Fireworks by Angela Carter

Posted on | April 5, 2010 | 15 Comments

Lorna Sage (author, literary critic, and great friend of Angela Carter) described Carter’s writing as “pyrotechnic – fuelled with ideas, packed with images and spangling the night with her starry language”; the complimentary accolade connotes an image of fireworks. The short fiction collection of the same name, her first collection of short stories, came relatively early in her writing career (her publications were more prolific in the Sixties and Seventies and this was her seventh book, published in 1974) and was subtitled Nine Profane Pieces. Carter was married twice and divorced her first husband (retaining his surname) in 1972; she used the proceeds of her Somerset Maugham Award win (in 1969 for her second novel, Several Perceptions) to leave her husband and relocate from England to Japan. Fireworks is influenced and inspired by Carter’s Japanese experiences and are very much, as in the title of the first story, a souvenir of Japan.

Carter wrote that “In Japan I learnt what it was to be a woman and become radicalised” and that self-awareness of her gender and her new-found feminism can be best seen in my favourite story from the volume, “The Loves of Lady Purple”. The story is one that Carter herself chose to collect in Wayward Girls and Wicked Women, a Virago anthology of short stories written by women that she edited; “The Loves of Lady Purple” is a story about a marionette who comes alive and wreaks revenge on her puppet-master (reminiscent of The Magic Toyshop).

Personally I don’t find much cohesion in the grouping of the stories and think that the later The Bloody Chamber is a far stronger collection; however, I do recognise Carter’s common themes of mirrors/reflections; incest; rape; alienation; absent mothers; puppets; doubling and duplicity; subversive reworkings of fairy tales and use of fairy tale motifs. Carter deals with dark subject matter but her stories are surreal and she is a great proponent of magical realism. As for the profanity alluded to in the title, the sexual content is at times graphic; at other times it is implied through intense suggestion and lustful imagery as in the Eve-myth inspired “Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest”:

The dark pool reflected her darkly, like an antique mirror. She raised her hand to part the leaves in search of a ripe fruit but the greenish skin seemed to warm and glow under her fingers so the first one she touched came as easily off the stem as if it had been brought to perfection by her touch. It seemed to be some kind of apple or pear. It was so juicy the juice ran down her chin and she extended a long, crimson, newly sensual tongue to lick her lips, laughing.

Although not my favourite Angela Carter book, the writing is of course stunning as in all of Carter’s prose; it is always rich and allusive, “starry” in Sage’s words above, and breathtaking to read. I have four copies of Fireworks to give-away to anybody that is interested. To enter please tell me which Angela Carter work you are most looking forward to reading about during Angela Carter month. The draw is open worldwide and will close on Friday 9th April at 12pm BST.

For further thoughts on Fireworks, to whet your appetite, read this review by another cookie crumbles.

Category: Angela Carter Month, Book Reviews, Challenges, Competitions
Tags: Angela Carter > Japanese Literature > Short Stories > Virago

Comments

15 Responses to “Fireworks by Angela Carter”

JoAnn
April 5th, 2010 @ 12:50 pm

The Magic Toyshop is the novel I’m looking forward to reading this month. I really enjoy short stories, and will look around for one by Carter to feature on a Monday this month. Thanks for the giveaway!
desperate reader
April 5th, 2010 @ 2:26 pm

I’m most looking forward to ‘Nights at the Circus’ it’s my favourite Carter and I look forward to seeing what others have to say about it.
Eva
April 5th, 2010 @ 2:59 pm

I LOVE that cover. And I totally want to be in the giveaway bit!

I’m most looking forward to reading Nights at the Circus.
Steph
April 5th, 2010 @ 4:26 pm

I read one story from The Bloody Chamber for a course when I was in college and thought it was quite good, but you know that short stories aren’t necessarily my thing. I do have a collected anthology of Carters short fictions, so I probably have many of these tales in that… My only fear is that the anthology I have may actually have some abridged stories, which makes me mad! I have to do some research and see whether this is the case (in which case I’ll likely get rid of it since I can’t stand abridgments!).
Steph
April 5th, 2010 @ 4:27 pm

P.S. No need to enter me in the giveaway, but I’ll be reading Wise Children this month!
anothercookiecrumbles
April 5th, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

I didn’t really enjoy Fireworks that much, although a couple of stories were fantastic. In fact, thanks a lot, for I got on a lot better with The Bloody Chamber.

Penetrating to the Heart of the Forest was my favourite story – loved the imagery in that.
anothercookiecrumbles
April 5th, 2010 @ 5:44 pm

PS : Sorry, forgot to add: don’t enter me in the giveaway, as I already have a copy of Fireworks!
Frances
April 6th, 2010 @ 12:32 am

I have to admit that I want you to tell me which to read as I have read none. As you are also responsible for my introduction to Persephone books, I know that I can trust your taste implicitly. Please enter me in the contest too?
Mrs.B.
April 6th, 2010 @ 11:03 am

The Magic Toyshop is the Carter book I’m most looking forward to reading. I’d love to be entered in the draw for Fireworks too! Thanks!
Mae
April 6th, 2010 @ 11:14 am

Probably this title. Your review has really sparked my interest!
Buried In Print
April 6th, 2010 @ 5:27 pm

I’m reading Shadow Dance; I read the first page a dozen times but finally cracked it and wholly enjoyed it since. I might actually finish it tonight if the beautiful spring evening doesn’t tempt me outofdoors instead. (Please don’t enter me in the draw: I have a copy. Great contest though.) I’m looking forward to more Angela-Carter-ness this month!
Tracey
April 6th, 2010 @ 6:36 pm

The Bloody Chamber, I am a huge fan of Angela Carter and fairy tales for grown-ups, so should be good.

Please put me in the draw, Thanks
Katherine
April 9th, 2010 @ 11:04 am

I’m most looking forward to reading Nights at the Circus because I really need a book to take me out of the ordinary. After reading many “easy reads”, I’m up for a challenge! From the synopsis, I can see that Nights would take me far from my comfort zone and get the gears in my brain to start working again Please enter me into the draw, cheers
Black Venus by Angela Carter | Paperback Reader
April 13th, 2010 @ 4:13 pm

[...] and Strangers in the U.S.). I like it more than the early, experimental Fireworks (reviewed here) but less than the inventive, fairy-tale dependent, The Bloody Chamber. Black Venus is a mature [...]
Review-a-thon: Bone, Blankets, and The Finishing School | Paperback Reader
May 12th, 2010 @ 4:41 pm

[...] to devote a post to that one and my re-read of Black Venus during the read-a-thon has already been covered. Those were the two books that I started the read-a-thon with and the short stories (Carter) were a [...]