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Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella & Other Classic Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault
Ten beloved fairy tales, given new life by the one and only Angela Carter
Little Red Riding Hood. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Bluebeard. The Fairies. Many classic fairy tale characters might not have survived into the present were it not for Charles Perrault, a seventeenth-century French civil servant who rescued them from the oral tradition and committed them to paper. Three centuries later, Angela Carter, widely regarded as one of England’s most imaginative writers, adapted them for contemporary readers. The result is a cornucopia of fantastic characters and timeless adventures, stylishly retold by a modern literary visionary.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Little Red Riding Hood. Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Bluebeard. The Fairies. Many classic fairy tale characters might not have survived into the present were it not for Charles Perrault, a seventeenth-century French civil servant who rescued them from the oral tradition and committed them to paper. Three centuries later, Angela Carter, widely regarded as one of England’s most imaginative writers, adapted them for contemporary readers. The result is a cornucopia of fantastic characters and timeless adventures, stylishly retold by a modern literary visionary.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
16 people are currently reading
1552 people want to read
About the author
Angela Carter
212 books3,723 followersBorn Angela Olive Stalker in Eastbourne, in 1940, Carter was evacuated as a child to live in Yorkshire with her maternal grandmother. As a teenager she battled anorexia. She began work as a journalist on the Croydon Advertiser, following in the footsteps of her father. Carter attended the University of Bristol where she studied English literature.
She married twice, first in 1960 to Paul Carter. They divorced after twelve years. In 1969 Angela Carter used the proceeds of her Somerset Maugham Award to leave her husband and relocate for two years to Tokyo, Japan, where she claims in Nothing Sacred (1982) that she "learnt what it is to be a woman and became radicalised." She wrote about her experiences there in articles for New Society and a collection of short stories, Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces (1974), and evidence of her experiences in Japan can also be seen in The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972). She was there at the same time as Roland Barthes, who published his experiences in Empire of Signs (1970).
She then explored the United States, Asia, and Europe, helped by her fluency in French and German. She spent much of the late 1970s and 1980s as a writer in residence at universities, including the University of Sheffield, Brown University, the University of Adelaide, and the University of East Anglia. In 1977 Carter married Mark Pearce, with whom she had one son.
As well as being a prolific writer of fiction, Carter contributed many articles to The Guardian, The Independent and New Statesman, collected in Shaking a Leg. She adapted a number of her short stories for radio and wrote two original radio dramas on Richard Dadd and Ronald Firbank. Two of her fictions have been adapted for the silver screen: The Company of Wolves (1984) and The Magic Toyshop (1987). She was actively involved in both film adaptations, her screenplays are published in the collected dramatic writings, The Curious Room, together with her radio scripts, a libretto for an opera of Virginia Wolf's Orlando, an unproduced screenplay entitled The Christchurch Murders (based on the same true story as Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures) and other works. These neglected works, as well as her controversial television documentary, The Holy Family Album, are discussed in Charlotte Crofts' book, Anagrams of Desire (2003).
At the time of her death, Carter was embarking on a sequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre based on the later life of Jane's stepdaughter, Adèle Varens. However, only a synopsis survives.
Her novel Nights at the Circus won the 1984 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for literature.
Angela Carter died aged 51 in 1992 at her home in London after developing lung cancer. Her obituary published in The Observer said, "She was the opposite of parochial. Nothing, for her, was outside the pale: she wanted to know about everything and everyone, and every place and every word. She relished life and language hugely, and reveled in the diverse."
She married twice, first in 1960 to Paul Carter. They divorced after twelve years. In 1969 Angela Carter used the proceeds of her Somerset Maugham Award to leave her husband and relocate for two years to Tokyo, Japan, where she claims in Nothing Sacred (1982) that she "learnt what it is to be a woman and became radicalised." She wrote about her experiences there in articles for New Society and a collection of short stories, Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces (1974), and evidence of her experiences in Japan can also be seen in The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972). She was there at the same time as Roland Barthes, who published his experiences in Empire of Signs (1970).
