Pretentious and dull, 18 Aug 2008
I never found myself impressed by Carters writing technique. She writes in a very long winded, self-indulgent way often making the reader feel lost and disengage with her stories altogether. I personally find her rambling stories unimaginative in the way they all seem to portray males as perverted and evil for example. She often attempts to shock the reader by the use of vulgar imagery and though she does succeed in this, i simply cannot understand how this is meant to endear readers into her stories . I also question the format of short stories, they do not give the reader a chance to explore the characters and therefore make it difficult to 'get into' any of her stories. I honestly do not understand why the book is so popular as I found it exceptionally painful and dull to read with her long and overcomplicated sentences. In my mind her pretentious style is used to mask her otherwise unimaginative versions of fairy stories that all portray similar themes of feminism.

The Jewel of my Library, 18 Jul 2008
Not for nothing is Angela Carter my favourite author. She was first recommended to me when I was a callow young lass of 17. But it took me a year or two more before I finally got a taste of her work, when we studied one of the stories in this collection (the Werewolf) for a university module.

I was entranced from the very first sentence "It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts." Carter's baroque prose is often akin to lying on velvet and drinking pearls, or sometimes like scraping scraps of bloodied meat from a bone. Dense and flavoursome, her narrative style seems to spring directly from the fantastical worlds it conveys.

The stories here are retellings of familiar (and some less familiar) fairytales. In one sense, they are modernised, but it would perhaps be more correct to say that they in fact strip away the sanitising and tinkering of centuries to get back to the dark, psychological undertones of the stories in their original form.

Wonderfully evocative, these fairytales are certainly not for children, and I can guarantee that you'll never be able to read Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast in quite the same way again.

dark and beautiful, 05 May 2008
Carter reworks traditional European folk/fairy tales here, exploring their dark and cautionary nature; her stories dig into the darkness of the pre18th/19th centuries tales, as well as mirroring the ones of that time, theres therefore many layers to what she creates, she just adds (in a successful way) to subjects that are already complex. I love how she gives preconceived stories and morals a little twist, giving it new life and making it her own and much more. Her stories are written beautifully, they just flow, catching you up in a wonderfully dark and sensual rhythm that you loose your self in. I suppose what Carter does is make what is simple in the children's fables complicated. In the Bloody Chamber the girl does the sensible thing and it very nearly gets her killed, the `right' choice opens up a new and dangerous world of sex and death. Her characters contrast strongly with fairy tale stereotypes, giving women power in their desires and nature.

In terms of what she looks at: vampires, werewolves, feral children, all are steeped in ambiguity and mystery and are things that are looked at time and time again because authors like Carter understand the potent power they hold and readers like me like to delve into the possibilities that such things hold. If you like these reworking of fairytales I would recommend looking at Marina Warner's writings and Paula Rego's art.



Excellent skill, based upon a false premise and poorly delivered, 29 Oct 2006
Carter is an excellent writer. Her skill shines throughout each short story in 'The Bloody Chamber'; her use of voice is superb, the adaption of traditional fairy tales to meet the expectations of a modern audience has been pulled off well, the juxtaposition of traditional with modern vocabulary is stark and the exciting symbolism rounds off the characteristics.

However, what is the most frustrating thing about this collection of stories are the questions and contradictions raised. Is Carter writing as a feminist [second-wave feminism], or is she writing as a post-feminist [third-wave feminism]? Does Carter support or deplore the degragation of male figures in literature, and conversely does she view female diminution or empowerment as a better method for highlighting her stance towards feminism? The lack of consistency is not a cause for reflection or interest, it isn't something deliberately done to promote thought.

Overall, the novella of short stories is an example of self-indulgence for Carter. Due to the lack of semantic and moral consistency, the book cannot show anything new, and it cannot properly change our opinions.

Beautifully sensuous fairy tales, 13 May 2006
This book contains a number of re-tellings and re-interpretations of classic fairy-tales. Some - like 'The Bloody Chamber' (Bluebeard) or Puss-in-Boots - are directly linked to one tale, others - like the 'Lady of the House of Love' - are amalgamations of various stories (Sleeping Beauty and the vampire myth) or yet again others ('The Erl-King') seem to have nothing to do with any tale (the story has little to nothing to do with Goethe's poem of the same name).

All of them however are told in a language that shows what you can do with English. The language is sumptuous and sensuous, a feast and delight. Carter is an epicurean with words and feeds them to the reader on a silver plate. She has the knack of finding descriptions that match the mood precisely. A rare artform, now as ever.

The stories themselves are all original and often told with sly humour and innuendo. These are not fairy tales for children, but are adult camera obscuras showing a world fairy tales attempt to paint over, a world of sudden and sharp loss of innocence, a loss inevitable and predictable, but surprising and poignant nevertheless.

A must have [and if you enjoy the book, try the film 'The Company of Wolves' which is based on the story by Carter of the same name].

Pretentious and dull, 18 Aug 2008
I never found myself impressed by Carters writing technique. She writes in a very long winded, self-indulgent way often making the reader feel lost and disengage with her stories altogether. I personally find her rambling stories unimaginative in the way they all seem to portray males as perverted and evil for example. She often attempts to shock the reader by the use of vulgar imagery and though she does succeed in this, i simply cannot understand how this is meant to endear readers into her stories . I also question the format of short stories, they do not give the reader a chance to explore the characters and therefore make it difficult to 'get into' any of her stories. I honestly do not understand why the book is so popular as I found it exceptionally painful and dull to read with her long and overcomplicated sentences. In my mind her pretentious style is used to mask her otherwise unimaginative versions of fairy stories that all portray similar themes of feminism.

The Jewel of my Library, 18 Jul 2008
Not for nothing is Angela Carter my favourite author. She was first recommended to me when I was a callow young lass of 17. But it took me a year or two more before I finally got a taste of her work, when we studied one of the stories in this collection (the Werewolf) for a university module.

I was entranced from the very first sentence "It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts." Carter's baroque prose is often akin to lying on velvet and drinking pearls, or sometimes like scraping scraps of bloodied meat from a bone. Dense and flavoursome, her narrative style seems to spring directly from the fantastical worlds it conveys.

The stories here are retellings of familiar (and some less familiar) fairytales. In one sense, they are modernised, but it would perhaps be more correct to say that they in fact strip away the sanitising and tinkering of centuries to get back to the dark, psychological undertones of the stories in their original form.

Wonderfully evocative, these fairytales are certainly not for children, and I can guarantee that you'll never be able to read Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast in quite the same way again.

dark and beautiful, 05 May 2008
Carter reworks traditional European folk/fairy tales here, exploring their dark and cautionary nature; her stories dig into the darkness of the pre18th/19th centuries tales, as well as mirroring the ones of that time, theres therefore many layers to what she creates, she just adds (in a successful way) to subjects that are already complex. I love how she gives preconceived stories and morals a little twist, giving it new life and making it her own and much more. Her stories are written beautifully, they just flow, catching you up in a wonderfully dark and sensual rhythm that you loose your self in. I suppose what Carter does is make what is simple in the children's fables complicated. In the Bloody Chamber the girl does the sensible thing and it very nearly gets her killed, the `right' choice opens up a new and dangerous world of sex and death. Her characters contrast strongly with fairy tale stereotypes, giving women power in their desires and nature.

In terms of what she looks at: vampires, werewolves, feral children, all are steeped in ambiguity and mystery and are things that are looked at time and time again because authors like Carter understand the potent power they hold and readers like me like to delve into the possibilities that such things hold. If you like these reworking of fairytales I would recommend looking at Marina Warner's writings and Paula Rego's art.



Excellent skill, based upon a false premise and poorly delivered, 29 Oct 2006
Carter is an excellent writer. Her skill shines throughout each short story in 'The Bloody Chamber'; her use of voice is superb, the adaption of traditional fairy tales to meet the expectations of a modern audience has been pulled off well, the juxtaposition of traditional with modern vocabulary is stark and the exciting symbolism rounds off the characteristics.

However, what is the most frustrating thing about this collection of stories are the questions and contradictions raised. Is Carter writing as a feminist [second-wave feminism], or is she writing as a post-feminist [third-wave feminism]? Does Carter support or deplore the degragation of male figures in literature, and conversely does she view female diminution or empowerment as a better method for highlighting her stance towards feminism? The lack of consistency is not a cause for reflection or interest, it isn't something deliberately done to promote thought.

Overall, the novella of short stories is an example of self-indulgence for Carter. Due to the lack of semantic and moral consistency, the book cannot show anything new, and it cannot properly change our opinions.

Beautifully sensuous fairy tales, 13 May 2006
This book contains a number of re-tellings and re-interpretations of classic fairy-tales. Some - like 'The Bloody Chamber' (Bluebeard) or Puss-in-Boots - are directly linked to one tale, others - like the 'Lady of the House of Love' - are amalgamations of various stories (Sleeping Beauty and the vampire myth) or yet again others ('The Erl-King') seem to have nothing to do with any tale (the story has little to nothing to do with Goethe's poem of the same name).

All of them however are told in a language that shows what you can do with English. The language is sumptuous and sensuous, a feast and delight. Carter is an epicurean with words and feeds them to the reader on a silver plate. She has the knack of finding descriptions that match the mood precisely. A rare artform, now as ever.

The stories themselves are all original and often told with sly humour and innuendo. These are not fairy tales for children, but are adult camera obscuras showing a world fairy tales attempt to paint over, a world of sudden and sharp loss of innocence, a loss inevitable and predictable, but surprising and poignant nevertheless.

