The traditional fairy tales that we know so well, including Bluebeard and Little Red Riding Hood, are told from an atypical perspective in Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. Carter has previously opposed the idea that these are retellings, but rather new tales that reveal the true quality of the originals. The resulting stories are filled with a sensual, gothic, and feminine spirit.
“The Company of Wolves,” in particular, left an impression on me. In Carter’s version of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf is a powerful, seductive figure, with the tale’s young heroine on the brink of womanhood and sexual awakening.
Each story provoked a different reflection around femininity and power, making for an overall deeply compelling read.
Biblio Bambi 