carter is a very talented writer and this book deserves the recognition and awards it got.
The best stories to watch out for are;

The Bloody Chamber,
The Tiger's Bride
The Snow Child
The Werewolf

Carter's language is very elaborate, so if you're going to read it, do as my English tutor said; "Read actively. Have a pen in your hand and a dictionary next to you". Trust me, she was right.
A very good read if you can understand what is going on. All the stories are based on old fairytales (i.e. The Tiger's Bride is based on Beauty and The Beast) so if you can work out how the story is similar and find links you should be able to appreciate the stories.

Angela Carters book the Bloody Chamber can only be described as sparkling genious. Carter writes with the combination of the classic fairy tale, and magical realism, incorperating elements of gothic horror,and subversive sexuality. She weaves tales of sinister locations, fearsome monsters,and powerful heroes to leave the reader with a slanted version of an old moral. Her interpretations are brought to life by her powerful descriptions and modern settings. Her stories are proof that this genre can still terrify off screen. The Bloody Chamber is truely one of the finest pieces of gothic liteature of the century.

Although I have read only the first story, the bloody chamber, I have to say it is a fantastic read with lots of suspense and heart-pounding horror. The story is well-written and builds to an exciting climax. The Bloody Chamber is a prime example of how a short story ought to be written.

Angela Carter is a superb author with a vivid and utterly compelling style. Her short stories are graphic, sexy, and page-turning. She doesn't disappoint! If you loved fairytales as a child but need that little something extra now that your older and wiser then you simply must read this book!

I think the stories are great, and much better than the movie adaptation, for sure. Still, there's something about the style that does not make me feel like I'm reading a fairy tale. Isn't that what it is? Check out [...] It's a book called Love is Irregular: Fairy Tales without the Moral Fiber.

Angela Carter is a superb author with a vivid and utterly compelling style. Her short stories are graphic, sexy, and page-turning. She doesn't disappoint! If you loved fairytales as a child but need that little something extra now that your older and wiser then you simply must read this book!

I think the stories are great, and much better than the movie adaptation, for sure. Still, there's something about the style that does not make me feel like I'm reading a fairy tale. Isn't that what it is? Check out [...] It's a book called Love is Irregular: Fairy Tales without the Moral Fiber.