Angela Carter's Fairy Tales, Part 1

Angela Carter was a prolific writer and dabbled in many literary arenas.  To say dabbled isn't really correct, though, as I think she was a true proficient in everything she touched on.  If there is someone I could wish for as a teacher, it would be Angela Carter (just reading her, though, is educational).  Over the weekend I set aside my regular short story reading routine in favor of Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales which she edited for Virago.  This luscious book (isn't the cover art beautiful?) is actually a reworking of two earlier editions that she was completing shortly before her death in 1992.

"The manuscript of the second collection lay on her bed.  'I'm just finishing this off for the girls' she said.  Her loyalty to us was boundless.  When we first heard she was ill, we told her not to worry, we had published The Virago Book of Fairy Tales, that was enough.  But no, Angela claimed it was just the project for an ailing writer to pursue.  And so she worked on the book until a few weeks before her death." (Lennie Goodings, Virago).

After her death Virago grouped the fairy tales she had collected under the headings she had chosen and used the introduction used in the first collection.  Reading that alone was so interesting and informative I thought I would share a bit of what I learned here today, although there was so much to take in I'm not even sure where to begin.

Maybe it's best to start with a definition?  Carter writes that while this is a collection of fairy tales you won't find any fairies within the pages of this collection.  ". . . the term 'fairy tale' is a figure of speech and we use it loosely, to describe the great mass of infinitely various narrative that was, once upon a time and still is, sometimes, passed on and disseminated by word of mouth--stories without known originators that can be remade again and again by every person who tells them, the perennially refreshed entertainment of the poor."  Since fairy tales have for most of human history been spoken and not read the act of writing them down changes them at the same time it preserves them.  They are anonymous and genderless (we might know the name of the person who ultimately wrote it down but never the person who made it up in the first place).  The stories we have today are bits and pieces of stories that came before. 

Carter refers to these storytellers as female since in the European tradition it is usually a woman telling the stories--

". . . 'Mother Goose' in English, 'Ma Mère l'Oie' in French, an old woman sitting by the fireside, spinning--literally 'spinning a yarn' . . . "

I love plays on words and had not thought of a woman literally spinning yarn, and 'the spinning of a yarn' (or telling of a tale).  Another play on words, or the meaning behind the phrase for which I had not given much thought--the word 'tale' being synonymous for 'lie' or 'falsehood' and not just also meaning a story. 

"'The tale is over; I can't lie any more'--thus do Russian narrators conclude their stories."

No worries, though, the story may be made up of lies, but the storyteller isn't setting out to deceive rather to entertain.  Carter notes that while the fairy tales are "dedicated to the pleasure principle", there is always more than meets the eye (and isn't that almost always the truth in literature--more there swimming beneath the surface).  The collection Angela Carter has put together is meant for pleasure and each has only one thing in common--they all center on a female protagonist.  She might be clever, brave, silly, good, cruel, sinister or unfortunate but she is always center stage and larger than life.  She didn't put the collection together to show we women are all the same underneath it all (she didn't believe that anyway).  Carter never has a problem with offering a critical eye on any topic, does she?

(I knew I was going to like this collection, and what Carter writes below elicited a 'knowing' chuckle out of me).

"Considering that numerically, women have always existed in this world in at least as great numbers as men and bear at least in equal part in the transmission of oral culture, they occupy center stage less often than you might think."

Actually I know that to be true . . . at least in other aspects of literature.

The fairy tales (and there are more than a hundred in thirteen different categories) come from all over the world and exist in many different versions (and I like the idea that the person telling the tale can change the meaning so subtly--or maybe not so subtly--just because they are telling it--just as the listener brings her own experience to the storytelling, too), but Carter has not tinkered with any of them and tried to choose tales that had not been 'improved upon' by their collectors or which have been 'rendered literary'.  The only shortcoming she notes is that she confined the material to that which was available in English (knowing her shortcomings as a linguist--though I think she would have done a most impressive job nonetheless).

I've barely skimmed the surface of what she says when it comes to fairy tales, their history and meaning.  If you like fairy tales, or short stories, I think this will be a good collection to read from as well as a good one to own.  If you were here now and were interested I think I would just press the book into you hands and tell you to sit and read the intro, too.  But now comes the fun part, the main attraction.  Which section to read first?  Should I read randomly or an entire section or start at the first story and go from there?  I think whatever path I choose to follow I am in for a treat.