She then explored the United States, Asia, and Europe, helped by her fluency in French and German. She spent much of the late 1970s and 1980s as a writer in residence at universities, including the University of Sheffield, Brown University, the University of Adelaide, and the University of East Anglia. In 1977 Carter married Mark Pearce, with whom she had one son.
As well as being a prolific writer of fiction, Carter contributed many articles to The Guardian, The Independent and New Statesman, collected in Shaking a Leg. She adapted a number of her short stories for radio and wrote two original radio dramas on Richard Dadd and Ronald Firbank. Two of her fictions have been adapted for the silver screen: The Company of Wolves (1984) and The Magic Toyshop (1987). She was actively involved in both film adaptations, her screenplays are published in the collected dramatic writings, The Curious Room, together with her radio scripts, a libretto for an opera of Virginia Wolf's Orlando, an unproduced screenplay entitled The Christchurch Murders (based on the same true story as Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures) and other works. These neglected works, as well as her controversial television documentary, The Holy Family Album, are discussed in Charlotte Crofts' book, Anagrams of Desire (2003).
At the time of her death, Carter was embarking on a sequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre based on the later life of Jane's stepdaughter, Adèle Varens. However, only a synopsis survives.
Her novel Nights at the Circus won the 1984 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for literature.
Angela Carter died aged 51 in 1992 at her home in London after developing lung cancer. Her obituary published in The Observer said, "She was the opposite of parochial. Nothing, for her, was outside the pale: she wanted to know about everything and everyone, and every place and every word. She relished life and language hugely, and reveled in the diverse."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 11, 2017
I picked this collection up on a whim from the library, as I was in the mood for more Angela Carter as well as a quick read. And I did enjoy this collection - although I'm not a massive fan of fairytales in general, I was familiar with a lot of the stories in this collection (Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, etc.) to enjoy returning to them. However, I'm a little confused about Angela Carter's input on this one.
I wasn't altogether sure whether I was reading Charles Perrault's original stories, collected by Angela Carter, or re-written versions by Carter herself. They didn't contain the written flair and style of Carter's other collection of fairytale retellings I'd read, The Bloody Chamber, and in the afterword she did mention Charles Perrault's habit of writing morals after each story, which were included in this volume. I had assumed these were witty modern anecdotes on Carter's part, but now I'm not so sure.
Regardless, I did enjoy this collection - it was a fun, quick read, and there were some new stories in here (Donkey Skin being one amongst a fair few) that I had not heard of before, and thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, I think I've barely scratched the surface of Carter's writing still, and I will need to check out some of her original works before I make up my mind on whether or not her work is for me.
I wasn't altogether sure whether I was reading Charles Perrault's original stories, collected by Angela Carter, or re-written versions by Carter herself. They didn't contain the written flair and style of Carter's other collection of fairytale retellings I'd read, The Bloody Chamber, and in the afterword she did mention Charles Perrault's habit of writing morals after each story, which were included in this volume. I had assumed these were witty modern anecdotes on Carter's part, but now I'm not so sure.
Regardless, I did enjoy this collection - it was a fun, quick read, and there were some new stories in here (Donkey Skin being one amongst a fair few) that I had not heard of before, and thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, I think I've barely scratched the surface of Carter's writing still, and I will need to check out some of her original works before I make up my mind on whether or not her work is for me.
January 8, 2025
This was a fascinating read for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fairytale addict. I’ve read countless retellings. What makes this one different is that this collection is done from an academic lens. By this I mean that this collection features various academic essays in addition to the tales. These essays cover Perault, feminism, Angela Carter and how Carter’s life influenced her (re)writing these fairytales. Additionally, each chapter ends by addressing the moral of the tale.
