Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale

by Danielle M. Roemer (Contributor)

Angela Carter (1940-1992) is widely known for her literary fairy tales, particularly those appearing in The Bloody Chamber. Her stylishly creative appropriation and adaptation of fairy-tale patterns, motifs, and content are evident not only her individual tales written for adults but throughout her novels and other fiction.

Editors Danielle M. Roemer and Cristina Bacchilega together with the contributors to this volume investigate Carter's approaches to the fair-tale genre. They explore various facets of Carter's work and life and open new avenues for further research. Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale is a diverse collection of scholarly essays, fiction, personal reminiscence, and interviews from an international group of scholars, artists, and novelists. Angela Carter and the Fairy Tale will be of interest to those pursuing research in contemporary literature, folklore, and women's studies. It will also serve as a useful reference point for other readers who wish to learn more about the fairy tales written by this dynamic author.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Fairy Tales, Nonfiction, Essays

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Rebeca F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and in depth collection of essays about Angela Carter and her use of fairy tales from very diverse perspectives, some analyze her subversive rewriting of the genre through specific stories such as The bloody chamber, The lady of the house of love, Wolf Alice, The tiger bride, among others, reflecting about subjects as varied as the construction of a feminine space and identity, otherness, the deconstruction of myths, grotesque as a path to radical transformation, and many more, you know, the usual Carter themes. There's also a fascinating interview with two artists that worked with Carter in projects closely related to the genre: the illustrator of her Virago books of fairy tales and the director of the movie based on The magic toyshop. A very personal text by Marina Warner and much more.
Absolutely fascinating book and a must for any Carter fan or even those interested in fairy and folk tales in general.

[Dawnelle Wilkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating collection of essays (both creative and scholarly) on Angela Carter. A wonderful resource if one is examining her work in relation to fairy/folk tales, liminal experience versus subjective/objective feminist experience, and much more. Great resource.