A must have [and if you enjoy the book, try the film 'The Company of Wolves' which is based on the story by Carter of the same name].

Interesting read, 19 May 2008
I don't know all the metaphorical significance of this book, but I feel on the surface that the book is an intersting read, that you want to know what is going to happen to the family and especially the protagonist. You also feel for these people, which is, considering how short the story is, uncommon.
You have to read it to appreciate it, but it definately deserves a place as a classic.

Here goes yet another interpretation, 03 Apr 2006
Metamorphosis is one of the most famous works in world literature, and possibly has the most memorable opening lines in the history of story telling, - 'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning after disturbing dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect'. A standard interpretation of this allegorical tale is that Gregor's transformation from hard working travelling salesman, providing for his family, to a grotesque useless insect that provokes disgust and pity and ultimately rejection by his family, represents physical disability, and society's treatment of it. I can see this in the story, but I read Kafka as essentially portraying his nightmare of the barrier between the public and personal inner world being removed. The private mental life, with its sensitive and raw secrets, its ugly and embarrasing little features, the desires and instincts that we strive to keep hidden, and/or are forced to repress. The bug is the embodiment of the ugly and raw inside turned out, exposed for all the world to see. Particularly nightmarish for Gregor (kafka) is the fact that those who see are those he loves and whose rejecton he fears most of all - his family.
That a short story of less than one hundred pages allows so many interpretative possibilities stands as a testament to Kafka's unique power to draw the reader into a hypnotic world of dark archetypal imagery. Upon finishing this novella, you may feel as though awoken from disturbing dreams, dreams that will nevetheless have cast some strange new light on your waking day.

Creepy yet gripping, 17 Jul 2005
Although the creepiness of this short by Franz Kafka is apparent from the opening, disturbing paragraph, its true weirdness isn't made clear until halfway through the story. Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, awakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into a hideous "insect" - cleverly, in true Kafka style, we never find out what type of insect he has metamorphosized into, our only insights are Kafka's various detailed descriptions of Gregor's feelings and physical apperance to his family... and himself. The style of this extremely enjoyable novel is reminiscent of his unfinished work, The Trial in which a man is on trial for an unknown reason (and it works well).

Struggling to hold his family together, the weirdness and fierceness of this story is now made apparent. Gregor's father attacks him - causing a turning point within the story as we now see Gregor's family resent his condition.

We never find out why or how Gregor has transformed but again, like in The Trial it simply doesn't matter. Using little direct speech, Kafka has woven Gregor's horror and disgust with his family's despair and fright to make a totally impossible situation seem almost real. The fact the only setting is Samsa family's apartment makes the atmosphere disturbing and creepy(very isolated and tense).

Gregor's family depended on him for money and therefore, as I think Kafka is trying to say, a bearable life. Gregor has to witness his family's downfall silently (literally, as he has lost the ability to talk), his only communication being indirect (I mean, with no speech) with his sister and the cleaner who visits him room ocassionally to clean and bring food. We see the Samsa family fall rapidly and become unable to cope with Gregor any longer.

The ending is no surprise, but I don't want to give it away simple because it significantly affects the ending - however, I feel that Kafka struggles to make his point stand-out - even though his ending paragraphs are brilliantly profound. Obviously, the plot in a child's nutshell is about a man who has turned into an insect and, seemingly without being able to help it, causes his family's downfall because of their dependence on him financially and emotionally - however, I think the novel should have been longer and therefore fleshing-out Kafka's point further.

I enjoyed this book very much, a classic - read it for the amazing language if nothing else. A brilliant story and message, Franz, but... a bit more material and it'd be perfect!

Final impression is that Kafka is a truly fantastic author. His use of language and tone is perfect (I noticed this in both Metamorphosis and The Trial). Buy and see for yourself!

Strange yet brilliant in ways, 18 Sep 2003
It was not my choice to read this book - it is a set book for an English course. If it hadn't have been for the course, I may not have ever read it. However, having now read the majority of the book, I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This was the first book by Kafka that I have read. I was struck by how different his writing style is compared to writers I usually read. There is little dialogue in most of his stories, instead there are long sections of prose, which is highly punctuated.
The collection of stories in this volume are very weird. "Metamorphosis" for example is about a young man who awakens to find that he has changed into a "monstrous insect". It is a really surreal story, because of the absurdity of the situation, yet it is thought-provoking and quite insightful.
My only criticism of this volume is that, at times, his stories are a little too surreal. There are some included in the section entitled "The Country Doctor", which I have no ides what is trying to be said.
If, like me, you have never read a book by Kafka before, try reading this first. There are moments of tragedy, comedy and horror - what more could you really want?

The Greatest Writer of the twentieth century?, 15 Aug 2003
This book has been taking up space in my cupboard for a few months, since I had to read metamorphosis for my English degree. Yesterday I picked it up again, having graduated, and have only put it down since to write this.
Kafka is perhaps the most brilliant writer of the last century in perception and the way he can imaginatively express his ideas. 'Metamorphosis' is the most famous tale here, using the central metaphor of a man who awakes to find himself transformed into an insect, but the other stories have just as much to offer.
I was particularly surprised by the early 'Meditations' that appear here. The Editor notes that Kafka told his publisher to stop printing them, embarassed by what he saw as his early failings. This view is not born out by the shorts that appear here, each one taking a situation, observing the human behaviour taking place with humour but sympathy. Kafka makes the reader aware of the absurdity of his characters actions, but at the same time we are led to inherently understand the reasons for them. He never sacrifices a basic humanity.
'The Judgement' and 'The Stoker', the latter of which is the first chapter of the uncompleted novel 'Amerika', are strikingly effective stories. Any fans of Ishiguros 'The Unconsoled' should read these to see where that writers style comes from.
Kafka seems to be able to render the uncertainties, and lurking terror in the commonplace situations that take place in the modern world, in a light which every reader can share in. He expresses the inexpressible, instinctive doubts that anyone can feel at certain times. The unlikely situation of the one page parable, 'The Sudden Walk', is perhaps my favourite, as he depicts the sudden euphoria of taking action, in however small a respect. Again, we see the slight absurdity of the feelings this arouses, but see the subjective truth in them.
This collection has reinvested my faith in the sublime quality of literature that appears too rarely these days. I will definitely be reading the novels. A necessity for all literature fans.

Pretentious and dull, 18 Aug 2008
I never found myself impressed by Carters writing technique. She writes in a very long winded, self-indulgent way often making the reader feel lost and disengage with her stories altogether. I personally find her rambling stories unimaginative in the way they all seem to portray males as perverted and evil for example. She often attempts to shock the reader by the use of vulgar imagery and though she does succeed in this, i simply cannot understand how this is meant to endear readers into her stories . I also question the format of short stories, they do not give the reader a chance to explore the characters and therefore make it difficult to 'get into' any of her stories. I honestly do not understand why the book is so popular as I found it exceptionally painful and dull to read with her long and overcomplicated sentences. In my mind her pretentious style is used to mask her otherwise unimaginative versions of fairy stories that all portray similar themes of feminism.

The Jewel of my Library, 18 Jul 2008
Not for nothing is Angela Carter my favourite author. She was first recommended to me when I was a callow young lass of 17. But it took me a year or two more before I finally got a taste of her work, when we studied one of the stories in this collection (the Werewolf) for a university module.

I was entranced from the very first sentence "It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts." Carter's baroque prose is often akin to lying on velvet and drinking pearls, or sometimes like scraping scraps of bloodied meat from a bone. Dense and flavoursome, her narrative style seems to spring directly from the fantastical worlds it conveys.

The stories here are retellings of familiar (and some less familiar) fairytales. In one sense, they are modernised, but it would perhaps be more correct to say that they in fact strip away the sanitising and tinkering of centuries to get back to the dark, psychological undertones of the stories in their original form.

Wonderfully evocative, these fairytales are certainly not for children, and I can guarantee that you'll never be able to read Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast in quite the same way again.

dark and beautiful, 05 May 2008
Carter reworks traditional European folk/fairy tales here, exploring their dark and cautionary nature; her stories dig into the darkness of the pre18th/19th centuries tales, as well as mirroring the ones of that time, theres therefore many layers to what she creates, she just adds (in a successful way) to subjects that are already complex. I love how she gives preconceived stories and morals a little twist, giving it new life and making it her own and much more. Her stories are written beautifully, they just flow, catching you up in a wonderfully dark and sensual rhythm that you loose your self in. I suppose what Carter does is make what is simple in the children's fables complicated. In the Bloody Chamber the girl does the sensible thing and it very nearly gets her killed, the `right' choice opens up a new and dangerous world of sex and death. Her characters contrast strongly with fairy tale stereotypes, giving women power in their desires and nature.

In terms of what she looks at: vampires, werewolves, feral children, all are steeped in ambiguity and mystery and are things that are looked at time and time again because authors like Carter understand the potent power they hold and readers like me like to delve into the possibilities that such things hold. If you like these reworking of fairytales I would recommend looking at Marina Warner's writings and Paula Rego's art.



Excellent skill, based upon a false premise and poorly delivered, 29 Oct 2006
Carter is an excellent writer. Her skill shines throughout each short story in 'The Bloody Chamber'; her use of voice is superb, the adaption of traditional fairy tales to meet the expectations of a modern audience has been pulled off well, the juxtaposition of traditional with modern vocabulary is stark and the exciting symbolism rounds off the characteristics.

