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The Bloody Chamber And Other Stories
The Bloody Chamber And Other Stories | Angela Carter
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HELEN SIMPSON From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.
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AllDebooks
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Andrew65 Some great BBC Drama Productions out there. Well done 👏👏👏 5mo
41 likes1 comment
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TheBookHippie
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Annual reread will start my #20in4 and is a #scarathon read 🖤👏🏼 then it‘s finish up the October reading 😱😳🎉

Andrew65 Excellent, best of luck 😁 5mo
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Cazxxx
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Wearing an antique bridal gown, the
beautiful queen of the vampires sits all alone in her dark, high house under the eyes of the portraits of her demented and atrocious ancestors, each one of whom, through her, projects a baleful posthumous existence; she counts out the Tarot cards, ceaselessly construing a constellation of possibilities as if the random fall of the cards on the red plush tablecloth before her could precipitate her from her chill

AllisonM89 This book is magnificent!
10mo
Cazxxx @AllisonM89 one of my favourites! 10mo
35 likes2 comments
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youneverarrived
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Pickpick

I want to re-read it already ❤️

So visceral, dark, poetic and I loved the repetition throughout the stories - definitely the most whole set of short stories I‘ve read and a new favourite book of mine. Glad #tbrtarot prompted me to read it as it‘s been on my shelves for ages!

CBee Awesome! 😊😊 12mo
Leniverse This is one of my favourites too 💜 12mo
sarahbarnes I read this for a class in college and have wanted to revisit it ever since. This might be the nudge I needed. 12mo
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Billypar Amazing collection: The Tiger's Bride might be my favorite, but they're all so strong. 12mo
Megabooks Stacked!! 12mo
Cathythoughts Great review!! Stacked. 12mo
batsy Lovely review! Yes, this makes me want to revisit it ❤️ 12mo
erzascarletbookgasm I must read this then! 12mo
youneverarrived @Leniverse I can see myself re-reading it ❤️ 12mo
youneverarrived @Billypar you‘re right they‘re all so strong. I really loved the repetition throughout the stories. I think my favourite was the title story. 12mo
youneverarrived @batsy ❤️❤️ 12mo
55 likes5 stack adds14 comments
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youneverarrived
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Friday night 🍷 feel like this book would pair better with red wine but this 19 crimes white is lovely! The book is good too - one to read slowly as the writing is quite poetic.

LeahBergen And I see a nice leather bookmark peeking out. 😉 12mo
Aimeesue Angela Carter❤️❤️❤️ 12mo
Megabooks Enjoy your weekend!! 💜 12mo
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batsy I love this collection! Hope you enjoy 🖤 12mo
youneverarrived @LeahBergen I asked Alfie to choose one and he picked red to match the book. I‘ve taught him well 🤣 12mo
youneverarrived @Aimeesue first time reading her but I‘m loving her writing! 12mo
youneverarrived @Megabooks thanks 😘 you too! 12mo
youneverarrived @batsy I‘ve only read the first story so far but wow ❤️ I‘m loving her writing 12mo
48 likes8 comments
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Linsy
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“Now a great howling rose up all around them, near, very near, ...
Who has come to sing us carols, she said.
Those are the voices of my brothers, darling; I love the company of wolves.“

In "The Company of Wolves," a surprisingly festive retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf and his brothers are born on Christmas Day, when “the door of the solstice stands wide open.“

#winterreadathondailychallenge @andrew_65

Andrew65 That‘s a grand but also scary dog. 🐶🐶🐶 (edited) 1y
52 likes1 comment
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PaperbackPirate
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Mehso-so

I read The Bloody Chamber earlier this month. It had some great stories and some ok stories. There were many retellings of famous stories like Bluebeard and Beauty and the Beast, but told with a more feminist twist. Overall this book was good but not a keeper. However, the Penguin Ink cover (and back cover 💀!) are going to make it hard for me to let go.
🐎🐎🐎
#PenguinInk

IndoorDame The cover is fabulous! I hate it when a cover is way more dynamic than the book itself! 1y
PaperbackPirate @IndoorDame Yes, it‘s sometimes too bad that you can‘t choose a book by its cover! 1y
43 likes2 comments
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TheBookHippie
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My intention was not to do 'versions' or, as the American edition of the book said, horribly, 'adult' fairy tales, but to extract the latent content from the traditional stories.✊🏼