In college I was fortunate to take two classes centering on fairytales through an academic lens. I could easily see this book being used in a college course. I will say this isn’t the easiest to read because the language is heavy (particularly in the essays), but the stories are compelling and the essays are thought provoking. I would recommend this, but it is most definitely not an easy, breezy read.
In college I was fortunate to take two classes centering on fairytales through an academic lens. I could easily see this book being used in a college course. I will say this isn’t the easiest to read because the language is heavy (particularly in the essays), but the stories are compelling and the essays are thought provoking. I would recommend this, but it is most definitely not an easy, breezy read.
December 8, 2019
Randomly started reading this after finishing Children of Time and got it all done in one sitting in the library! I'd been meaning to read Angela Carter for a long while and this happened to be on the shelves. Having read this, I do still want to read more from her, but more of The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories variety, since this was literally just retellings without much else to them? Well-written, and came across some Fairy Tales I'd never heard of, but fell short of expectations.
Below I'm just going to put in all of the stories, along with star ratings, along with spoilery thoughts for each!
Little Red Riding Hood - 3 stars
Bluebeard - 3 stars
Puss in Boots - 3.5 stars
The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood - 2 stars
The Fairies - 2.5 stars
Cinderella: or, The Little Glass Slipper- 3 stars
Ricky with the Tuft - 2 stars
Hop o' My Thumb - 4 stars
The Foolish Wishes - 1.5 stars
Donkey Skin - 4 stars
So in all, it was a bit of a mixed bag - a couple I really liked, a couple I really didn't, and the majority were just somewhere in the middle. I'm hoping I enjoy other short story collections better, and that I enjoy Angela Carter's other works to a much greater extent, but this one was a disappointment - 2.5-3 stars.
Below I'm just going to put in all of the stories, along with star ratings, along with spoilery thoughts for each!
Little Red Riding Hood - 3 stars
Bluebeard - 3 stars
Puss in Boots - 3.5 stars
The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood - 2 stars
The Fairies - 2.5 stars
Cinderella: or, The Little Glass Slipper- 3 stars
Ricky with the Tuft - 2 stars
Hop o' My Thumb - 4 stars
The Foolish Wishes - 1.5 stars
Donkey Skin - 4 stars
So in all, it was a bit of a mixed bag - a couple I really liked, a couple I really didn't, and the majority were just somewhere in the middle. I'm hoping I enjoy other short story collections better, and that I enjoy Angela Carter's other works to a much greater extent, but this one was a disappointment - 2.5-3 stars.
November 10, 2022
Ha ha ha
I grew up hearing and reading classical European fairy tales. Mainly from France. All with morale (hello?, I was a tiny innocent child).
I absolutely loved the most toxic-masculine characters.
My fave? Yes. Indeed. The Wolf. Handsome. Big. Hairy. Strong. Wild... wolves are wild animals. As such the Wolf was dangerous.
If you see a wolf in the wild. Do NOT run. Do NOT turn your back. Scare away the gorgeous animal before it gets closer than 100 meters from you.... or you'll be a bunch of bones nobody would care about in the middle of the woods. BE WARNED.
Read "Wolf Safety" before reading this tale:
https://bcparks.ca/explore/misc/wolve....
Note: female wolves are even more dangerous for today's humans. Stay away if they have pups.
I grew up hearing and reading classical European fairy tales. Mainly from France. All with morale (hello?, I was a tiny innocent child).
I absolutely loved the most toxic-masculine characters.
My fave? Yes. Indeed. The Wolf. Handsome. Big. Hairy. Strong. Wild... wolves are wild animals. As such the Wolf was dangerous.
If you see a wolf in the wild. Do NOT run. Do NOT turn your back. Scare away the gorgeous animal before it gets closer than 100 meters from you.... or you'll be a bunch of bones nobody would care about in the middle of the woods. BE WARNED.
Read "Wolf Safety" before reading this tale:
https://bcparks.ca/explore/misc/wolve....