However, what is the most frustrating thing about this collection of stories are the questions and contradictions raised. Is Carter writing as a feminist [second-wave feminism], or is she writing as a post-feminist [third-wave feminism]? Does Carter support or deplore the degragation of male figures in literature, and conversely does she view female diminution or empowerment as a better method for highlighting her stance towards feminism? The lack of consistency is not a cause for reflection or interest, it isn't something deliberately done to promote thought.

Overall, the novella of short stories is an example of self-indulgence for Carter. Due to the lack of semantic and moral consistency, the book cannot show anything new, and it cannot properly change our opinions.

Beautifully sensuous fairy tales, 13 May 2006
This book contains a number of re-tellings and re-interpretations of classic fairy-tales. Some - like 'The Bloody Chamber' (Bluebeard) or Puss-in-Boots - are directly linked to one tale, others - like the 'Lady of the House of Love' - are amalgamations of various stories (Sleeping Beauty and the vampire myth) or yet again others ('The Erl-King') seem to have nothing to do with any tale (the story has little to nothing to do with Goethe's poem of the same name).

All of them however are told in a language that shows what you can do with English. The language is sumptuous and sensuous, a feast and delight. Carter is an epicurean with words and feeds them to the reader on a silver plate. She has the knack of finding descriptions that match the mood precisely. A rare artform, now as ever.

The stories themselves are all original and often told with sly humour and innuendo. These are not fairy tales for children, but are adult camera obscuras showing a world fairy tales attempt to paint over, a world of sudden and sharp loss of innocence, a loss inevitable and predictable, but surprising and poignant nevertheless.

A must have [and if you enjoy the book, try the film 'The Company of Wolves' which is based on the story by Carter of the same name].

Interesting read, 19 May 2008
I don't know all the metaphorical significance of this book, but I feel on the surface that the book is an intersting read, that you want to know what is going to happen to the family and especially the protagonist. You also feel for these people, which is, considering how short the story is, uncommon.
You have to read it to appreciate it, but it definately deserves a place as a classic.

Here goes yet another interpretation, 03 Apr 2006
Metamorphosis is one of the most famous works in world literature, and possibly has the most memorable opening lines in the history of story telling, - 'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning after disturbing dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect'. A standard interpretation of this allegorical tale is that Gregor's transformation from hard working travelling salesman, providing for his family, to a grotesque useless insect that provokes disgust and pity and ultimately rejection by his family, represents physical disability, and society's treatment of it. I can see this in the story, but I read Kafka as essentially portraying his nightmare of the barrier between the public and personal inner world being removed. The private mental life, with its sensitive and raw secrets, its ugly and embarrasing little features, the desires and instincts that we strive to keep hidden, and/or are forced to repress. The bug is the embodiment of the ugly and raw inside turned out, exposed for all the world to see. Particularly nightmarish for Gregor (kafka) is the fact that those who see are those he loves and whose rejecton he fears most of all - his family.
That a short story of less than one hundred pages allows so many interpretative possibilities stands as a testament to Kafka's unique power to draw the reader into a hypnotic world of dark archetypal imagery. Upon finishing this novella, you may feel as though awoken from disturbing dreams, dreams that will nevetheless have cast some strange new light on your waking day.

Creepy yet gripping, 17 Jul 2005
Although the creepiness of this short by Franz Kafka is apparent from the opening, disturbing paragraph, its true weirdness isn't made clear until halfway through the story. Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, awakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into a hideous "insect" - cleverly, in true Kafka style, we never find out what type of insect he has metamorphosized into, our only insights are Kafka's various detailed descriptions of Gregor's feelings and physical apperance to his family... and himself. The style of this extremely enjoyable novel is reminiscent of his unfinished work, The Trial in which a man is on trial for an unknown reason (and it works well).

Struggling to hold his family together, the weirdness and fierceness of this story is now made apparent. Gregor's father attacks him - causing a turning point within the story as we now see Gregor's family resent his condition.

We never find out why or how Gregor has transformed but again, like in The Trial it simply doesn't matter. Using little direct speech, Kafka has woven Gregor's horror and disgust with his family's despair and fright to make a totally impossible situation seem almost real. The fact the only setting is Samsa family's apartment makes the atmosphere disturbing and creepy(very isolated and tense).

Gregor's family depended on him for money and therefore, as I think Kafka is trying to say, a bearable life. Gregor has to witness his family's downfall silently (literally, as he has lost the ability to talk), his only communication being indirect (I mean, with no speech) with his sister and the cleaner who visits him room ocassionally to clean and bring food. We see the Samsa family fall rapidly and become unable to cope with Gregor any longer.

The ending is no surprise, but I don't want to give it away simple because it significantly affects the ending - however, I feel that Kafka struggles to make his point stand-out - even though his ending paragraphs are brilliantly profound. Obviously, the plot in a child's nutshell is about a man who has turned into an insect and, seemingly without being able to help it, causes his family's downfall because of their dependence on him financially and emotionally - however, I think the novel should have been longer and therefore fleshing-out Kafka's point further.

I enjoyed this book very much, a classic - read it for the amazing language if nothing else. A brilliant story and message, Franz, but... a bit more material and it'd be perfect!

Final impression is that Kafka is a truly fantastic author. His use of language and tone is perfect (I noticed this in both Metamorphosis and The Trial). Buy and see for yourself!

Strange yet brilliant in ways, 18 Sep 2003
It was not my choice to read this book - it is a set book for an English course. If it hadn't have been for the course, I may not have ever read it. However, having now read the majority of the book, I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This was the first book by Kafka that I have read. I was struck by how different his writing style is compared to writers I usually read. There is little dialogue in most of his stories, instead there are long sections of prose, which is highly punctuated.
The collection of stories in this volume are very weird. "Metamorphosis" for example is about a young man who awakens to find that he has changed into a "monstrous insect". It is a really surreal story, because of the absurdity of the situation, yet it is thought-provoking and quite insightful.
My only criticism of this volume is that, at times, his stories are a little too surreal. There are some included in the section entitled "The Country Doctor", which I have no ides what is trying to be said.
If, like me, you have never read a book by Kafka before, try reading this first. There are moments of tragedy, comedy and horror - what more could you really want?

The Greatest Writer of the twentieth century?, 15 Aug 2003
This book has been taking up space in my cupboard for a few months, since I had to read metamorphosis for my English degree. Yesterday I picked it up again, having graduated, and have only put it down since to write this.
Kafka is perhaps the most brilliant writer of the last century in perception and the way he can imaginatively express his ideas. 'Metamorphosis' is the most famous tale here, using the central metaphor of a man who awakes to find himself transformed into an insect, but the other stories have just as much to offer.
I was particularly surprised by the early 'Meditations' that appear here. The Editor notes that Kafka told his publisher to stop printing them, embarassed by what he saw as his early failings. This view is not born out by the shorts that appear here, each one taking a situation, observing the human behaviour taking place with humour but sympathy. Kafka makes the reader aware of the absurdity of his characters actions, but at the same time we are led to inherently understand the reasons for them. He never sacrifices a basic humanity.
'The Judgement' and 'The Stoker', the latter of which is the first chapter of the uncompleted novel 'Amerika', are strikingly effective stories. Any fans of Ishiguros 'The Unconsoled' should read these to see where that writers style comes from.
Kafka seems to be able to render the uncertainties, and lurking terror in the commonplace situations that take place in the modern world, in a light which every reader can share in. He expresses the inexpressible, instinctive doubts that anyone can feel at certain times. The unlikely situation of the one page parable, 'The Sudden Walk', is perhaps my favourite, as he depicts the sudden euphoria of taking action, in however small a respect. Again, we see the slight absurdity of the feelings this arouses, but see the subjective truth in them.
This collection has reinvested my faith in the sublime quality of literature that appears too rarely these days. I will definitely be reading the novels. A necessity for all literature fans.

Bit of a let down..., 02 Oct 2008
Having been a massive fan of Stephanie Laurens for a while I have been waiting for this book to arrive and was sadly more than a little dissapointed. After the cliffhanger intro in the previous book I had really been anticipating so much and what a let down...

I had hoped Christian and Leticia would have caught my imagination as the previous main characters in the Bastion Club novels had but they didn't at all. It was a great shame, but the back plot build up of Royce kept me reading and I will be getting the final book as I am sure many others will.

To be honest this book was a dissapointment and I had the feeling Stephanie Laurens was writing to a formula and not really investing herself in the book.Apparently the Vaux family are a bit snobby and prone to temper tantrums this point is hammered home over and over and over and over...

Out of all the Bastion Club novels this is the least interesting.

Snobbery and mystery, 14 Sep 2008
I thought this a far better book than others in the Bastion Club series and I liked the fact that several of the members linked up to find the bad guy. But what grated - a lot - was the sheer superiority of the heroine. If I read once that the Vaux family did this or thought like this or acted like that, I read it dozens of times. Far too many! Such snobbery runs throughout the book and spoiled it a bit for me especially since the hero seemed to accept and even like this trait. I note that Vaux also don't mind having sex fairly indiscreetly but then of course, only the lower orders, the staff, are aware of it so probably doesn't count! Having said that, Stephanie Laurens knows how to wind the reader around her story and succeeds in making it a page turner. Intriguing that the remaining mystery about the secret service chief, is going to be revealed in the last book in the series.