Must read, every October

vlwelser I love this book so much. Have you read her others? If so what's your second favorite? 1y
TheBookHippie @vlwelser I read her other FairyTales book I think it is Book of Fairy Tales. I have always wanted to read down her list of books, maybe something for 2023!! 1y
vlwelser Maybe we should have suggested her for author a month. 1y
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TheBookHippie @vlwelser I had that same thought!!!! 1y
TheBookHippie @Soubhiville this author!!!!! 1y
vlwelser 😂 I added it to the nomination page. 1y
TheBookHippie @vlwelser LOOOK at all we could read!!! 1y
batsy This collection is just brilliant. 1y
55 likes8 comments
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TheBookHippie
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My FAVORITE DARK READ 🖤
I reread it every Hallows Eve
Later post for DARK 🖤🖤🖤🖤

#scarathon #teamslaughter

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Linsy
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Pickpick

Oh how I love this collection!!! Just reread the title story for a class and found even more layers of meaning. Bluebeard meets Dracula meets a bad a** mother, and then there are all the other stories. 💀❤🎼

#skeleton #ominousoctober #scarathlon #teamslaughter #spookoween #pointsathon #bodycountbingo

Becker I love Angela Carter! 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty ❤️🤍 1y
tpixie Great cover. That sounds like a good story! 1y
TheSpineView 🖤🖤📖 1y
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IndoorDame
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Pickpick

I‘d read the title story years ago, but this was my first time reading the entire collection. Angela Carter is such a beautiful wordsmith, and the tradition of dark retellings owes her so much! #Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash @StayCurious #Spookoween2022 @TheSpineView #31by31 @Catsandbooks #PointsAThon @dieareader @GHABI4ROSES #bodycountbingo @PuddleJumper #witchathon @mdm139

TheSpineView Awesome 1y
KathyWheeler I love that cover. 1y
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 1y
WJCintron Beautiful cover!!! 🤩😍🤩😍🤩😍 1y
Catsandbooks Awesome cover! 🖤 1y
52 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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jamyology
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custom limited edition very rare cover :)

ripped through this one in a day and a half. The kind of stories you wonder how you‘ve gone this long without knowing. They‘re a part of me now, and I‘ll visit them often from here on out, especially The Erl-King.

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TheBookWitchON
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Hey @ozma.of.oz look what just showed up.. haha!

BookmarkTavern Oh goodness that is a pretty, pretty book! 😍 2y
TheBookWitchON @ozma.of.oz I sent you an email, but I'm most excited for this book now. 2y
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Vansa
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#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
1.Definitely an accurate reflection of Carter's off kilter writing!
2 . Not really, I love this book so I re-read it anyway! But I do like eye catching book covers!

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 2y
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Victoriahoperose
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Mehso-so

Quick short story collection to finish on a lazy day. Good writing, but a lot of it was slow and over detailed for me. I liked this one. But I didn‘t love it like I thought I would. Maybe it was the style, but I definitely was expecting more from this one.

SRWCF Those 👀 👁!!! 2y
Victoriahoperose @SRWCF I know. I love them ❤️ 2y
ShelleyBooksie Gorgeous kitty 2y
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sarahbarnes I read this in college and have been wanting to reread it. 2y
danni0075 I liked the concept of the subverted fairy tales where the women are not always the victims! Such a drab and aged concept! 2y
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

I loved this SO much. I want more of them. I get that's an unrealistic desire. But I do plan to read more of her books. I acquired this, I believe, initially because I have a thing for Bluebeard retellings. But all of these stories are fantastic. My favorite might be Puss in Boots.

#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
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vlwelser
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Reading my #DoubleSpin book on the train this AM.

@TheAromaofBooks

ShyBookOwl I love this one! 2y
vlwelser @ShyBookOwl I love it so far. I wish I had a nicer copy. But I guess it still reads the same. 😂 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
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HeathHof
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The Bloody Chamber made it here today! Thanks for a fun round!
@rjsthumbelina @AFrostCauseReads @sprainedbrain
#lmpbc

Emilymdxn That's a gorgeous edition! 2y
rjsthumbelina Glad it got back safely! I wrote my notes on post its bc everyone else had written in pencil, and I didn't want to be the only one to permanently deface that edition! 😂 2y
HeathHof @rjsthumbelina too funny! I really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on it. 2y
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rjsthumbelina
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Pickpick

I'm so late reading this! This was my last read for #LMPBC in our #gothic group, and what an ending! This book was probably my favorite of the round. It is just so perfectly things that I enjoy: gothic, fairytale retellings, and short stories. Some of the stories are dark and disturbing, but honestly, I still wasn't mad at it. @Mynameisacolour it should be in the mail back to you by next week! @AFrostCauseReads @sprainedbrain @suvata