Note: female wolves are even more dangerous for today's humans. Stay away if they have pups.
January 21, 2024
Witty, whimsical, and philosophical, I was laughing and pondering throughout. It's fascinating to me -- this is discussed within -- how the tales of the ancients (via homer, hesiod, virgil, etc.) were effectively severed, in written form, from the European populace, during the dark ages, leading to an evolution of folk tales, originating in that tradition, that would be compared (sometimes contentiously) with the rediscovered classics during the renaissance. I now have a deep admiration for fairy tales as modern mythologies.
June 1, 2022
“sexist nonsense” feels like a stupid criticism to place on a book in a genre renowned for being sexist nonsense but at least in the brothers grimm’s stories a few toes are lost in cinderella. can someone dance until their legs are stumps? please?
i liked bluebeard and ricky with the tuft.
(also having reread the introduction i vaguely understand angela carter’s contribution to this, but they were still boring.)
i liked bluebeard and ricky with the tuft.
(also having reread the introduction i vaguely understand angela carter’s contribution to this, but they were still boring.)
March 30, 2017
I just love these fairy tale collections by Angela Carter!!! It makes me want to re-read The Bloody Chamber all over again.
January 31, 2023
Was hoodwinked into thinking these are retellings, and not translations. Alas and alack! But it is indeed still useful (with the introduction by Zipes and the afterword by Carter) and interesting (to compare Carter's takes with more literal translations of Perrault).
February 14, 2017
While we certainly need to understand that Little Red Riding Hood was written in a much earlier time and therefore may not match today's quality standards for a story, I do not think that this version is one I would share with my students. In the story, the girl meets a wolf in the woods and he tricks her into challenge that he knows he will win. The story does not have the happy ending of many modern tales, and the wolf ends up eating both the grandmother and the girl.
While I do not have an issue with this ending, I do have an issue with the moral of the story. The moral is explicitly stated and starts out by saying, "Children, especially pretty, nicely brought-up young ladies, ought never to talk to strangers." While this sounds innocent, I think it reinforces the idea that young ladies should be taught to be as vulnerable as possible and fear all large men, especially if they are not as nicely brought up as they are. At its worst, the story comes off as discriminatory based on class and reinforces the ideas that the classes should never mix.
The story is extremely short (three pages) and has themes on naiveté and fear of strangers.
While I do not have an issue with this ending, I do have an issue with the moral of the story. The moral is explicitly stated and starts out by saying, "Children, especially pretty, nicely brought-up young ladies, ought never to talk to strangers." While this sounds innocent, I think it reinforces the idea that young ladies should be taught to be as vulnerable as possible and fear all large men, especially if they are not as nicely brought up as they are. At its worst, the story comes off as discriminatory based on class and reinforces the ideas that the classes should never mix.
The story is extremely short (three pages) and has themes on naiveté and fear of strangers.
April 2, 2015
This slim volume caught my eye because the author listed on the cover is Angela Carter. I didn't read the synopsis on the back really...other than that she adapted Perrault's fairy tales. Being relatively familiar with Carter's other work, I was hoping for more scintillating and perverse adaptations, but these seemed pretty much run-of-the-mill to me. In that respect, this was just OK. However, there were a few of the fairy tales with which I was not familiar, so that was nice to add to the ol' backlog. I hadn't given much thought to how long it has been since I've read any fairy tales until I read this book, and I found the sometimes-inconsistent themes and sometimes-meandering plots pretty fascinating over and above the sometimes-goofy morals included at the end of each story. I know that folklore was often intended to serve as some sort of mandate on behavior and moral code for children (once upon a time), but I wonder anymore if these "oldies" are just too quaint to scare a child into obeying his or her parents or to never talk to strangers. I certainly can't recall learning any real life lessons from reading fairy tales as a child--I loved them, but they were pretty much just wild entertainment for me. Of course, the wisdom intended in some of the stories is obvious, but after reading this, I am kind of tempted to read up on the psychology and sociology that might not appear so glaringly.... (*sigh* all I need is another self-imposed homework assignment)
August 29, 2009
This was a disappointing book, but that isn't the fault of Angela Carter... I've wanted to read Carter for a long time, ever since a writer I admire recommended her to me. Unfortunately I chose the wrong Carter to begin with. That's because this book isn't really Carter at all, but her own adjusted translations of a set of fairy tales written by Charles Perrault.