Hunt for a murderer, 22 Aug 2008
What starts off as a rather slow book developed into something that was interesting and enjoyable, if flawed in places. Lady Leticia Randall's husband is murdered and her brother Justin is the only suspect - he was at the house that evening and has fled the scene, leaving behind bloodstained clothing at his rooms. Yet Leticia knows Justin wouldn't have killed Randall and so she goes for help to one man she can trust, her former lover, Christian Allardyce, the 6th Marquess of Deane.

Christian and Leticia's history is complicated. Everyone thought they would marry but twelve years before Christian went off to serve King and country and whilst he was away Leticia married Randall. They've barely seen each other since but Christian immediately comes to Leticia's aid.

As they begin to search for clues to the murder they discover that Leticia really didn't know a great deal about her husband. As his private affairs are slowly unpicked Leticia and Christian find that he is a man of many secrets and that it will take more expertise than they have to get to the bottom of them. At the same time as the search for the truth of Randall's murderer, Christian has to try to convince Leticia to trust him and to come to see that her place is by his side. But if they get too close to the truth of the murderer, might they not be risking their own safety?

This was a surprisingly long book and it moved quite slowly. The interest built step by step as the layers in the plot were brought to light. After the first few chapters the book settled into a rather uneasy format where we followed Christian and Leticia's murder investigation during the day and then spectated on their bedsport at night, then on to the next day. As the book made progress we spent more time on the investigation and less on the romance and this was rather an improvement. As far as the romance side went, it was understated in some ways as it was a rekindling of love between people who had been incredibly close in their past. The characterisation of both Christian and Leticia was sparse at times - Leticia has a temper, we learn, and Christian is very controlled and calm, but this reader never felt like she really got to know them.

Although I did enjoy this book I was rather dubious about some of the behaviour of the main characters in that historical context. The lead couple spending pretty much every night in bed in each others' houses, with Lady Randall a widow of just a few days and still theoretically in deep mourning, felt rather too unlikely. Where were all the servants in a Marquess's house who would normally have noticed this kind of thing. It appeared necessary for Laurens' romance side of the plot but it all felt a bit too modern for the Regency period.

Despite this the rest of the book was a good read and I didn't guess the murderer until the end when they were revealed. Although part of a series this book worked well on its own and set up the reader for the next and last in the series, featuring Royce Dalziel.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Pretentious and dull, 18 Aug 2008
I never found myself impressed by Carters writing technique. She writes in a very long winded, self-indulgent way often making the reader feel lost and disengage with her stories altogether. I personally find her rambling stories unimaginative in the way they all seem to portray males as perverted and evil for example. She often attempts to shock the reader by the use of vulgar imagery and though she does succeed in this, i simply cannot understand how this is meant to endear readers into her stories . I also question the format of short stories, they do not give the reader a chance to explore the characters and therefore make it difficult to 'get into' any of her stories. I honestly do not understand why the book is so popular as I found it exceptionally painful and dull to read with her long and overcomplicated sentences. In my mind her pretentious style is used to mask her otherwise unimaginative versions of fairy stories that all portray similar themes of feminism.

The Jewel of my Library, 18 Jul 2008
Not for nothing is Angela Carter my favourite author. She was first recommended to me when I was a callow young lass of 17. But it took me a year or two more before I finally got a taste of her work, when we studied one of the stories in this collection (the Werewolf) for a university module.

I was entranced from the very first sentence "It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts." Carter's baroque prose is often akin to lying on velvet and drinking pearls, or sometimes like scraping scraps of bloodied meat from a bone. Dense and flavoursome, her narrative style seems to spring directly from the fantastical worlds it conveys.

The stories here are retellings of familiar (and some less familiar) fairytales. In one sense, they are modernised, but it would perhaps be more correct to say that they in fact strip away the sanitising and tinkering of centuries to get back to the dark, psychological undertones of the stories in their original form.

Wonderfully evocative, these fairytales are certainly not for children, and I can guarantee that you'll never be able to read Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast in quite the same way again.

dark and beautiful, 05 May 2008
Carter reworks traditional European folk/fairy tales here, exploring their dark and cautionary nature; her stories dig into the darkness of the pre18th/19th centuries tales, as well as mirroring the ones of that time, theres therefore many layers to what she creates, she just adds (in a successful way) to subjects that are already complex. I love how she gives preconceived stories and morals a little twist, giving it new life and making it her own and much more. Her stories are written beautifully, they just flow, catching you up in a wonderfully dark and sensual rhythm that you loose your self in. I suppose what Carter does is make what is simple in the children's fables complicated. In the Bloody Chamber the girl does the sensible thing and it very nearly gets her killed, the `right' choice opens up a new and dangerous world of sex and death. Her characters contrast strongly with fairy tale stereotypes, giving women power in their desires and nature.

In terms of what she looks at: vampires, werewolves, feral children, all are steeped in ambiguity and mystery and are things that are looked at time and time again because authors like Carter understand the potent power they hold and readers like me like to delve into the possibilities that such things hold. If you like these reworking of fairytales I would recommend looking at Marina Warner's writings and Paula Rego's art.



Excellent skill, based upon a false premise and poorly delivered, 29 Oct 2006
Carter is an excellent writer. Her skill shines throughout each short story in 'The Bloody Chamber'; her use of voice is superb, the adaption of traditional fairy tales to meet the expectations of a modern audience has been pulled off well, the juxtaposition of traditional with modern vocabulary is stark and the exciting symbolism rounds off the characteristics.

However, what is the most frustrating thing about this collection of stories are the questions and contradictions raised. Is Carter writing as a feminist [second-wave feminism], or is she writing as a post-feminist [third-wave feminism]? Does Carter support or deplore the degragation of male figures in literature, and conversely does she view female diminution or empowerment as a better method for highlighting her stance towards feminism? The lack of consistency is not a cause for reflection or interest, it isn't something deliberately done to promote thought.

Overall, the novella of short stories is an example of self-indulgence for Carter. Due to the lack of semantic and moral consistency, the book cannot show anything new, and it cannot properly change our opinions.

Beautifully sensuous fairy tales, 13 May 2006
This book contains a number of re-tellings and re-interpretations of classic fairy-tales. Some - like 'The Bloody Chamber' (Bluebeard) or Puss-in-Boots - are directly linked to one tale, others - like the 'Lady of the House of Love' - are amalgamations of various stories (Sleeping Beauty and the vampire myth) or yet again others ('The Erl-King') seem to have nothing to do with any tale (the story has little to nothing to do with Goethe's poem of the same name).

All of them however are told in a language that shows what you can do with English. The language is sumptuous and sensuous, a feast and delight. Carter is an epicurean with words and feeds them to the reader on a silver plate. She has the knack of finding descriptions that match the mood precisely. A rare artform, now as ever.

The stories themselves are all original and often told with sly humour and innuendo. These are not fairy tales for children, but are adult camera obscuras showing a world fairy tales attempt to paint over, a world of sudden and sharp loss of innocence, a loss inevitable and predictable, but surprising and poignant nevertheless.

A must have [and if you enjoy the book, try the film 'The Company of Wolves' which is based on the story by Carter of the same name].

Interesting read, 19 May 2008
I don't know all the metaphorical significance of this book, but I feel on the surface that the book is an intersting read, that you want to know what is going to happen to the family and especially the protagonist. You also feel for these people, which is, considering how short the story is, uncommon.
You have to read it to appreciate it, but it definately deserves a place as a classic.

Here goes yet another interpretation, 03 Apr 2006
Metamorphosis is one of the most famous works in world literature, and possibly has the most memorable opening lines in the history of story telling, - 'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning after disturbing dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect'. A standard interpretation of this allegorical tale is that Gregor's transformation from hard working travelling salesman, providing for his family, to a grotesque useless insect that provokes disgust and pity and ultimately rejection by his family, represents physical disability, and society's treatment of it. I can see this in the story, but I read Kafka as essentially portraying his nightmare of the barrier between the public and personal inner world being removed. The private mental life, with its sensitive and raw secrets, its ugly and embarrasing little features, the desires and instincts that we strive to keep hidden, and/or are forced to repress. The bug is the embodiment of the ugly and raw inside turned out, exposed for all the world to see. Particularly nightmarish for Gregor (kafka) is the fact that those who see are those he loves and whose rejecton he fears most of all - his family.
That a short story of less than one hundred pages allows so many interpretative possibilities stands as a testament to Kafka's unique power to draw the reader into a hypnotic world of dark archetypal imagery. Upon finishing this novella, you may feel as though awoken from disturbing dreams, dreams that will nevetheless have cast some strange new light on your waking day.

Creepy yet gripping, 17 Jul 2005
Although the creepiness of this short by Franz Kafka is apparent from the opening, disturbing paragraph, its true weirdness isn't made clear until halfway through the story. Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, awakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into a hideous "insect" - cleverly, in true Kafka style, we never find out what type of insect he has metamorphosized into, our only insights are Kafka's various detailed descriptions of Gregor's feelings and physical apperance to his family... and himself. The style of this extremely enjoyable novel is reminiscent of his unfinished work, The Trial in which a man is on trial for an unknown reason (and it works well).

Struggling to hold his family together, the weirdness and fierceness of this story is now made apparent. Gregor's father attacks him - causing a turning point within the story as we now see Gregor's family resent his condition.

We never find out why or how Gregor has transformed but again, like in The Trial it simply doesn't matter. Using little direct speech, Kafka has woven Gregor's horror and disgust with his family's despair and fright to make a totally impossible situation seem almost real. The fact the only setting is Samsa family's apartment makes the atmosphere disturbing and creepy(very isolated and tense).

Gregor's family depended on him for money and therefore, as I think Kafka is trying to say, a bearable life. Gregor has to witness his family's downfall silently (literally, as he has lost the ability to talk), his only communication being indirect (I mean, with no speech) with his sister and the cleaner who visits him room ocassionally to clean and bring food. We see the Samsa family fall rapidly and become unable to cope with Gregor any longer.

The ending is no surprise, but I don't want to give it away simple because it significantly affects the ending - however, I feel that Kafka struggles to make his point stand-out - even though his ending paragraphs are brilliantly profound. Obviously, the plot in a child's nutshell is about a man who has turned into an insect and, seemingly without being able to help it, causes his family's downfall because of their dependence on him financially and emotionally - however, I think the novel should have been longer and therefore fleshing-out Kafka's point further.

I enjoyed this book very much, a classic - read it for the amazing language if nothing else. A brilliant story and message, Franz, but... a bit more material and it'd be perfect!

Final impression is that Kafka is a truly fantastic author. His use of language and tone is perfect (I noticed this in both Metamorphosis and The Trial). Buy and see for yourself!

Strange yet brilliant in ways, 18 Sep 2003
It was not my choice to read this book - it is a set book for an English course. If it hadn't have been for the course, I may not have ever read it. However, having now read the majority of the book, I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This was the first book by Kafka that I have read. I was struck by how different his writing style is compared to writers I usually read. There is little dialogue in most of his stories, instead there are long sections of prose, which is highly punctuated.
The collection of stories in this volume are very weird. "Metamorphosis" for example is about a young man who awakens to find that he has changed into a "monstrous insect". It is a really surreal story, because of the absurdity of the situation, yet it is thought-provoking and quite insightful.
My only criticism of this volume is that, at times, his stories are a little too surreal. There are some included in the section entitled "The Country Doctor", which I have no ides what is trying to be said.
If, like me, you have never read a book by Kafka before, try reading this first. There are moments of tragedy, comedy and horror - what more could you really want?

The Greatest Writer of the twentieth century?, 15 Aug 2003
This book has been taking up space in my cupboard for a few months, since I had to read metamorphosis for my English degree. Yesterday I picked it up again, having graduated, and have only put it down since to write this.
Kafka is perhaps the most brilliant writer of the last century in perception and the way he can imaginatively express his ideas. 'Metamorphosis' is the most famous tale here, using the central metaphor of a man who awakes to find himself transformed into an insect, but the other stories have just as much to offer.
I was particularly surprised by the early 'Meditations' that appear here. The Editor notes that Kafka told his publisher to stop printing them, embarassed by what he saw as his early failings. This view is not born out by the shorts that appear here, each one taking a situation, observing the human behaviour taking place with humour but sympathy. Kafka makes the reader aware of the absurdity of his characters actions, but at the same time we are led to inherently understand the reasons for them. He never sacrifices a basic humanity.
'The Judgement' and 'The Stoker', the latter of which is the first chapter of the uncompleted novel 'Amerika', are strikingly effective stories. Any fans of Ishiguros 'The Unconsoled' should read these to see where that writers style comes from.
Kafka seems to be able to render the uncertainties, and lurking terror in the commonplace situations that take place in the modern world, in a light which every reader can share in. He expresses the inexpressible, instinctive doubts that anyone can feel at certain times. The unlikely situation of the one page parable, 'The Sudden Walk', is perhaps my favourite, as he depicts the sudden euphoria of taking action, in however small a respect. Again, we see the slight absurdity of the feelings this arouses, but see the subjective truth in them.
This collection has reinvested my faith in the sublime quality of literature that appears too rarely these days. I will definitely be reading the novels. A necessity for all literature fans.

Bit of a let down..., 02 Oct 2008
Having been a massive fan of Stephanie Laurens for a while I have been waiting for this book to arrive and was sadly more than a little dissapointed. After the cliffhanger intro in the previous book I had really been anticipating so much and what a let down...

I had hoped Christian and Leticia would have caught my imagination as the previous main characters in the Bastion Club novels had but they didn't at all. It was a great shame, but the back plot build up of Royce kept me reading and I will be getting the final book as I am sure many others will.

To be honest this book was a dissapointment and I had the feeling Stephanie Laurens was writing to a formula and not really investing herself in the book.Apparently the Vaux family are a bit snobby and prone to temper tantrums this point is hammered home over and over and over and over...

Out of all the Bastion Club novels this is the least interesting.

Snobbery and mystery, 14 Sep 2008
I thought this a far better book than others in the Bastion Club series and I liked the fact that several of the members linked up to find the bad guy. But what grated - a lot - was the sheer superiority of the heroine. If I read once that the Vaux family did this or thought like this or acted like that, I read it dozens of times. Far too many! Such snobbery runs throughout the book and spoiled it a bit for me especially since the hero seemed to accept and even like this trait. I note that Vaux also don't mind having sex fairly indiscreetly but then of course, only the lower orders, the staff, are aware of it so probably doesn't count! Having said that, Stephanie Laurens knows how to wind the reader around her story and succeeds in making it a page turner. Intriguing that the remaining mystery about the secret service chief, is going to be revealed in the last book in the series.

Hunt for a murderer, 22 Aug 2008
What starts off as a rather slow book developed into something that was interesting and enjoyable, if flawed in places. Lady Leticia Randall's husband is murdered and her brother Justin is the only suspect - he was at the house that evening and has fled the scene, leaving behind bloodstained clothing at his rooms. Yet Leticia knows Justin wouldn't have killed Randall and so she goes for help to one man she can trust, her former lover, Christian Allardyce, the 6th Marquess of Deane.

Christian and Leticia's history is complicated. Everyone thought they would marry but twelve years before Christian went off to serve King and country and whilst he was away Leticia married Randall. They've barely seen each other since but Christian immediately comes to Leticia's aid.

As they begin to search for clues to the murder they discover that Leticia really didn't know a great deal about her husband. As his private affairs are slowly unpicked Leticia and Christian find that he is a man of many secrets and that it will take more expertise than they have to get to the bottom of them. At the same time as the search for the truth of Randall's murderer, Christian has to try to convince Leticia to trust him and to come to see that her place is by his side. But if they get too close to the truth of the murderer, might they not be risking their own safety?

This was a surprisingly long book and it moved quite slowly. The interest built step by step as the layers in the plot were brought to light. After the first few chapters the book settled into a rather uneasy format where we followed Christian and Leticia's murder investigation during the day and then spectated on their bedsport at night, then on to the next day. As the book made progress we spent more time on the investigation and less on the romance and this was rather an improvement. As far as the romance side went, it was understated in some ways as it was a rekindling of love between people who had been incredibly close in their past. The characterisation of both Christian and Leticia was sparse at times - Leticia has a temper, we learn, and Christian is very controlled and calm, but this reader never felt like she really got to know them.

Although I did enjoy this book I was rather dubious about some of the behaviour of the main characters in that historical context. The lead couple spending pretty much every night in bed in each others' houses, with Lady Randall a widow of just a few days and still theoretically in deep mourning, felt rather too unlikely. Where were all the servants in a Marquess's house who would normally have noticed this kind of thing. It appeared necessary for Laurens' romance side of the plot but it all felt a bit too modern for the Regency period.

Despite this the rest of the book was a good read and I didn't guess the murderer until the end when they were revealed. Although part of a series this book worked well on its own and set up the reader for the next and last in the series, featuring Royce Dalziel.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Ghosts in December, 18 May 2008
It's been over a hundred years since Henry James' novella was published. I'm sure readers at the time were spooked by its tale of ghosts threatening the innocence of two children, and the attempts of a quasi-hysterical governess to save them. It was that period of the Victorian era when séances and ghosts were popular, when spiritists promised to bridge the road between the living and the dead. People enjoyed sitting around a fire and sharing ghost stories, specially during Christmas time.

But times have changed and this novella is now more interesting as a controversial piece of lit crit rather than a frightening ghost story. Did the ghosts in the story really exist? Or was it all part of the governess' imagination? You are never given the answers. One interesting question which resonates with today's world is what kind of "evil" was inflicted on the children. It's suggested that a deceased governess and her lover did "depraved" things to the children, only to later return as ghosts in order to continue their evil influence. But what kind of evil exactly?

If you enjoy puzzles and hard-to-read English writing, this novella is for you; if you are after an easy page-turner, you are better off looking elsewhere.

Screw turner not Page turner, 07 Dec 2007
And this is the author who dared to belittle Thomas Hardy. Henry James, born of insipid wealth and Hardy, wrought of the brown Wessex earth, and so their writing shows.

Turn of the Screw is a novel that could only be written by James. Which is to say that if a room full of socialite closet homosexual virgins with infinite typewriters were allowed infinite time to come up with a spooky story, this would be the inevitable result.

James' pathological will to translate the world's broadest language into the prose equivalent of C++ code is on show at the height of its powers here. Marvel at 5 page diatribes that could otherwise be summed up as "She saw a man and he saw her". Gasp at 50 word sentences that translate as "Oh what a beautiful child he was; and oh what a beautiful child she was; and oh what a beautful..." Oh what's the point.

The point is that Henry James is every bit the author that deserves raucous deliberation amongst the Oxbridge set as they blaze through their short-lived literary phases, prior to a career in private equity. James is also every bit a writer that merits insecure puzzlement from everyone else (its not you its HIM).

Apparently this is a spine-chiller. Hilariously having assumed this category, it has the timeless excuse that people, you know, "in those days" would've found it chilling. Because, of course, people in those days were all Mr Darcy types who shielded wilting debutantes from the most villanous of stiff breezes.

Personally i prefer to think of turn of the century readers of Turn of the Screw frowing the same frown, yawning the same yawn, then rolling over for the same night's sleep as i did.



Atmospheric, 01 Nov 2007
I almost gave up on this tale but persevered because a trusted friend had told me that it would be worth it. She was correct. Wow! What a chilling ghost story. It has a very atmospheric setting, in a country home in England, during the 1840s. The tale begins with friends chatting round a fire. One of the group begins to tell a tale about a governess who was employed in the home to look after two young children. Their guardian, who is their Uncle, tells her he wants nothing to do with her or the children, and that she mustn't bother him. The governess begins to see two ghosts, whom she believes are the previous governess and her lover. She thinks these ghosts are meaning to harm the children. The children claim to not be able to see any ghosts and the rest of the household staff are equally bemused. The reader is left wondering whether the governess is suffering from delusions, or genuinely needs to save the children from the ghosts. The final pages had me gripped and the ending left me breathless.






One good turn., 04 Apr 2007
I adore this book! I have read it so many times I need a new copy. This is definitely not a pleasant read, it is disturbing. It is in the skillful writing of James that creates a gripping story that leaves more questions & mystery on each new read. This ia a classic gothic tale that all fans of the genre should read.

The big book of commas, 18 Oct 2006
What becomes apparent upon first opening the book is that Henry James loves commas. Each long winded sentence ,seems, to stretch for half a page, which, without wanting to the press the point,makes,a very slow,hard to read novel.
The opening was promising! I thought the author wrote in such a style as to create suspense in the reader until i found myself dying to hear the story (the book is in the format of a tale read by an arbitrary character to a group of friends). But when the story begun, i realised that this was in fact not a deliberate attempt to create suspense, but instead was just the way in which James writes!
I was required to read this for an english literature course, and cannot see how anyone would want to read this for leisure. It realy is an uphill struggle, and even being an avid literature fan myself, i had to sit with a dictionary and look up every second word.
The plot does not make up for the battle one must put themselves through to reach the end of the book. Perhaps at the time the book was a shocking "ghost story" of a tale. But it stirred no feeling in me, was far too descriptive of mundane things with distracted from the plot, and was ,to put it plainly, boring.
I had hoped that the end would redeem the book, but without giving anything away, i was extremely dissapointed.

All in all a very difficult to read book which provided me with no enjoyment whatsoever.

Pretentious and dull, 18 Aug 2008
I never found myself impressed by Carters writing technique. She writes in a very long winded, self-indulgent way often making the reader feel lost and disengage with her stories altogether. I personally find her rambling stories unimaginative in the way they all seem to portray males as perverted and evil for example. She often attempts to shock the reader by the use of vulgar imagery and though she does succeed in this, i simply cannot understand how this is meant to endear readers into her stories . I also question the format of short stories, they do not give the reader a chance to explore the characters and therefore make it difficult to 'get into' any of her stories. I honestly do not understand why the book is so popular as I found it exceptionally painful and dull to read with her long and overcomplicated sentences. In my mind her pretentious style is used to mask her otherwise unimaginative versions of fairy stories that all portray similar themes of feminism.

The Jewel of my Library, 18 Jul 2008
Not for nothing is Angela Carter my favourite author. She was first recommended to me when I was a callow young lass of 17. But it took me a year or two more before I finally got a taste of her work, when we studied one of the stories in this collection (the Werewolf) for a university module.

I was entranced from the very first sentence "It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts." Carter's baroque prose is often akin to lying on velvet and drinking pearls, or sometimes like scraping scraps of bloodied meat from a bone. Dense and flavoursome, her narrative style seems to spring directly from the fantastical worlds it conveys.

The stories here are retellings of familiar (and some less familiar) fairytales. In one sense, they are modernised, but it would perhaps be more correct to say that they in fact strip away the sanitising and tinkering of centuries to get back to the dark, psychological undertones of the stories in their original form.

Wonderfully evocative, these fairytales are certainly not for children, and I can guarantee that you'll never be able to read Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast in quite the same way again.

dark and beautiful, 05 May 2008
Carter reworks traditional European folk/fairy tales here, exploring their dark and cautionary nature; her stories dig into the darkness of the pre18th/19th centuries tales, as well as mirroring the ones of that time, theres therefore many layers to what she creates, she just adds (in a successful way) to subjects that are already complex. I love how she gives preconceived stories and morals a little twist, giving it new life and making it her own and much more. Her stories are written beautifully, they just flow, catching you up in a wonderfully dark and sensual rhythm that you loose your self in. I suppose what Carter does is make what is simple in the children's fables complicated. In the Bloody Chamber the girl does the sensible thing and it very nearly gets her killed, the `right' choice opens up a new and dangerous world of sex and death. Her characters contrast strongly with fairy tale stereotypes, giving women power in their desires and nature.

In terms of what she looks at: vampires, werewolves, feral children, all are steeped in ambiguity and mystery and are things that are looked at time and time again because authors like Carter understand the potent power they hold and readers like me like to delve into the possibilities that such things hold. If you like these reworking of fairytales I would recommend looking at Marina Warner's writings and Paula Rego's art.



Excellent skill, based upon a false premise and poorly delivered, 29 Oct 2006
Carter is an excellent writer. Her skill shines throughout each short story in 'The Bloody Chamber'; her use of voice is superb, the adaption of traditional fairy tales to meet the expectations of a modern audience has been pulled off well, the juxtaposition of traditional with modern vocabulary is stark and the exciting symbolism rounds off the characteristics.

However, what is the most frustrating thing about this collection of stories are the questions and contradictions raised. Is Carter writing as a feminist [second-wave feminism], or is she writing as a post-feminist [third-wave feminism]? Does Carter support or deplore the degragation of male figures in literature, and conversely does she view female diminution or empowerment as a better method for highlighting her stance towards feminism? The lack of consistency is not a cause for reflection or interest, it isn't something deliberately done to promote thought.

Overall, the novella of short stories is an example of self-indulgence for Carter. Due to the lack of semantic and moral consistency, the book cannot show anything new, and it cannot properly change our opinions.

Beautifully sensuous fairy tales, 13 May 2006
This book contains a number of re-tellings and re-interpretations of classic fairy-tales. Some - like 'The Bloody Chamber' (Bluebeard) or Puss-in-Boots - are directly linked to one tale, others - like the 'Lady of the House of Love' - are amalgamations of various stories (Sleeping Beauty and the vampire myth) or yet again others ('The Erl-King') seem to have nothing to do with any tale (the story has little to nothing to do with Goethe's poem of the same name).

All of them however are told in a language that shows what you can do with English. The language is sumptuous and sensuous, a feast and delight. Carter is an epicurean with words and feeds them to the reader on a silver plate. She has the knack of finding descriptions that match the mood precisely. A rare artform, now as ever.

The stories themselves are all original and often told with sly humour and innuendo. These are not fairy tales for children, but are adult camera obscuras showing a world fairy tales attempt to paint over, a world of sudden and sharp loss of innocence, a loss inevitable and predictable, but surprising and poignant nevertheless.

A must have [and if you enjoy the book, try the film 'The Company of Wolves' which is based on the story by Carter of the same name].

Interesting read, 19 May 2008
I don't know all the metaphorical significance of this book, but I feel on the surface that the book is an intersting read, that you want to know what is going to happen to the family and especially the protagonist. You also feel for these people, which is, considering how short the story is, uncommon.
You have to read it to appreciate it, but it definately deserves a place as a classic.

Here goes yet another interpretation, 03 Apr 2006
Metamorphosis is one of the most famous works in world literature, and possibly has the most memorable opening lines in the history of story telling, - 'As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning after disturbing dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect'. A standard interpretation of this allegorical tale is that Gregor's transformation from hard working travelling salesman, providing for his family, to a grotesque useless insect that provokes disgust and pity and ultimately rejection by his family, represents physical disability, and society's treatment of it. I can see this in the story, but I read Kafka as essentially portraying his nightmare of the barrier between the public and personal inner world being removed. The private mental life, with its sensitive and raw secrets, its ugly and embarrasing little features, the desires and instincts that we strive to keep hidden, and/or are forced to repress. The bug is the embodiment of the ugly and raw inside turned out, exposed for all the world to see. Particularly nightmarish for Gregor (kafka) is the fact that those who see are those he loves and whose rejecton he fears most of all - his family.
That a short story of less than one hundred pages allows so many interpretative possibilities stands as a testament to Kafka's unique power to draw the reader into a hypnotic world of dark archetypal imagery. Upon finishing this novella, you may feel as though awoken from disturbing dreams, dreams that will nevetheless have cast some strange new light on your waking day.

Creepy yet gripping, 17 Jul 2005
Although the creepiness of this short by Franz Kafka is apparent from the opening, disturbing paragraph, its true weirdness isn't made clear until halfway through the story. Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, awakes one morning to find that he has been transformed into a hideous "insect" - cleverly, in true Kafka style, we never find out what type of insect he has metamorphosized into, our only insights are Kafka's various detailed descriptions of Gregor's feelings and physical apperance to his family... and himself. The style of this extremely enjoyable novel is reminiscent of his unfinished work, The Trial in which a man is on trial for an unknown reason (and it works well).

Struggling to hold his family together, the weirdness and fierceness of this story is now made apparent. Gregor's father attacks him - causing a turning point within the story as we now see Gregor's family resent his condition.

We never find out why or how Gregor has transformed but again, like in The Trial it simply doesn't matter. Using little direct speech, Kafka has woven Gregor's horror and disgust with his family's despair and fright to make a totally impossible situation seem almost real. The fact the only setting is Samsa family's apartment makes the atmosphere disturbing and creepy(very isolated and tense).

Gregor's family depended on him for money and therefore, as I think Kafka is trying to say, a bearable life. Gregor has to witness his family's downfall silently (literally, as he has lost the ability to talk), his only communication being indirect (I mean, with no speech) with his sister and the cleaner who visits him room ocassionally to clean and bring food. We see the Samsa family fall rapidly and become unable to cope with Gregor any longer.

The ending is no surprise, but I don't want to give it away simple because it significantly affects the ending - however, I feel that Kafka struggles to make his point stand-out - even though his ending paragraphs are brilliantly profound. Obviously, the plot in a child's nutshell is about a man who has turned into an insect and, seemingly without being able to help it, causes his family's downfall because of their dependence on him financially and emotionally - however, I think the novel should have been longer and therefore fleshing-out Kafka's point further.

I enjoyed this book very much, a classic - read it for the amazing language if nothing else. A brilliant story and message, Franz, but... a bit more material and it'd be perfect!

Final impression is that Kafka is a truly fantastic author. His use of language and tone is perfect (I noticed this in both Metamorphosis and The Trial). Buy and see for yourself!

Strange yet brilliant in ways, 18 Sep 2003
It was not my choice to read this book - it is a set book for an English course. If it hadn't have been for the course, I may not have ever read it. However, having now read the majority of the book, I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
This was the first book by Kafka that I have read. I was struck by how different his writing style is compared to writers I usually read. There is little dialogue in most of his stories, instead there are long sections of prose, which is highly punctuated.
The collection of stories in this volume are very weird. "Metamorphosis" for example is about a young man who awakens to find that he has changed into a "monstrous insect". It is a really surreal story, because of the absurdity of the situation, yet it is thought-provoking and quite insightful.
My only criticism of this volume is that, at times, his stories are a little too surreal. There are some included in the section entitled "The Country Doctor", which I have no ides what is trying to be said.
If, like me, you have never read a book by Kafka before, try reading this first. There are moments of tragedy, comedy and horror - what more could you really want?

The Greatest Writer of the twentieth century?, 15 Aug 2003
This book has been taking up space in my cupboard for a few months, since I had to read metamorphosis for my English degree. Yesterday I picked it up again, having graduated, and have only put it down since to write this.
Kafka is perhaps the most brilliant writer of the last century in perception and the way he can imaginatively express his ideas. 'Metamorphosis' is the most famous tale here, using the central metaphor of a man who awakes to find himself transformed into an insect, but the other stories have just as much to offer.
I was particularly surprised by the early 'Meditations' that appear here. The Editor notes that Kafka told his publisher to stop printing them, embarassed by what he saw as his early failings. This view is not born out by the shorts that appear here, each one taking a situation, observing the human behaviour taking place with humour but sympathy. Kafka makes the reader aware of the absurdity of his characters actions, but at the same time we are led to inherently understand the reasons for them. He never sacrifices a basic humanity.
'The Judgement' and 'The Stoker', the latter of which is the first chapter of the uncompleted novel 'Amerika', are strikingly effective stories. Any fans of Ishiguros 'The Unconsoled' should read these to see where that writers style comes from.
Kafka seems to be able to render the uncertainties, and lurking terror in the commonplace situations that take place in the modern world, in a light which every reader can share in. He expresses the inexpressible, instinctive doubts that anyone can feel at certain times. The unlikely situation of the one page parable, 'The Sudden Walk', is perhaps my favourite, as he depicts the sudden euphoria of taking action, in however small a respect. Again, we see the slight absurdity of the feelings this arouses, but see the subjective truth in them.
This collection has reinvested my faith in the sublime quality of literature that appears too rarely these days. I will definitely be reading the novels. A necessity for all literature fans.

Bit of a let down..., 02 Oct 2008
Having been a massive fan of Stephanie Laurens for a while I have been waiting for this book to arrive and was sadly more than a little dissapointed. After the cliffhanger intro in the previous book I had really been anticipating so much and what a let down...

I had hoped Christian and Leticia would have caught my imagination as the previous main characters in the Bastion Club novels had but they didn't at all. It was a great shame, but the back plot build up of Royce kept me reading and I will be getting the final book as I am sure many others will.

To be honest this book was a dissapointment and I had the feeling Stephanie Laurens was writing to a formula and not really investing herself in the book.Apparently the Vaux family are a bit snobby and prone to temper tantrums this point is hammered home over and over and over and over...

Out of all the Bastion Club novels this is the least interesting.

Snobbery and mystery, 14 Sep 2008
I thought this a far better book than others in the Bastion Club series and I liked the fact that several of the members linked up to find the bad guy. But what grated - a lot - was the sheer superiority of the heroine. If I read once that the Vaux family did this or thought like this or acted like that, I read it dozens of times. Far too many! Such snobbery runs throughout the book and spoiled it a bit for me especially since the hero seemed to accept and even like this trait. I note that Vaux also don't mind having sex fairly indiscreetly but then of course, only the lower orders, the staff, are aware of it so probably doesn't count! Having said that, Stephanie Laurens knows how to wind the reader around her story and succeeds in making it a page turner. Intriguing that the remaining mystery about the secret service chief, is going to be revealed in the last book in the series.

Hunt for a murderer, 22 Aug 2008
What starts off as a rather slow book developed into something that was interesting and enjoyable, if flawed in places. Lady Leticia Randall's husband is murdered and her brother Justin is the only suspect - he was at the house that evening and has fled the scene, leaving behind bloodstained clothing at his rooms. Yet Leticia knows Justin wouldn't have killed Randall and so she goes for help to one man she can trust, her former lover, Christian Allardyce, the 6th Marquess of Deane.

Christian and Leticia's history is complicated. Everyone thought they would marry but twelve years before Christian went off to serve King and country and whilst he was away Leticia married Randall. They've barely seen each other since but Christian immediately comes to Leticia's aid.

As they begin to search for clues to the murder they discover that Leticia really didn't know a great deal about her husband. As his private affairs are slowly unpicked Leticia and Christian find that he is a man of many secrets and that it will take more expertise than they have to get to the bottom of them. At the same time as the search for the truth of Randall's murderer, Christian has to try to convince Leticia to trust him and to come to see that her place is by his side. But if they get too close to the truth of the murderer, might they not be risking their own safety?

This was a surprisingly long book and it moved quite slowly. The interest built step by step as the layers in the plot were brought to light. After the first few chapters the book settled into a rather uneasy format where we followed Christian and Leticia's murder investigation during the day and then spectated on their bedsport at night, then on to the next day. As the book made progress we spent more time on the investigation and less on the romance and this was rather an improvement. As far as the romance side went, it was understated in some ways as it was a rekindling of love between people who had been incredibly close in their past. The characterisation of both Christian and Leticia was sparse at times - Leticia has a temper, we learn, and Christian is very controlled and calm, but this reader never felt like she really got to know them.

Although I did enjoy this book I was rather dubious about some of the behaviour of the main characters in that historical context. The lead couple spending pretty much every night in bed in each others' houses, with Lady Randall a widow of just a few days and still theoretically in deep mourning, felt rather too unlikely. Where were all the servants in a Marquess's house who would normally have noticed this kind of thing. It appeared necessary for Laurens' romance side of the plot but it all felt a bit too modern for the Regency period.

Despite this the rest of the book was a good read and I didn't guess the murderer until the end when they were revealed. Although part of a series this book worked well on its own and set up the reader for the next and last in the series, featuring Royce Dalziel.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Ghosts in December, 18 May 2008
It's been over a hundred years since Henry James' novella was published. I'm sure readers at the time were spooked by its tale of ghosts threatening the innocence of two children, and the attempts of a quasi-hysterical governess to save them. It was that period of the Victorian era when séances and ghosts were popular, when spiritists promised to bridge the road between the living and the dead. People enjoyed sitting around a fire and sharing ghost stories, specially during Christmas time.

But times have changed and this novella is now more interesting as a controversial piece of lit crit rather than a frightening ghost story. Did the ghosts in the story really exist? Or was it all part of the governess' imagination? You are never given the answers. One interesting question which resonates with today's world is what kind of "evil" was inflicted on the children. It's suggested that a deceased governess and her lover did "depraved" things to the children, only to later return as ghosts in order to continue their evil influence. But what kind of evil exactly?

If you enjoy puzzles and hard-to-read English writing, this novella is for you; if you are after an easy page-turner, you are better off looking elsewhere.

Screw turner not Page turner, 07 Dec 2007
And this is the author who dared to belittle Thomas Hardy. Henry James, born of insipid wealth and Hardy, wrought of the brown Wessex earth, and so their writing shows.

Turn of the Screw is a novel that could only be written by James. Which is to say that if a room full of socialite closet homosexual virgins with infinite typewriters were allowed infinite time to come up with a spooky story, this would be the inevitable result.

