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Unicorn: The Poetry of Angela Carter
This is an alternate cover edition for isbn13: 9781781253618
Despite being one of the most influential - and best-loved - of the post-war English writers, Angela Carter remains little-known as a poet. In Unicorn, the critic and historian Rosemary Hill collects together her published verse from 1963-1971, a period in which Carter began to explore the themes that dominated her later work: magic, the reworking of myths and their darker sides, and the overturning of literary and social conventions. With imagery at times startling in its violence and disconcerting in its presentation of sexuality, Unicorn provides compelling insight into the formation of a remarkable imagination. In the essay that accompanies the poems the critic and historian Rosemary Hill considers them in the context of Carter's other work and as an aspect of the 1960s, the decade which as Carter put it 'wasn't like they say in the movies'.
Despite being one of the most influential - and best-loved - of the post-war English writers, Angela Carter remains little-known as a poet. In Unicorn, the critic and historian Rosemary Hill collects together her published verse from 1963-1971, a period in which Carter began to explore the themes that dominated her later work: magic, the reworking of myths and their darker sides, and the overturning of literary and social conventions. With imagery at times startling in its violence and disconcerting in its presentation of sexuality, Unicorn provides compelling insight into the formation of a remarkable imagination. In the essay that accompanies the poems the critic and historian Rosemary Hill considers them in the context of Carter's other work and as an aspect of the 1960s, the decade which as Carter put it 'wasn't like they say in the movies'.
107 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2015
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637 people want to read
About the author
Angela Carter
212 books3,728 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 34 reviews
April 30, 2016
Personally, I think her short stories are far superior. The title poem, "Unicorn", is worth reading however. There are two good poems about cats too.
June 19, 2021
I haven't read many poetry collections, and the poems in this one didn't super work for me. I think a few of the poems were okay. There was also an essay by Rosemary Hill that discussed her works, and the influence Angela Carter had, but because I had no idea who Angela Carter was before picking it up, I didn't really get very invested in that area either. Even if some of the things discussed were interesting.
August 24, 2023
Hard to rate. The Essay/s by Rosemary Hill is/are worth the price of admission.(For some reason it's billed as An essay but three distinctly titled parts.) They're a fine discussion of Carter's context and her work, and they are elegantly written.
The poems themselves take up about slightly less than half this little book and while some of them are good, they are nowhere near as interesting as her prose. If she's not well known as a poet, then if this is her poetic output, that's entirely understandable.
It's probably essential reading for Carter's admirers, both for the poems themselves and Hill's essay/s.
The poems themselves take up about slightly less than half this little book and while some of them are good, they are nowhere near as interesting as her prose. If she's not well known as a poet, then if this is her poetic output, that's entirely understandable.
It's probably essential reading for Carter's admirers, both for the poems themselves and Hill's essay/s.
March 7, 2025
The fact of the matter is, a person can't be good at everything.
Unfortunately, Angela Carter was just not very good at poetry.
She didn't publish very much of it, and it was all early in her career as a writer, before she had really developed her voluptuous style. A lot of it is formalist reimagining of earlier poems---clever but not terribly interesting.
This book is more ABOUT the poetry of Angela Carter than actually the poetry of Angela Carter---or rather, a collection of literary criticism trying to place her poems in context of the literary scene for women writers in the early sixties. Somewhat interesting but not terribly clever. I finished it because I wanted to say I finished it, but I can't tell you the number of times I thought to myself "I don't really want to be reading a college essay right now." It's not that, really, but it felt like it.
For completists only.
Unfortunately, Angela Carter was just not very good at poetry.
She didn't publish very much of it, and it was all early in her career as a writer, before she had really developed her voluptuous style. A lot of it is formalist reimagining of earlier poems---clever but not terribly interesting.
This book is more ABOUT the poetry of Angela Carter than actually the poetry of Angela Carter---or rather, a collection of literary criticism trying to place her poems in context of the literary scene for women writers in the early sixties. Somewhat interesting but not terribly clever. I finished it because I wanted to say I finished it, but I can't tell you the number of times I thought to myself "I don't really want to be reading a college essay right now." It's not that, really, but it felt like it.
For completists only.