HeathHof Did you get a chance to send this one out? It still has not made an appearance. Also, do you or @tdrosebud still have Artemis by any chance? That has not made it back yet either. 2y
tdrosebud @Mynameisacolour Yes and I'm so sorry. I got about halfway through and started struggling. So I set it down hoping a break would help. It didn't. It is sitting on my end table. I think at this point I'm just going to make a note of where I'm at, and send it on back. Maybe one day I'll get it from the library and finish it. I'll let you know when I send it. 2y
rjsthumbelina @Mynameisacolour So, I'm a total schmuck and have had the craziest life drama this month (FIL had a stroke while on vacation alone and we had to drive cross country to get him, my dad was hospitalized for a week, doing 2 jobs at work, and now have had to report elder abuse on a family member in regards to my grandma with dementia 😔). I should have reached out and let you know that I hadn't gotten it mailed yet! It's in my car and will be in the🔽 2y
rjsthumbelina mail tomorrow morning! 2y
HeathHof @tdrosebud no worries, life happens. I appreciate you sending it back. 💗 I'm a little nostalgic about #lmpbc books. @rjsthumbelina I am SO sorry to hear everything that you have been going through, goodness sakes, I hope things get better for you and your loved ones soon💗 2y
45 likes5 comments
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TheBookHippie
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#HAUNTEDHALLOWSWAP #HHS

Jordon, I just SCREAMED I have wanted the tagged book FOREVER! The other book was a most wished for asap!!! How wonderful!!! I thank you so much!!!! I cannot wait to have coffee in that mug!!!!

Crazeedi Great presents!! Happy Halloween!🎃🧡🎃🧡 2y
TheBookHippie @Crazeedi I just love them! Happy Halloween to you! 🧡📙🎃 2y
The.Great.Catsby Yayyyy!!! I'm so happy you like it. I saw a comment about you wanting the tagged book. Your Amazon wish list really is magical. Sorry I forgot the card! I hope you enjoy!! 2y
TheBookHippie @The.Great.Catsby 🧡🧡🧡 a lot of people say that about my Amazon list 😂 or they make lists from it! Ha. Thanks again I really love it all so much! 2y
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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

I‘m almost caught up to the end of August with books I read. 😬

This round of #LMPBC, I‘ve been reading gothic with a great group, and I burned through these darkly reimagined fairy tales from Angela Carter. While they were sort of hit-and-miss for me, I definitely enjoyed my time and thought Carter‘s writing rich and sensuous. Loved the title story (a Bluebeard retelling) and The Lady of the House of Love, but The Snow Child had me 🤨.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BookwormM Is Company of Wolves on this anthology? 2y
sprainedbrain @BookwormM yes it is! I liked that one, too. 2y
BookwormM Yay will have to get this one watched the film recently and if is 🦇 💩 crazy 🤣🤣 2y
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sprainedbrain @BookwormM wait… there‘s a film? 😳 2y
vivastory Love this book. This edition is one of my favorite Penguin editions 2y
BookwormM The Company of Wolves with Angela Lansbury 2y
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KatieDid927
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Pickpick

I finally read this classic for this month‘s #FairyTaleReadingChallenge. There were Red Riding Hood elements in about three of the stories. I love Carter‘s style. It‘s subtle but impactful. It‘s obviously been very influential on more modern fantasy. @Charityann

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AFrostCauseReads
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Pickpick

Wow, I flew through this one. Angela Carter is a master of the writing craft, and I can see how she‘s influenced many popular authors with these fairytale interpretations. More of my opinion later after my group reads it
#lmpbc #groupk @Mynameisacolour @sprainedbrain
@rjsthumbelina this one will be on its way early this month 😊

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TheBookHippie
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#HAUNTEDHALLOWSWAP #SPOOKYAESTHETIC

The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories: 75th-Anniversary Edition (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) has been on my wish list a long time
Dark FairyTales are my favorite 🖤
I love fall 🍁

wanderinglynn Love it! 🙌🏻🖤🎃 3y
49 likes1 comment
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Cazxxx
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What are you reading today?

