Wayward Girls and Wicked Women

Posted on | April 17, 2010 | 12 Comments

Angela Carter was enthusiastically involved with Virago Press and collected and edited two volumes of short stories for the publisher of books by women: Wayward Girls and Wicked Women and Angela Carter’s Book of Fairy Tales; the former is the book I wish to discuss today.

I have reviewed a few short story collections in the past ( you can click on the short stories tag to view) and an issue that I have with them, whether they are anthologised or a volume by the one author, is that they can be uneven, which is of course the hazard of short stories as the quality will naturally differ from story to story.

I read Wayward Girls and Wicked Women pre-blogging and I think my mistake was reading the stories consecutively, as opposed to dipping it and out of it (another great volume of short stories by women, also published by Virago albeit now regrettably out-of-print, that I simply must recommend for reading sporadically is this one. I can’t recommend the superiority of this volume enough, especially to those readers with modernist sensibilities). I fully admit to getting bogged down in reading this volume and should have spaced out the stories; collecting eighteen short stories by different female authors, it is quite the undertaking to read them all at once. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the stories, because I did, but I recommend the collection with the reservation to read them slowly and savour the stories one or two at a time.

To begin with, from the contents page, this volume collects stories from three beloved writers: Katherine Mansfield, Colette, and Angela Carter herself (“The Loves of Lady Purple”; their inclusion alone should have ensured that I loved this and I do hold it dear, willing to read closely from its covers in short spurts in future revisits. “The Rainy Moon” by Colette is more of a novella and one that I own in several collections (mainly Colette ones); it is a story that showcases its writer’s immense talents are their finest. If there is anyone whose rich and lush writing Angela Carter’s could be compared to then it would be Colette. If you know little of Colette, or even if you do, then please read this excellent essay about her written by Angela Carter; it makes me want to instantly reach for the books I have by Colette and not come up for air until I have read her very last word.

In Angela Carter’s own words, this is a collection in which the title is ironic and the tales subversive; “Most of the women in these stories, even if they do not prosper exceedingly, at least contrive to evade the victim’s role by the judicious use of their wits, and they share a certain cussedness, a bloodymindedness, even though their stories are told in an enormous variety of ways, and come from all over the world”. Leonora Carrington’s riotously funny “The débutante” in which the eponymous (anti-)heroine persuades a hyena to take her place at a ball, is a highlight but there are several stand-out stories. Reading Wayward Girls and Wicked Women has made me seek out other work by some of the writers, some of whom were new to me and others I have been meaning to read for some time; you can expect me at some point to share my thoughts on my extended discoveries of Elizabeth Jolley; Grace Paley; Djuna Barnes; Bessie Head (who will be re-issued by Virago later this year); Jamaica Kincaid; Frances Towers (a collection of whose stories are published by Persephone Books).

Category: Angela Carter Month, Book Reviews, Challenges
Tags: Angela Carter > Bessie Head > Colette > Djuna Barnes > Elizabeth Jolley > Frances Towers > Grace Paley > Jamaica Kincaid > Katherine Mansfield > Short Stories > Virago

Comments

12 Responses to “Wayward Girls and Wicked Women”

Susi (The Book Affair)
April 17th, 2010 @ 2:33 pm

I haven’t read those particular short stories, but I am intrigued. I really like Angela Carter and her ‘Nights at the Circus’ was part of my MA thesis. I loved her fairytale-like stories in ‘A Bloody Chamber’ and I really want to read more by her, but I’m lacking time. This review has made me think, however, that I should really consider moving her up on top of the pile. The fact that it also contains Katherine Mansfield is yet another great argument.
Nymeth
April 17th, 2010 @ 2:34 pm

I’m ashamed to confess that this is a book I started but never finished. I think that like you said, spacing it out would have made it work much better for me. It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying it, but it was a library copy and I had limited time with it. So I decided to put it down instead of reading it in a hurry. But I’ll definitely pick it up again sometime – as well as the book of Modernist short stories by women you recommended, if I can find it used.
Jenny
April 17th, 2010 @ 2:37 pm

That is an excellent essay Angela Carter wrote about Collette, and you are right, it made me want to go read her straight away. I am feeling a bit regretful I voted against Eva’s reading Collette over on her blog.

I should be reading more short stories! I may see if I can check this out and read one story at a time, maybe one every three days. Then I will not get fed up with them, as I often do when I’m reading short story collections from start to finish.
Amy
April 17th, 2010 @ 3:49 pm

I keep seeing posts about Angela Carter and each time the book sounds incredible. I really need to pick up some of her books. I have been meaning to read more short stories too so this might be just the thing.
Paperback Reader
April 18th, 2010 @ 2:07 pm

Susi, thank you for commenting on my blog for the first time. I’m not sure if you noticed but I am actually hosting a month-long Angela Carter-dedicated month just now so this is one review amongst several of her books.

I am also a huge fan and advocate of Katherine Mansfield.

Ana, the short story collection that I suggest may fit into your new challenge … (or just be outwith, in the twenties).

Yes, WG&WW is definitely a book to read sporadically and savour.

Jenny, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the essay. I am sad that Colette didn’t win on Eva’s blog vote; I’ve been seeking an incentive to read more Colette soon.

I think short stories should feature more in my reading time too, one story here and there every day or so isn’t too much of an undertaking.

Hi Amy, thank you for commenting on my blog for the first time. I like to think that the recent spurt of Angela Carter posts are through my influence and the month I am hosting. I think this is definitely the thing if you are wanting to read more short stories but if you want to sample Angela Carter simultaneously then I highly recommend reading The Bloody Chamber.
bookworm
April 18th, 2010 @ 6:13 pm

I have an Angela Carter book in my TBR. I hope to read it soon!
This sounds like a good collection of short stories.
Rachel
April 18th, 2010 @ 6:33 pm

This sounds terrific. I didn’t realise that it wasn’t a collection of short stories by Angela Carter – it being a compendium of stories by exciting women writers makes me very interested in this! I wonder if the library has it..
Paperback Reader
April 18th, 2010 @ 10:07 pm

Naida, I hope that you manage to read Nights at the Circus soon and enjoy it. This is a collection of some very accomplished short stories.

Rachel, as it is a collection of some short stories by some very exciting women writers, I think it will something that you would enjoy.
Verity
April 19th, 2010 @ 9:23 am

This is an extra interesting dimension to AC isn’t it – I have this (it came as part of a big bundle of VMCs from ebay) but have not yet picked it up – I must, since I am sort of learning to like the Short Story!
Claire’s Corner | Paperback Reader
April 21st, 2010 @ 5:11 pm

[...] in her writing. The stars aligned and this post by Eva of A Striped Armchair prompted part of this post by me and now this current one; expect more Colette on my blog in the future, both rereads and [...]
Paperback Reader
April 21st, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

Verity, I think this will be a great anthology for you to read from here and there now that you are developing a like for the short story, especially since it has a couple of Persephone and a number of Virago authors in it.
anothercookiecrumbles
May 3rd, 2010 @ 10:05 pm

Think this is another anthology I need to add to my list – but I must finish Angela Carter’s Book of Fairy Tales first.

I’ve only read the one Katherine Mansfield short story (Doll’s House, unsurprisingly), and loved it. Would love to read more of her works.