August 13, 2017
Although I liked a few of Carter's lines, I didn't care for the poetry as a whole. I did, however, like the way she incorporated the idea of "living as performance." I especially loved Hill's quote: "Who controls whom, who is writing the drama and who is the actor (58)?" I don't think I'll ever tire of the concept because I find it to be true every day.
Read the review on my blog here.
Read the review on my blog here.
November 30, 2015
Carter's poetry is good (certainly striking and of a piece with her prose) but not quite great. Rosemary Hill's essays are what really bump it up to four stars, showing just how they fit into Carter's oeuvre and 60s literature in general. One for Carter completists such as myself) or those interested in the period.
December 2, 2020
A useful collection of Carter's poetry which, if I am perfectly honest, is more of a collector's item for people like me than a groundbreaking piece of work - especially in the light of what came later - but worth reading for Carter's translations and blend of Medieval and Avant-garde influences.
January 8, 2016
Beautiful...
February 13, 2017
...and the nursery grew rank with metaphysics
aerobatic tea trays at an evening party where he was the only guest
aerobatic tea trays at an evening party where he was the only guest
June 22, 2022
This book boasts Rosemary Hill's clean, crisp, clever prose to match Angela Carter's bawdy and beautiful poetry.
June 23, 2025
I love her prose, but her poems are nowhere near as impressive
November 26, 2017
3.5 stars rounded up
personally I preferred the essay by Rosemary Hill to the poetry in this collection, but that in itself held a different kind of charm. the poetry evokes strong images and feelings, often of a visceral and a violent nature. the contrast this creates with the clear folkloric and wider literary inspiration is what makes them truly unique and so compelling. Hill is able to set this writing in the context of carter's life, as well as within the literary and literal world of the 60s era. Framing carter's writing in this manner brought a new perspective of her work, and the work of other female writers of this time, that I had not considered before and which alone would have made this book worth the read.
personally I preferred the essay by Rosemary Hill to the poetry in this collection, but that in itself held a different kind of charm. the poetry evokes strong images and feelings, often of a visceral and a violent nature. the contrast this creates with the clear folkloric and wider literary inspiration is what makes them truly unique and so compelling. Hill is able to set this writing in the context of carter's life, as well as within the literary and literal world of the 60s era. Framing carter's writing in this manner brought a new perspective of her work, and the work of other female writers of this time, that I had not considered before and which alone would have made this book worth the read.
March 2, 2018
While Carter’s poetry most definitely falls short of her fiction, it is so interesting to read and there are some real gems in there. It’s clear why Unicorn was chosen for the title story - what a surreal and wonderful poem it is.
Rosemary Hill’s essays at the end are also quite interesting, though the second feels a little like one she couldn’t place so just dotted a few Carter mentions in so she could home it here. The final essay, ‘Hairy Fairies’, is pretty great though and gives some interesting insight into Carter’s novels.
Overall, really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone with an interest in Angela Carter’s work.
Rosemary Hill’s essays at the end are also quite interesting, though the second feels a little like one she couldn’t place so just dotted a few Carter mentions in so she could home it here. The final essay, ‘Hairy Fairies’, is pretty great though and gives some interesting insight into Carter’s novels.
Overall, really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone with an interest in Angela Carter’s work.
February 2, 2017
After greatly enjoying Carter's novel The Magic Toyshop, I was curious about her poetry. Turns out she didn't write much poetry, but what she did write was interesting. This handsome volume collects her published poems as well as several well-written essays about the time period in which they were written as well as how the poetry already shows features that later become trademarks of Carter's novels.
September 3, 2017
The poetic prose Angela Carter uses in her novels is seen in a more raw form in this book. It does not contain a lot of poetry but the little it does contain demonstrates the author's love of using "purple, self-indulgent prose", as she once admitted unapologetically. If you are a fan of Carter, this book of her poems, as well as an essay from Rosemary Hill, is definitely worth a read.
October 28, 2017
More like 3.7 or thereabouts. Despite being a massive fan of Carter's prose, I agree with other reviews that the eponymous poem is the most enjoyable, and that Rosemary Hill's essay is potentially the most interesting part of the book. I shall continue to enjoy her prose, but maybe not make such effort to read her poetry again.