I've never really been a fan of fairy tales, and I didn't even enjoy Calvino's collection of Italian folk tales (and Calvino is my favourite author) so Carter never really stood a chance with me. Having said that, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the stories themselves. It's just that I found them boring...
The worst aspect of this book is also not Carter's fault. It's the pompous introduction by Jack Zipes in which he fawns all over Carter, then attacks her for simplifying the irony of Perrault's original tales, then defends her for bringing a feminist sensibility to her translation, then accuses her of bad faith in ignoring the fact that Perrault wasn't a feminist! At one point he even makes the claim that the story 'Little Red Riding Hood' is about rape. No, it's not. It's about a wolf that eats a little girl. Boris Vian's *J'irai cracher sur vos tombes* is about rape.
I've never really been a fan of fairy tales, and I didn't even enjoy Calvino's collection of Italian folk tales (and Calvino is my favourite author) so Carter never really stood a chance with me. Having said that, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the stories themselves. It's just that I found them boring...
The worst aspect of this book is also not Carter's fault. It's the pompous introduction by Jack Zipes in which he fawns all over Carter, then attacks her for simplifying the irony of Perrault's original tales, then defends her for bringing a feminist sensibility to her translation, then accuses her of bad faith in ignoring the fact that Perrault wasn't a feminist! At one point he even makes the claim that the story 'Little Red Riding Hood' is about rape. No, it's not. It's about a wolf that eats a little girl. Boris Vian's *J'irai cracher sur vos tombes* is about rape.
July 4, 2018
Delightful! Ricky with the Tuft was my favourite! Found myself anticipating the moral(s) at the end of each tale - witty, hilarious and ever so subtly subversive.
Read
January 24, 20213? 2.5? Interesting read. I don't know what to rate it so I will leave it blank.
Had to read this for my fantasy paper and it is certainly interesting.
Overall I liked several of the stories. Namely 'Donkey-Skin', 'The Fairies', and 'Ricky with the Tuft' because I had never heard of these before. I also didn't mind 'Little Red Riding Hood'.
I really loved the story of 'The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood' though because it was just very good. Sleeping Beauty is a tale I'm most familiar with through Disney so I really liked to see the changes and I much preferred the 'original' (not sure which tale their version is based off, but probably the Grimms).
The fact that the Prince did not need to kiss her was great news to me, as that bit is always a bit iffy. In fact he just fell down because he was so stunned by her beauty and the curse was lifted! And then they talked for hours and it was very sweet.
The reasoning behind the evil fairy (Maleficent) was much more humorous here too. She wasn't invited because she had been reclusive for fifteen years and everyone thought she was dead lol. I found that very funny.
Also there is a twist with an ogre mother-in-law who likes to eat children that I /DID NOT/ expect but that just made the story better for me because my goodness surprises abound.
I think that 'Sleeping Beauty' is honestly a big part of why I enjoyed this.
The choice of the introduction is a questionable one as it seems to paint Carter's translation in a negative light, pointing out that she is "misinterpret[ing]" his words to fit her own agenda. In that way it is interesting to examine her own biases, but the intro author has a lot to say about the misinterpretation of his character as well. It just is a bit confusing is all. I mean I'm glad there is that insight as to 'remember this is a translation, and so will be biased' but it was just a bit confusing overall I found.
Overall yeah it was interesting. I think it will be more interesting once I've properly studied it though because right now I am not well versed in the history of Carter or Perrault, or at least not enough to properly appreciate this work in an academic sense I think. Still, interesting. Recommend reading 'The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood'.
