Angela CarterThe Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories: 75th-Anniversary Edition (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

These comments specifically pertain to the 2015 '75th Anniversary Edition'.Nobody ever used language quite the way Angela Carter did--few would ever dare in this dumbed-down day and age of ours. Yet still, more than thirty years after the author's untimely death, her unique way with words continues to captivate, inspire and intoxicate like tongues of Dionysian fire dancing upon the blessed lips of each new generation. These are words to make the heart sing and the imagination soar; beautiful yet exquisitely precise, evocative, fearless, erudite, occupying that rarefied realm where prose and poetry seem to share the self-same space like lovers in disembodied ecstasy.2015 marks the diamond jubilee of this beloved and widely influential author's birth and Penguin Classics has seen fit to mark the occasion with this handsome, high-quality paperback edition of 'The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories', perhaps Carter's best-known and most-oft-cited short story collection, originally published in 1979. This Deluxe Edition features handsome, comfortably readable fonts (considerably larger than the ubiquitous compact 110-page school edition in circulation for the last several years--compare that stingy iteration with this generous 162 page volume), and gorgeous pen-and-ink cover art by Alex Konabin. A fine, thorough-going, affectingly personal introduction by author Kelly Link lends an appropriate sense of celebratory occasion to the undertaking.And, of course, the stories themselves are truly exceptional, masterpieces of the fabulist's craft, from the eerie and foreboding Gothic atmosphere of the title tale, based on the Blue Beard legend, to the ribald feline commedia dell'arte shenanigans of 'Puss in Boots', the evocative eroticism of 'The Company of Wolves' and 'The Tiger's Bride', and the more sinister sensualism of 'The Erl-King' and 'The Lady of the House of Love'.If you've never read Carter; or if you don't have a copy of 'The Bloody Chamber'--or, more likely, have worn out your old one-- or, perhaps, know of some young, aspiring writer in search of that simple igniting spark of lifetime inspiration, I consider it my good turn for the year to commend this superb edition!

Angela Carter died far too soon, at the age of 55, but she left behind this astonishing collection of tales (her choice of words) inspired by a lifelong love of fairy and folktales, first heard from her Scottish grandmother. Carter's artistry dazzles, delights, and disturbs; she brings to the surface the latent erotic content of many traditional fairytales and subverts their didactic messages. (For example, the tale of Bluebeard on which Carter's title story is based, was intended to teach young woman the dangers of "female curiosity," while apparently unconcerned with the need to comment on the dangers of "male homicidal impulses.") But have no fear: Carter never grinds her axes--her wonderful stories are meant first of all to enthrall and to entertain in the best sense of that word. It's the 75th anniversary of her birth and Penguin has come out with a new commemorative edition of this unforgettable collection of short fiction: no better time to become acquainted with one of the greatest fabulists who ever lived--I only wish she could have gone on writing for decades longer.

I cannot recall how this book came on my radar but I am so happy that it did! This slim book combines things I love like gothic horror and updated retelling of fairy tales. And the writing! Oh my goodness, Angela Carter is an amazing writer. Her descriptions are vivid and gorgeous and her story telling is fantastic. As with all short story collections, some stories are better than others. The majority of these are darn good though.Most modernized fairy tales tend to feature stronger women rather than the typical damsel in distress. This is true here as well. There is also a very sensual flavor to these stories, much more overt than the classics. I am amazed that this book was originally published in 1979. I cannot say enough about the beautiful prose in this book. If you are not familiar with Angela Carter (I sure was not) then this is a great introduction into the magic of her writing. I will certainly be reading more of her work!