"The fairy tale is user-friendly; it always comes with an answer to that question ['What happened then?'].  The fairy tale has needed to be user-friendly in order to survive.  It survives today because it has transformed itself into a medium of gossip, anecdote, rumor; it remains hand-crafted, even in a period when television disseminates the mythologies of advanced industrialized countries throughout the world, wherever there are TV sets and the just to make them flicker."

Oh, I do love a good story, and it doesn't matter who first told it.  I'll be back later in the week to share a few of the stories I'll be reading in the coming days.  I have had this collection on my pile for a while now, always looking at it longingly, so thanks to Caroline for giving me a good reason to pick it up now and start reading.

Comments

[Caroline]

Thanks for a wonderful post, Danielle.
I have one of her fairy tale collections but I'm not sure which one. I don't remember an intro. It sounds very interesting.
I would probabaly read it chronologically but why not read it out of order. Mayn of her novels qualify as fairy tales and often nothing magical happens, no fairies.
I'll add this post to the Mr Linky.

[Stefanie]

Oh this sounds so good! And you are right, the book itself looks lovely too. Looking forward to hearing about which tales you read!

[litlove]

Fascinating stuff! And I am so jealous - I've seen that gorgeous book around and coveted it, but do not (yet) have a copy in my possession. Hmmm, perhaps I should do something about that??

[litlove]

Fascinating stuff! And I am so jealous - I've seen this book around and coveted it but do not have a copy in my possession. Hmm, perhaps I should do something about that!

[Mel u]

Wonderful post. I have read a number of Irish fairy tales over the last few years. Among the best are by Sheridan Le Fanu

[Danielle]

My second half will be on Sunday--not having internet last weekend threw me off, I'm afraid. If you come across this essay in your reading--she's such a great writer and explains things so well. It alone makes for fascinating reading. I tend to like reading in a nice, neat, orderly manner, but I have been dipping into this one at will! There are so many to choose from, it's hard to decide which to read first... Her stories are quite dark, aren't they? Which I suppose is very much the realm of fairy tales--but I think she is never really very traditional--which is one of the things I like about her.

[Danielle]

The book is really lovely--it even has a ribbon attached to keep your place. They designed the book well--it is definitely the sort that you can easily dip into and set aside for a few days.

[Danielle]

You would appreciate this, I think--not only because Angela Carter is wonderful, but the book is so very nicely designed. She writes some interesting things about stories and storytelling and I know you have written about the topics, too, so you'll like this! :)

[Danielle]

Aren't fairy tales great? I like learning about this sort of story-telling. I have only read a story or two by Le Fanu and didn't realize he also wrote fairy tales--must check that out--thanks!

[Brona]

I didn't know about this collection. I read The Bloody Chamber - this would have been the perfect follow-on read.
I'm also curious to reread Bruno Bettleheim's Uses of Enchantment again to explore the whole psychology of fairy tales.

[Danielle]

I read The Bloody Chamber a few years back, too, and thought it an excellent read. She is always good, isn't she? This is a gorgeous book--design alone. It even has a nice red ribbon to keep my place! :) I have never read about fairy tales, but I am sort of keen to do so now that I have dipped into the collection--to learn more about what is behind them. I will look for that Bettelheim book--thanks for mentioning it!

[Delia (Postcards from Asia)]

I'm a great fan of fairy tales and this sounds good. I think I prefer Carter's short stories over her novels. The Bloody Chamber was great.

[Yasmine Rose]

I bought this book about six years ago because it was by Angela Carter and had such a beautiful cover, though I am embarrassed to say it has been sitting on my shelf untouched. I am glad I came across your post, it has given me more of a sense of what this collection is about and I can't wait to read it! Thank you!

[Danielle]

I have yet to try any of her novels. I was hoping to last week but the time slipped away from me unfortunately. Thanks, however, for organizing the reading week--not that I need any sort of nudge to read her, but I am happy to have any good excuse to pick up yet another book to read or dip into!

[Danielle]

I do that all the time! I hate to admit how often I pick up a book from my piles that I know I bought *years* ago! But each book has its day--besides you have to wait for just the right timing. I will say, though, if you go and grab you copy now and start reading, I think you won't regret it! :)

[Roxanna Bikadoroff]

Wonderful piece, I am also a big fan.
So glad you like the cover and would be even happier if you'd credit the artwork !

Thanks muchly, Roxanna

[Danielle]

Isn't she marvelous? She had such amazing talent. Such a pity she passed away so young. I will have to look for my copy and see if the artist is listed in the inside jacket! It is a beautiful design and matches the work so well.