Had to read this for my fantasy paper and it is certainly interesting.
Overall I liked several of the stories. Namely 'Donkey-Skin', 'The Fairies', and 'Ricky with the Tuft' because I had never heard of these before. I also didn't mind 'Little Red Riding Hood'.
I really loved the story of 'The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood' though because it was just very good. Sleeping Beauty is a tale I'm most familiar with through Disney so I really liked to see the changes and I much preferred the 'original' (not sure which tale their version is based off, but probably the Grimms).
The fact that the Prince did not need to kiss her was great news to me, as that bit is always a bit iffy. In fact he just fell down because he was so stunned by her beauty and the curse was lifted! And then they talked for hours and it was very sweet.
The reasoning behind the evil fairy (Maleficent) was much more humorous here too. She wasn't invited because she had been reclusive for fifteen years and everyone thought she was dead lol. I found that very funny.
Also there is a twist with an ogre mother-in-law who likes to eat children that I /DID NOT/ expect but that just made the story better for me because my goodness surprises abound.
I think that 'Sleeping Beauty' is honestly a big part of why I enjoyed this.
The choice of the introduction is a questionable one as it seems to paint Carter's translation in a negative light, pointing out that she is "misinterpret[ing]" his words to fit her own agenda. In that way it is interesting to examine her own biases, but the intro author has a lot to say about the misinterpretation of his character as well. It just is a bit confusing is all. I mean I'm glad there is that insight as to 'remember this is a translation, and so will be biased' but it was just a bit confusing overall I found.
Overall yeah it was interesting. I think it will be more interesting once I've properly studied it though because right now I am not well versed in the history of Carter or Perrault, or at least not enough to properly appreciate this work in an academic sense I think. Still, interesting. Recommend reading 'The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood'.
January 15, 2023
This book reminds me of my mother, which might take some explaining. When I was eleven, I distinctly remember her coming into the room and saying "Princess Diana's just DIED!" I was a bit taken aback by this news, as I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with such information, and I couldn't help thinking "Well, it's a good thing I wasn't emotionally attached to her or anything..." because my mother has all the tact of a sledgehammer. She was like that with everything. "Whaddaya want for dinner!?" she'd demand in a manner that suggests every possible answer will be ill-received.
Angela Carter writes in much the same way: utterly tactless and devoid of all literary sophistication. Because the thing about fairy tales is that they're truly ugly stories but they're usually told in a pretty way so they're tolerable. You can see some more literal translations of Perrault in the introduction, and some of the original French - and if the Matrix movies taught me anything it's that you can say absolutely anything in French and it will sound nice.
Carter scoffs, says "Screw dat noise! Here's ya bloody dinner!" and slaps a steaming hot pile of what might generously be called a translation in front of you, and you're to be damned thankful for the opportunity. Also, that'll be thirty-two fracking dollars! This piddly little pamphlet doesn't even reach a hundred pages and somehow costs twice and much as Beowulf, (which I was also required to read for class). What an absolute hack.
Angela Carter writes in much the same way: utterly tactless and devoid of all literary sophistication. Because the thing about fairy tales is that they're truly ugly stories but they're usually told in a pretty way so they're tolerable. You can see some more literal translations of Perrault in the introduction, and some of the original French - and if the Matrix movies taught me anything it's that you can say absolutely anything in French and it will sound nice.
Carter scoffs, says "Screw dat noise! Here's ya bloody dinner!" and slaps a steaming hot pile of what might generously be called a translation in front of you, and you're to be damned thankful for the opportunity. Also, that'll be thirty-two fracking dollars! This piddly little pamphlet doesn't even reach a hundred pages and somehow costs twice and much as Beowulf, (which I was also required to read for class). What an absolute hack.
