Angela Carter

by Alison Easton

Angela Carter's writings have been a source of controversy since she was first published in the 1960s. Until her death in 1992 she wrote fantastical fictions and feminist political essays on sex, gender and class. This collection of literary critical studies provides a selection from the many different responses which her works have evoked. Together, they explore most of Carter's major writings and demonstrate a variety of feminist theoretical approaches.

Paperback

First published June 12, 2000

Reviews

[Madly Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small review:

Angela Carter’s stories are sometimes baffling, provocative, shocking, and even disturbing; yet, they are always entertaining and excellent, formed with intelligence, some fun, and a great deal of irony. The New Casebooks: Angela Carter is a collection of finely tooled criticisms that discuss the “mental carnival” which made Angela Carter such a high-flying, daring, and contentious writer. Feminist in nature, the essays are as entertaining as they are stimulating. Readers will be compelled to go exploring Carter as they read pieces with such striking titles as “The Sadeian Woman: Feminism as Treason” or “The Anti-hero as Oedipus: Gender and the Postmodern Narrative in The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman.” In fact, each essay is carefully documented, suggesting a variety of other readings on the same subject. As a reader, I still find myself reading each essay over and over, marking passages, thinking, speculating, pulling out Carter’s novels for new inspirations. All of the essays are thoughtful, but I am especially drawn to Kate Webb’s “Seriously Funny: Wise Children.” Webb explains exactly why Carter is so singular a voice. [The novel is a mixture of styles, genres, eclectic influences, and both serious and pop art.] I now see Wise Children with a delightful curiosity I had not formally possessed. Not only do I feel it is a “wise book,” I also feel that the format of New Casebooks is equally successful. If you admire the work of Angela Carter, you will certainly enjoy these criticisms. They are a valuable addition to the Carter collection. Contributors include: Christina Britzolakis, Heather Johnson, Sally Keenan, Merja Makinen, Jill Matus, Gerardine Meaney, Sally Robinson, Mary Russo, Kate Webb, and Jean Wyatt.

Personal notes: Casebook studies: Difficult but interesting essays on the work of Angela Carter who was a genius and ahead of her time. Carter died young and we will never know what she might think of the current state of affairs with women and writing. But her legacy on fairy tales and women will be remembered long after we are all gone. A fascinating subject.