Selected author
Angela Carter
A literary genius who changed the course of modern fiction
Angela Carter (1940–1992) is still seen as one of the most original and influential British writers of the late 20th century. Her works broke the rules of genre and changed the direction of modern literature. Carter is best known for The Bloody Chamber (1979), where she mixed Gothic themes, surrealism, and social satire in a style that was truly her own. She tackled big topics like sex, death, politics, class, and feminism, always offering a fresh and personal perspective. Her novels, from the adventurous Nights at the Circus (1984) to the dystopian The Passion of New Eve (1977), are hard to classify, combining deep ideas with bold storytelling. Carter drew inspiration from Shakespearean comedy, Japanese folklore, and the wildness of Sade, making her work both smart and entertaining. Her essays, especially those on fairy tales and film, also showed her strength as a thinker.
Experimental poem 'Unicorn', first printed in 1963 in Vision
At first, critics were divided about Carter's fiction, but over time her work has become widely appreciated. She is now seen as a pioneer of magical realism and gothic fiction in British literature. Her influence goes beyond books, with adaptations like Neil Jordan's film The Company of Wolves (1984) and modern theater productions. For both readers and writers, Carter's work is a great example of how fiction can be playful, thought-provoking, and deep all at once.
Fireworks: Nine Stories in Various Disguises
Carter, Angela
Harper & Row, 1982. Vintage paperback. Spine shows some scratching. Edges of covers show some signs of shelf wear. Very good condition.
Love
Carter, Angela
Revised edition, first thus. Chatto & Windus, London, 1987. Hardcover, 120 pp. Blue boards, guild lettering on the spine. Only a slight bump on the top edge of front board. Pictorial dust jacket is bright and near fine, except for the smallest tear (1mm) on the top edge of cover.
Wise Children
Carter, Angela
First edition. Chatto & Windus, London, 1991. Hardcover, 234 pp. Dust jacket is faded more noticeably on the back cover. Very slight shelfwear on bottom edge. A first edition of Carter's last novel, beloved for its integration of the narrative elements she was most recognised for: her upturning of classic literary tropes and fairy tales, and the inclusion of the freaky and the carnivalesque.
Nights at the Circus
Carter, Angela
First edition. Chatto & Windus, The Hogarth Press, London, 1984. Hardcover, 294 pp. Red cloth binding in near fine condition, but for some fading on the top edge of spine, and a few foxing spots on the bookedge. Dust jacket is largely bright and clean, but the spine is considerably sunned. Some foxing on top edge of flaps, and alongside the top edge of its verso. At the time of its publication, this novel's excess was the reason for some critics dislike of it. Undeniably, that is a moral criticism. The action-packed, rich with images narrative showcases a world and aesthetic that opposes the highbrow, intellectual masculinity that ruled the literary world. The more negative reception of Nights at the Circus, one of bafflement and confusion in the face of the whirlwind that is the story, is in fact baked into the narrative, embodied by the journalist Jack Walser, who was inspired by Jack London. Fevvers, like Nights at the Circus, is too much; too much to contend with, too much to rationalise. A lovely first edition of one of Carter's most celebrated works.