January 10, 2025
Carter é uma escritora brilhante, e sua versão de A Menina do Capuz Vermelho não é uma simples reinterpretação, mas uma revolução no gênero. Com um toque de sensualidade e uma crítica social disfarçada de conto de fadas, a leitura foi rápida, cerca de 4 horas, mas a densidade de sua análise sobre os papéis de gênero e o desejo me fez pensar muito.
A capa da Penguin, deve ser ignorada. Foi um erro grotesco colocar uma capa infantilizada numa história que claramente é +18. Uma criança que está desenvolvendo o gosto pela leitura se confundiria facilmente.
"O lobo não é o monstro, é o que ele representa." Essa frase me fez refletir sobre os medos sociais e como os contos de fadas muitas vezes nos forçam a encarar nossos próprios tabus.
Eu recomendo para quem gosta de literatura feminista e contos de fadas com um toque mais maduro e distorcido. A classificação indicativa, como disse anteriormente é 18 anos, devido aos temas pesados.
A capa da Penguin, deve ser ignorada. Foi um erro grotesco colocar uma capa infantilizada numa história que claramente é +18. Uma criança que está desenvolvendo o gosto pela leitura se confundiria facilmente.
"O lobo não é o monstro, é o que ele representa." Essa frase me fez refletir sobre os medos sociais e como os contos de fadas muitas vezes nos forçam a encarar nossos próprios tabus.
Eu recomendo para quem gosta de literatura feminista e contos de fadas com um toque mais maduro e distorcido. A classificação indicativa, como disse anteriormente é 18 anos, devido aos temas pesados.
July 2, 2019
It's been a while since I've read any fairy tales. In fact, I hardly remember the Disney versions of most of these stories, so this collection was a nice refresher.
These are technically translations from the seventeenth century writer Charles Perrault, but from what I understand, Carter tempers their morals and bucolic nature just a bit. I couldn't say for sure how much she's altered them because I don't speak French and have only read snippets of more literal translations.
Supposedly, she made the morals less conservative as well; though, they don't seem all that progressive to me. As most critics seem to think, perhaps, she did what she could within the confines of being a translator and then produced her own fairy tales in The Bloody Chamber. This seems likely.
Anyway, this is a short collection and not a bad way to bone up on your stories of old.
These are technically translations from the seventeenth century writer Charles Perrault, but from what I understand, Carter tempers their morals and bucolic nature just a bit. I couldn't say for sure how much she's altered them because I don't speak French and have only read snippets of more literal translations.
Supposedly, she made the morals less conservative as well; though, they don't seem all that progressive to me. As most critics seem to think, perhaps, she did what she could within the confines of being a translator and then produced her own fairy tales in The Bloody Chamber. This seems likely.
Anyway, this is a short collection and not a bad way to bone up on your stories of old.
December 19, 2024
If Angela Carter has a million fans, I’m one of them; if she has one fan, it’s me; if she has zero fans, I’m dead. ‘The Bloody Chamber’, in which Carter reimagines classic fairytales with the full subversive force of second wave feminism, is one of my favourite books. I hadn’t realised that this collection—wherein she translates Perrault’s original tales—existed, so this was probably the fastest purchase I’ve ever made! As a result of these being translations, the treatment is less a radical revisioning and more of a subtle rendition. Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile read for folklore adorers, and it’s interesting to see Carter’s earlier engagement with the source material from which she would later reconstruct her Gothic fables of femininity.
March 18, 2025
thoughts:
-Angela Carter is GOAT once again
-I think Puss in Boots is one of the most underrated fairy tales. This version and her retelling in THE BLOODY CHAMBER is just so good and funny. It's a good break from the other stories which revolve around young women and beauty/how her beauty equates to moral purity. Puss in Boots is about a cat who wears boots and improves the life of his dumb owner through trickery. I love it. Yet another thing Shrek did right.