James' pathological will to translate the world's broadest language into the prose equivalent of C++ code is on show at the height of its powers here. Marvel at 5 page diatribes that could otherwise be summed up as "She saw a man and he saw her". Gasp at 50 word sentences that translate as "Oh what a beautiful child he was; and oh what a beautiful child she was; and oh what a beautful..." Oh what's the point.

The point is that Henry James is every bit the author that deserves raucous deliberation amongst the Oxbridge set as they blaze through their short-lived literary phases, prior to a career in private equity. James is also every bit a writer that merits insecure puzzlement from everyone else (its not you its HIM).

Apparently this is a spine-chiller. Hilariously having assumed this category, it has the timeless excuse that people, you know, "in those days" would've found it chilling. Because, of course, people in those days were all Mr Darcy types who shielded wilting debutantes from the most villanous of stiff breezes.

Personally i prefer to think of turn of the century readers of Turn of the Screw frowing the same frown, yawning the same yawn, then rolling over for the same night's sleep as i did.



Atmospheric, 01 Nov 2007
I almost gave up on this tale but persevered because a trusted friend had told me that it would be worth it. She was correct. Wow! What a chilling ghost story. It has a very atmospheric setting, in a country home in England, during the 1840s. The tale begins with friends chatting round a fire. One of the group begins to tell a tale about a governess who was employed in the home to look after two young children. Their guardian, who is their Uncle, tells her he wants nothing to do with her or the children, and that she mustn't bother him. The governess begins to see two ghosts, whom she believes are the previous governess and her lover. She thinks these ghosts are meaning to harm the children. The children claim to not be able to see any ghosts and the rest of the household staff are equally bemused. The reader is left wondering whether the governess is suffering from delusions, or genuinely needs to save the children from the ghosts. The final pages had me gripped and the ending left me breathless.






One good turn., 04 Apr 2007
I adore this book! I have read it so many times I need a new copy. This is definitely not a pleasant read, it is disturbing. It is in the skillful writing of James that creates a gripping story that leaves more questions & mystery on each new read. This ia a classic gothic tale that all fans of the genre should read.

The big book of commas, 18 Oct 2006
What becomes apparent upon first opening the book is that Henry James loves commas. Each long winded sentence ,seems, to stretch for half a page, which, without wanting to the press the point,makes,a very slow,hard to read novel.
The opening was promising! I thought the author wrote in such a style as to create suspense in the reader until i found myself dying to hear the story (the book is in the format of a tale read by an arbitrary character to a group of friends). But when the story begun, i realised that this was in fact not a deliberate attempt to create suspense, but instead was just the way in which James writes!
I was required to read this for an english literature course, and cannot see how anyone would want to read this for leisure. It realy is an uphill struggle, and even being an avid literature fan myself, i had to sit with a dictionary and look up every second word.
The plot does not make up for the battle one must put themselves through to reach the end of the book. Perhaps at the time the book was a shocking "ghost story" of a tale. But it stirred no feeling in me, was far too descriptive of mundane things with distracted from the plot, and was ,to put it plainly, boring.
I had hoped that the end would redeem the book, but without giving anything away, i was extremely dissapointed.

All in all a very difficult to read book which provided me with no enjoyment whatsoever.

Worthwhile read, but not particularly a page-turner, 30 May 2008
This is a collection of short stories, centering around characters in Dublin. Joyce's grasp of human psychology is profound, and he weaves this into narratives of domestic life and tensions. He manages to create a nostalgia within these stories that resonates with a wistful sadness, almost as if the personalities encapsulate his own regret or yearning for the past.

Although the ability of the book to really grab the reader is limited, Joyce's writing and the depth of character of his stories, really makes the effort worthwhile.

Okay-ish, 24 May 2008
This collection of short stories is generally agreeable, though occasionally disturbing. Varied quality too, for instance, `The Boarding House' is excellent and the worst is probably `Grace' which is only average. The shorter of the short stories tend to be the better ones and end very well. Of course there is the long introduction (not Joyce) which does not necessarily enhance the appreciation. I hear that the early stuff is best so I will not be rushing to read `Ulysees'.


Moving, Funny, never Boring, 02 Apr 2006
A newcomer to James Joyce, I was looking forward to reading a work by an author associated so closely with the modernist " stream of consciousness" style of writing.
Joyce was simply a poet, and some sentences and passages in this book are better than Shakespeare etc. the 15 short stories are all set in Dublin, and all contain a range of different characters with different emotions, feelings, and indeed outlooks on life.
" An Encounter" is beautifully written from a child's point of view. Encountering someone who is essentially a paedophile will be a strange experience for a child, and, through Joyce, the boy simply tells the reader what he sees. Yet, the story is still disturbing and haunting.
My particular favourites are " Araby", focusing on a boy who is infatuated with a girl, it also contains the best line in the book in " but my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like strings running upon the wires"; " A little cloud", about a man who realises his failed journalistic career, and indeed the loss of affection for his wife; and " a painful case", again, like " A little cloud" centring on a man who has wasted his life, and, once he finds his true love, lets her go from him until it is too late when she dies.
The 15 stories are all poetically flawless Joyce's real strength here is that he both manages to write archaically yet keeping the reader interested.
Thanks to this book I now intend to read Joyce's other great works " Finnegans Wake" and then, his classic, " Ulysses".

Work of art...once you appreciate it, 12 Feb 2006
I read this book for my A-level English Literature studies. I`ll be frank...at first, I found it to be terrible, not so much that it was boring, but that at the end of some of the stories, nothing seemed to have happened. But, after we studied it in bit more detail, I began to appreciate it...really began to appreciate it. It, to me, is a masterpiece. Joyce captures moments in life, "epiphanies", which are so subtly written, yet so potent, that you really do see "Dubliners" as a work of art. In this frame of mind, all the stories make sense, they all bear out some meaning. By living out the lives of those caught in the vast social spectrum of Dublin, Joyce reveals to us not only individuals, but also human lives, in their joy, pain, hope, love, loss, etc. Simply beautiful.

A rich book, 06 Apr 2005
This is the second James Joyce book I have read and it goes to reinforce the feeling I had after reading the first that that writer is a great storyteller. In fact, I consider
James Joyce's Dubliners as one of the best collection of short stories ever put together. The settings are amazing and the rich and lively characters all combine with the incredible plots to add credence to the stories. Not only are they true to life in fitting with the atmosphere that one finds in Dublin, the stories are also hilarious, subtle, and inspirational and gripping. The pace of the stories is fast and the voices are rich. This is a highly recommended read along with THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, FINNEGANS WAKE, THE UNION MOUJIK, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE

Pretentious and dull, 18 Aug 2008
I never found myself impressed by Carters writing technique. She writes in a very long winded, self-indulgent way often making the reader feel lost and disengage with her stories altogether. I personally find her rambling stories unimaginative in the way they all seem to portray males as perverted and evil for example. She often attempts to shock the reader by the use of vulgar imagery and though she does succeed in this, i simply cannot understand how this is meant to endear readers into her stories . I also question the format of short stories, they do not give the reader a chance to explore the characters and therefore make it difficult to 'get into' any of her stories. I honestly do not understand why the book is so popular as I found it exceptionally painful and dull to read with her long and overcomplicated sentences. In my mind her pretentious style is used to mask her otherwise unimaginative versions of fairy stories that all portray similar themes of feminism.

The Jewel of my Library, 18 Jul 2008
Not for nothing is Angela Carter my favourite author. She was first recommended to me when I was a callow young lass of 17. But it took me a year or two more before I finally got a taste of her work, when we studied one of the stories in this collection (the Werewolf) for a university module.

I was entranced from the very first sentence "It is a northern country; they have cold weather, they have cold hearts." Carter's baroque prose is often akin to lying on velvet and drinking pearls, or sometimes like scraping scraps of bloodied meat from a bone. Dense and flavoursome, her narrative style seems to spring directly from the fantastical worlds it conveys.

The stories here are retellings of familiar (and some less familiar) fairytales. In one sense, they are modernised, but it would perhaps be more correct to say that they in fact strip away the sanitising and tinkering of centuries to get back to the dark, psychological undertones of the stories in their original form.

Wonderfully evocative, these fairytales are certainly not for children, and I can guarantee that you'll never be able to read Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty and the Beast in quite the same way again.

dark and beautiful, 05 May 2008
Carter reworks traditional European folk/fairy tales here, exploring their dark and cautionary nature; her stories dig into the darkness of the pre18th/19th centuries tales, as well as mirroring the ones of that time, theres therefore many layers to what she creates, she just adds (in a successful way) to subjects that are already complex. I love how she gives preconceived stories and morals a little twist, giving it new life and making it her own and much more. Her stories are written beautifully, they just flow, catching you up in a wonderfully dark and sensual rhythm that you loose your self in. I suppose what Carter does is make what is simple in the children's fables complicated. In the Bloody Chamber the girl does the sensible thing and it very nearly gets her killed, the `right' choice opens up a new and dangerous world of sex and death. Her characters contrast strongly with fairy tale stereotypes, giving women power in their desires and nature.

In terms of what she looks at: vampires, werewolves, feral children, all are steeped in ambiguity and mystery and are things that are looked at time and time again because authors like Carter understand the potent power they hold and readers like me like to delve into the possibilities that such things hold. If you like these reworking of fairytales I would recommend looking at Marina Warner's writings and Paula Rego's art.