September 22, 2019
I had no idea that Angel Carter had written poetry. Honestly, this is the type of poetry I really do not understand (my failing not Carter's). I enjoyed reading it, though I was adrift for meaning and understanding. The essays that concluded this collection were illuminating and enjoyable
July 30, 2017
Interesting poems with imagery familiar from her more fantastical prose. The titular poem Unicorn is by far the most intriguing.
June 26, 2018
Essays more interesting than the poetry.
August 28, 2025
I went through the preface and several of the poems in the sample of this book. I haven’t read anything from Angela Carter yet, so I don’t have any preconceptions about her writing. I might also be missing the context of her work for these poems to have some sort of a significance.
1. “Unicorn” - a ridiculous myth involving a virgin (who else) that’s given a secondary, darker meaning. On the surface, it’s somewhat clever. Not sure if it’s supposed to be anything else beyond that.
2. “Through the Looking Glass” - erm. Just seems like a nice wordplay. Is it saying anything useful or interesting though?
3. “On the Down” - I got the sexual meaning, I think. But again, so what? Why is this piece important?
4. “William the Dreamer’s Vision of Nature” - (partially read). Again, seems to be fine on the surface (so far). Not sure about what it’s supposed to be saying.
Anyway, I’m not into poetry at all, I was just curious about this because the author was on my radar and it said it was playing with some myths and fairy tales. What I’ve seen so far I find pretty boring and one-note. Nor did I like the tone/content or the preface - too much of self inserted from the editor/historian, who seems to talk more about her husband (a famous poet, I gather?) and their friends/acquaintances in the literary world than about Angela Carter. So, I don’t see any value in continuing with this book.
1. “Unicorn” - a ridiculous myth involving a virgin (who else) that’s given a secondary, darker meaning. On the surface, it’s somewhat clever. Not sure if it’s supposed to be anything else beyond that.
2. “Through the Looking Glass” - erm. Just seems like a nice wordplay. Is it saying anything useful or interesting though?
3. “On the Down” - I got the sexual meaning, I think. But again, so what? Why is this piece important?
4. “William the Dreamer’s Vision of Nature” - (partially read). Again, seems to be fine on the surface (so far). Not sure about what it’s supposed to be saying.
Anyway, I’m not into poetry at all, I was just curious about this because the author was on my radar and it said it was playing with some myths and fairy tales. What I’ve seen so far I find pretty boring and one-note. Nor did I like the tone/content or the preface - too much of self inserted from the editor/historian, who seems to talk more about her husband (a famous poet, I gather?) and their friends/acquaintances in the literary world than about Angela Carter. So, I don’t see any value in continuing with this book.
April 18, 2025
I adore Angela Carter, but I stick firm on the perhaps overgeneralised but certainly vastly true front that prose writers cannot write poetry. The verso applies - a poet often applies their skills of verse masterfully to prose - but I do not think that I have ever read an author who first published prose who understands and masters poetry properly. This was disappointing. I felt no lull to keep reading. It felt completely dead and shallow, which saddens me, because her prose is magic...
June 23, 2018
This short book offers a quick glance into how the publishing world treated Angela Carter and other women writers of the 1960s. It doesn't offer any meaty critique of her work. It's sort of just a few organized, but not highly explored thoughts on her poetry, prose, and the times in which she wrote them. The bibliography offers much more reading material.
January 4, 2022
None of the poems Angela Carter published I would call bad but they just don't excite me. The essay by Rosemary Hill provides some context for the poems publication and a few interesting observations about composition of the poems. If you're particularly interested in Angela's early writing then give this a read otherwise give this a miss.
December 17, 2023
Loved the poetry but too much analysis
There is more in the way of essays and analysis than there is poetry by Angela Carter. I can't believe it's taken me this long to read someone so essential to the imagination
There is more in the way of essays and analysis than there is poetry by Angela Carter. I can't believe it's taken me this long to read someone so essential to the imagination
August 20, 2018
I could have done without Hill’s essay, here; otherwise some thrillingly bloody poems abound.
September 29, 2019
These poems are not bad, but Angela Carter’s style and often incredible writing seem better suited to a longer form.
October 6, 2022
Quite an interesting read, especially with Rosemary Hill’s essays on Carter’s poetry, prose and context as a ‘60’s’ writer.
June 4, 2024
If you can get past the use of derogatory language it's fab. I love this woman
June 26, 2025
2.75
September 11, 2025
A beautiful exploration of Angela Carter's writing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews