The Bloody Chamber
Synopsis
This is a series of short horror stories inspired by classic European fairytales, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland and Bluebeard. The first story follows a young bride who discovers that her betrothed has been keeping a secret chamber under his mansion, which he has been using to trap, torture, and kill his previous wives.The Courtship of Mr. Lyon, offers a unique reinterpretation of Beauty and the Beast, but this time, the characters are self-aware, and the plot leans more towards Beauty's fantasies and desires. The Company of Wolves pays homage to Little Red Riding Hood, except in this version, Little Red (or Wolf-Alice in Carter's rendition) refuses to play the victim, and confronts and mocks the Wolf directly. In this instance, the line between man and beast is made paper-thin. There is an emphasis on the tendency for men to pray on seemingly vulnerable women and girls, but ultimately the sexual agency is granted to the female protagonist, as opposed to her male stalker. This book has everything you could want from the gothic horror genre--psychological terror, blood and gore, supernatural creatures and haunted houses. Carter masterfully injects traditional stories with psychological depth, and in doing so offers an insightful critique on the power narratives have to alter the way we act and perceive the world.
Review
Each story in this collection is gloriously atmospheric and shows an extreme attention to detailed imagery. Carter utilizes some interesting techniques, for example having one chapter reflect the point-of-view of one character, and the next a different character's perspective from the same story. This is an excellent way to show contrast and place the reader in different shoes throughout their time with the book. The combination of classic folktale and distinct, flowery prose is masterfully used to allude to more complex themes. Some concepts that this book confronts include the struggles of aging as a woman and the dangerous, predatory potential of men. I appreciate how this book nods to fairytales we know and love, but adds something fresh by calling them into question. While the female protagonists show moments of vulnerability and weakness, they ultimately take on the heroic roles, find agency from within and rely on their own intelligence to get out of sticky situations. This feminist retelling is a rejection of common tropes in classic literature, for example the damsel in distress archetype. Carter also delves into the taboo and erotic undercurrents that are apparent in the original stories. The characters, namely Puss-in-Boots and Wolf-Alice are so colorful and enchanting that you can't help but root for them.