American Ghosts and Old World Wonders

I have read a lot of Angela Carter and a lot about her, but this volume of her short stories — released only posthumously — reveals once again her talent. Carter consistently sought to defy convention on her own terms. Her desire to ‘retell’ conventional or accepted stories is abundant too. More than just simply a feminist perspective, Carter is happy to ask time and again the more difficult ‘what-if’ questions. Both the Gothic and all the magical provide fertile sources. Carter writes with a compelling combination of erudition and flamboyance. Nothing is sacred, even if — as the title suggests — reverence for the past does matter. Sometimes there is a danger of the excessive in Carter. But it is also possible to forgive her, given the originality (and fleetingness) of her voice. The Salman Rushdie introduction to this collection is also to be recommended. Not rated.

By Angela Carter