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HeathHof
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Finally finished my #lmpbc for this month. Packing it up and sending it your way! @sprainedbrain ( I hope you won't mind that I'm reusing an IPSY envelope, they are excellent book mailers ♻️) Holding off on reviewing it on here until the rest of the group has had a chance to read it.😬
#lmpbc

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HeathHof
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Spending this muggy afternoon indoors with the AC on high, catching up on this month's #lmpbc. Mixed feelings so far!😬

danni0075 Love that book cover!!! 3y
59 likes1 comment
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CortexVortex
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Pickpick


⁠Originally published in 1979, The Bloody Chamber is a collection of fairy tale retellings, such as Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and Sleeping Beauty. Carter's prose is gruesome but beautifully captivating. In Carter's version of these stories, females are much more than helpless damsels in distress; they are strong, clever, sexual, and in some cases, brutal. I strongly recommend this story collection.⁠⁠

paulfrankspencer I remember enjoying this in a college class. Maybe it's time for a revisit. 3y
36 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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LaraS
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Anyone else have the urge to bust out the pencil crayons and go to town on this gorgeous cover?🖍

AllisonM89 Love that book! And that cover is magnificent!!!! 3y
11 likes2 comments
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OfPrurientInterest
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A perfect morning catching up on my reading so that I'll be ready to record episode 4 of Of Prurient Interest! I can't wait to talk about Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber" with one of my oldest, dearest friends. ??

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thestarlesscasea
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I have a complicated relationship with this book, but here are two of my favorite quotes, of course both about blood ?

"His wedding gift, clasped around my throat. A choker of rubies, two inches wide, like an extraordinarily precious slit throat." -The Bloody Chamber

"My tear-beslobbered father wants a rose to show that I forgive him. When I break off a stem, I prick my finger and so he gets his rose all smeared with blood." -The Tiger's Bride

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thestarlesscasea
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Still struggling through this collection. At least it's gorgeous out here and I only have two more stories to slog through, thank heavens. ✌🏻

christinaberry13 Looks like the Texas Hill Country. Lovely! 3y
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Soubhiville
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Panpan

I admit to bailing on several of the twisted fairytale retellings in here. I was reading it for bookclub. Very much not for me. All the trigger warnings. Bleh.

BookmarkTavern Yikes! That sounds really not for me. Thanks for the review! 3y
Ruthiella I‘ve never warmed up to Angela Carter. But she has many devoted fans and I liked hearing why they love her, even though it doesn‘t click for me. 😀 3y
LeahBergen I‘ve always somewhat suspected I might not like Angela Carter (and haven‘t ever read her). 3y
BookNAround @Ruthiella She‘s not really for me either. Thank you for making feel less alone in that. 🙂 3y
ValerieAndBooks I‘ve tried her before, and I feel the same. 3y
70 likes1 stack add5 comments
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HeathHof
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Happy #creepychristmas opening day! Thank you @Maleficentbookdragon for a great package! I love everything and the coasters are hysterical.🤣
Thank you for hosting @teebe

JenniferEgnor If you‘re interested in historically creepy Christmas, I recommend this book: The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year‘ by Linda Raedisch. Full of macabre folklore and little known traditions! Fascinating. 3y
HeathHof @JenniferEgnor Oooh, thank you for the recommendation! That does sound fascinating. 3y
MaleficentBookDragon Yay! I know the coasters are random, but I loved them and couldn't resist. 3y
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MaleficentBookDragon I was a little disappointed when the bookmarks came. I thought they were going to be a little more substantial. 🙁 3y
HeathHof I think the coasters fit in perfectly with the theme and the bookmarks are still great! 3y
teebe Looks great! 3y
61 likes7 comments
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thestarlesscasea
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Not gonna lie, I am not loving this book. CW for rape...There is a story where a man essentially Weird Sciences a girl (yep, specifically a child) into existence, his wife (yep, he is already married) gets angry and murders the girl (rather than directing her anger at the man responsible), and the man proceeds to RAPE THE GIRL'S CORPSE. What is the effing point, Carter?! But I'm trying. So, brandied eggnog...takes the edge off. 😉

Soubhiville Whaaaaaat? Wow, maybe the strangest bookclub book we‘ve done yet? 3y
phantomx @ThePageantHam Carter's Bloody Chamber is quite difficult to digest. Some of Carter's stories examine desire and female sexuality through a radical lens, and its dark, violent, and brings up societal taboos. I'm suprised its been chosen for your bookclub. It's as well difficult to talk about with others. 3y
9 likes2 comments
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Billypar
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Pickpick

I'm not an expert about the histories of stories with Bluebeard, Puss-in-Boots, vampires, or werewolves. I don't think Carter wrote these retellings with scholarly intentions - you just get lost in the stories, almost like you'd never heard of them before. There's a lush strangeness to them all, which might be best captured by my favorite story, The Tiger's Bride. It is a 2nd Beauty & the Beast retelling appearing after a more familiar version 👇

Billypar I won't spoil anything, but it really turns the tale on its head. One of the things I loved about these was the texture of the descriptions - blood flows plentifully, but it also drains from faces as scenes shift between visceral fear and wonder. Throughout it all, animal images are constantly straddling the edge of humanity in weird and hypnotic fashion. I loved each story, but read it in the wrong season - this would be a perfect snowstorm read. 3y
Billypar The book pictured behind it is tagged - it describes the folktale inspirations behind horror movies, including werewolves. 3y
readordierachel Great review! I need bump this up my tbr. Sounds excellent. 3y
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batsy It's sucha fascinating collection! "Lush strangeness" is certainly a good way to describe her style. 3y
batsy @readordierachel I think you'll really enjoy it :) 3y
JazzFeathers I bought this book years ago and still haven't read it. Sounds like l need to. 3y
Billypar @readordierachel @JazzFeathers It's perfect if you're ever feeling jaded and need something magical and otherworldly to reignite your reading life. 3y
Billypar @batsy She really gets what makes fairytales and folklore so compelling and the vivid descriptions bring them to life in a fresh way. 3y
40 likes8 comments
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Texreader
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ninergrl6
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WOW. I‘m only one story in & I‘m hooked! I generally enjoy fairy tale retellings (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite series) & I‘m totally burnt out on contemporary texts, so this is hitting the speculative spot right now.

I first heard of this book when I was researching texts for a potential feminist lit class. That‘s on the back burner for now, but I‘m really glad I discovered Angela Carter!

#teachersoflitsy

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vivastory
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1) I don't read them very often, but when done well I really like them.
2) Philip Pullman's versions of Brothers Grimm tales.
3) The tagged one! Carter's versions are fierce & feminist retellings of recognizable fairy tales.
@ozma.of.oz

BookmarkTavern Pullman did a fairy tale series?! I‘ll have to check that out! 4y
vivastory These are his versions of the Grimm tales. Sort of translations/adaptations. They're brilliant 4y
vivastory @ozma.of.oz 👆 4y
BookmarkTavern Excellent! Thank you! 4y
44 likes4 comments
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TCLinrow
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Pickpick

These were engaging retellings (reimaginings?) of classic fairytales. The narration was good and I liked the way it was split between 2 narrators so it was easy to follow where one story ended and the next began. I particularly enjoyed the way they were set in the middle ground between Grimm's and Disney; happy endings, per se, but not sad endings either.

A good collection, well read by the narrators.
#TBRChallenge #AudioBook #LeastRated

phantomx The Bloody Chamber is amazing! There are a lot of other retellings that get a lot of credit, and this one is sometimes overlooked at by readers. I really enjoyed reading "The Lady of the House of Love." Each story is dark and leaves a haunting feeling within you. I'm glad you liked it. Check out Malinda Lo's 4y
TCLinrow @phantomx I had never even heard of The Bloody Chamber but figured I'd give it ago when it was on sale, and I have no regrets! I don't know why it isn't more popular. Ash sounds pretty awesome so I'll keep an eye out for it 😊 4y
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Becker
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Pickpick

If I had to pick just one book that would demonstrate why I love reading, this would be it. ❤️

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Priyanshi08
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Pickpick

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter.
Such a dark and atmospheric setup.
Creepily amazing.

#currentlyreading
#angelacarter
#bloodychamber
#books #2020

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Michael_Gee
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Mehso-so

Because so many people I respect love this book, I recommend it. However, I am more ambivalent. I re-read this after ten years, curious to see if my response would be more enthusiastic or appreciative, but still I find it often gratingly verbose and precious. The stories I liked were the longer ones: the decadent “Lady of the House of Love,” both Beauty/Beast retellings, and the title story. Dark, evocative, and compelling.

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Chrys
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I love the cover on this! 💕 Checked it out from the library but wondering if I can find a copy of this edition to keep

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Chili
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Yay! Love it!!! 😍 Thank you so much @dgingo I can‘t wait to start reading! Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing this. #JolabokaflodSwap

dgingo Yay! I hope you love it! Merry Christmas and Happy Jolabokaflod! 🍫🎄📚📖🎁 4y
35 likes2 comments
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Moll

'...the threadbare self-confidence of the small hours'

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Moll

'...grown magnificently eccentric in hardship...'

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Moll
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Honestly been struggling to get stuck into any book since finals, but hopefully this will be the one. Has anyone read it before? What was your favourite tale?

Moll Helen Simpson's intro was v interesting - it was nice to read some lit crit for fun without the pressure of an essay to write! 4y
14 likes1 comment