-I'm sorry but the cover of this book is revolting. Perrault's version of Cinderella has nothing about bloody feet or cutting off toes, that's all Brothers Grimm, so why the nasty foot?? I guess so we know this is the Feminist Take on the fairy tale, but ew.
-Angela Carter is GOAT once again
-I think Puss in Boots is one of the most underrated fairy tales. This version and her retelling in THE BLOODY CHAMBER is just so good and funny. It's a good break from the other stories which revolve around young women and beauty/how her beauty equates to moral purity. Puss in Boots is about a cat who wears boots and improves the life of his dumb owner through trickery. I love it. Yet another thing Shrek did right.
-I'm sorry but the cover of this book is revolting. Perrault's version of Cinderella has nothing about bloody feet or cutting off toes, that's all Brothers Grimm, so why the nasty foot?? I guess so we know this is the Feminist Take on the fairy tale, but ew.
October 6, 2017
If you have not read any Angela Carter then this is not the place to start. This is a collection of Charles Perraults fairy tales which have been translated and interpreted by Carter rather than any completely original work. Perrault was a huge influence on Carter so do read this book but read 'The Bloody Chamber' first. I really enjoyed this collection and whilst there were some well known tales like Cinderella and Red Riding Hood it also contains lesser known tales such as Donkey Skin and Hop o' my Thumb. I think my favourite tales in the collection are Bluebeard, Puss in Boots and Hop o' my Thumb.
July 23, 2020
Realmente não sei o que escrever pq amo qualquer coisa que envolva contos de fadas mas enfim a introdução,cada história uma melhor que a outra e a explicação/origem de cada uma nas notas adorei tudo e espero que alguém dia essas histórias sejam adaptadas.
Pretendo ler outras obras da Angela e parece que eles também envolvem “contos de fadas” de alguma forma.
Ps:Acabei descobrindo que a tradução desse é de outro livro dela mas usaram a mesma capa e dessa editora?!¿¡
Pretendo ler outras obras da Angela e parece que eles também envolvem “contos de fadas” de alguma forma.
Ps:Acabei descobrindo que a tradução desse é de outro livro dela mas usaram a mesma capa e dessa editora?!¿¡
May 20, 2022
Clearly not that many people read the description on this book. It's Carter's translations of Perrault's original in French. As translations, these are great and the analysis by Zipes did well at contextualising both Perrault and Carter's work as a translator. Personally I'd never read Perrault before, I had only experienced the Grimm fairy tales as a kid. So this was a pleasant little stroll for an afternoon
August 12, 2021
Useful to have a translation, which is by nature of translating and altering, also a reflection on these tales. I think the originals with all their courtliness, oppressive attitudes to women, celebration of wealth, have a power and fascination not exceeded by Angela Carter's versions, but interesting research and comment.
May 2, 2023
Loving recreation of Charles Perrault fairytales by, arguably, the twentieth century's greatest fairytale novelist, but it's not much more than that. Carter makes a conscious choice to ease on the gas and avoid her own luscious, vivid, exotic writing coming through when writing these tales; these are clearly meant to be read to kids at bedtime; and the book suffers as a result.
February 19, 2019
A quick read with enlightening commentary on Children’s Fairytales, The introduction by Jack Zipes really helps introduce the piece, as not to be confused with a literal translation, because Angela Carter is interested in making these tales even more “modern” than the original Perrault.
April 20, 2023
I love revisions south and fairy tales and have been wanting to get my hands on Carter’s for a while. They are short and few (the book is very short) but I love her treatment and calling out the morals at the end of each.
June 4, 2017
This book rekindled my love for fairy tales. With just the right amount of fantasy, it is relevant in its concept for modern day context.
July 4, 2018
Twists from childhood fairy tales and introduction to unpopular fairy tales! Good read to pass the time. :)
May 27, 2019
This was fine. Carter's own fairy tale retellings are far more dynamic and interesting than this translation.
January 5, 2020
Fun, snarky, retellings... I always enjoy Carter!
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