The Invention of Angela Carter

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

pick

Angela Carter‘s life is so interesting. She was deeply connected with the world of folklore and popular knowledge, but she also moved around the literary world of the UK in the 60s and 70s. She taught Ishiguro! The author does note that this is far from a comprehensive approach to Carter, but this is also the first biography of her that‘s ever been written, there‘s a lot more to explore in the life of this great writer.

Christine11 This sounds really interesting 😊 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @Christine11 she‘s so interesting! A lot of really great authors cite her as a big influence on their work, but she has never gotten the recognition she deserves 6y

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Got up late because my neighbours were having a huge and noisy party last night, just outside my bedroom. I‘ll probably finish this today, but there‘s some writing I need to get done during the afternoon, too. So no new books until tomorrow, I guess.

dixi_e How is this?? 6y

DivineDiana I hate when that happens. Have been known to anonymously contact the police to report disturbing the police! 😉 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @DivineDiana it was annoying but I‘m forgiving. My family has lived in the same small street for over twenty years now (we literally moved one house over when my youngest brother was born), so we‘ve known these neighbours all our lives (one of them was in my HS class and drove me around our senior year because I didn‘t have a car). It was their youngest‘s 18th birthday and I‘ve known the kid since he was born 😂 6y

DivineDiana That is fascinating! Sounds like the beginning of a book! 🤔📚😉 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @DivineDiana hahaha, maybe one day I‘ll write it! 6y

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Almost done with this one. What should I read next?

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

It‘s supposed to rain all afternoon, and right now it‘s very windy outside. Cuddling in with a book sounds like my best alternative in this weather, doesn‘t it?

Linear It snowed here yesterday. It never snows in costal ga do people dont know how to handle it. School and work has been cancled yesterday and today. So im hiding inside trying to get a book finished 6y

TaylorMay Add some tea and it sounds like my kind of day. 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @Linear have fun! 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @TaylorMay I might have some tea later 😉 6y

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

It was raining when I woke up, so a book was obviously the first thing in my mind.

minkyb Of course! 6y

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Morning reading to begin my day. What are you up to?

Libby1 I‘m about to start making dinner but I hope to finish the book I‘m reading later on today! I live in the UK so it‘s now evening here.

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

Elizabeth2 Back to the grind on this Tuesday, but my book is waiting for after the dinner/homework rush this evening. Enjoy your reading time! 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @Libby1 hope dinner was good! 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez @Elizabeth2 hope you got some reading done 😊 6y

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Cracked this one open and this quote welcomed me. I‘m reading with a pencil handy, as usual.

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TheAnitaAlvarez

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

First book of 2018! Carter is one of my favorite writters, but I know next to nothing about her life, so I‘m looking forward to learning more.

myers85 Read some of her work when I was at college and uni. I really need to revisit it 6y

TheAnitaAlvarez I read her in college as well, and she really holds up 6y

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Leftcoastzen

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Was very frustrated by my local libraries have NONE of Angela Carters books! (Ok maybe one)Want to read her novels then tackle the bio.Thanks, Book Depository! But why not all in one box?!? sigh(always)These purchased in June, trying to #nobuyjuly .

LeahBergen I hate to tell you but there are a few available on Book Outlet right now. 😂 7y

Leftcoastzen Wanted first three novels only saw "Toyshop" . (edited) 7y

elkeOriginal Book Dep wanted you to have more bookmarks. That's why the multiple packages 😉 Love the hashtag! 7y

Leftcoastzen @elkeo 😄I do like their bookmarks! 7y

batsy Gorgeous covers all. I've actually not read Shadowdance and Several Perceptions and want to get them all now! 7y

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

pick

Utterly delightful, a pleasure to read from start to finish. Angela Carter led a unique life. She was unconventional & defiant. She got married to defy her mother, went to Japan in defiance of marriage & wrote her books to defy the literary establishment. She was a writer of ideas & loved learning, reading voraciously to feed her writing. As a bio this was capacious & thoroughly engaged with its subject, allowing her complexities to come through.

shawnmooney Sold! I used to reflexively opine that biographies were not my thing. The last one I read has made me rethink that so this might be a good second try for me! Wonderful review! 7y

batsy @shawnmooney Thank you! I do enjoy biographies, especially of writers, artists; love reading about how they got any work done while living multiple lives! 7y

Leftcoastzen Great review!I like biographies about authors and this one sounds like it's a cut above ! 7y

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LeahBergen I haven't even read anything by her (yet!) but your posts have made me want to read this. Stacked! 7y

batsy @Leftcoastzen Thank you, I love writer biographies too. Gordon did a great job. My only problem is towards the end, as she became happier with life but then diagnosed with cancer, she stopped keeping journals. So Gordon had less of her first person voice to work with. 7y

batsy @LeahBergen I would definitely recommend easing into her style with her short stories. I really think you can't go wrong with The Bloody Chamber ☺️

The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories: 75th-anniversary Edition

LeahBergen @batsy Perfect! That's the one I was thinking of starting with. 7y

vivastory @LeahBergen I second the Bloody Chamber recommendation. It's amazing. Dark, feminist takes on fairy tales. 7y

shawnmooney I'd definitely want to read some of her fiction first – where should I start? Any recommendations? (edited) 7y

shawnmooney Lol - guess I should read the updated comment thread before I go ahead and leave another comment, hey? No need to reply to mine now… LOL 7y

erzascarletbookgasm Lovely review! And I have The Bloody Chamber sitting somewhere :) 7y

Billypar Ooh...I am expecting great things from this now 😋 7y

batsy @Billypar Oh dear. Um, a slower paced last act... Also I wish it was longer 😁 7y

batsy @shawnmooney Haha! But ya give the short stories a go. I know her style can be seen as excessive by some. 7y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you! I hope you enjoy it when you get around to it. 7y

Billypar @batsy Ok, good- expectations reigned in. 👍 7y

RohitSawant Lovely review! I've been meaning to read The Bloody Chamber and will try and get to it soon, so I can check this out after. 7y

Suet624 A lovely and enticing review. 7y

batsy @rohit-sawant Thanks! I think you'll enjoy The Bloody Chamber. 7y

batsy @Suet624 Thank you ❤️ 7y

vivastory I'm usually not interested in biographies, but this sounds great. Wasn't she friends with Salman Rushdie? 7y

batsy @vivastory Yes, they were great friends and she stood by him through the fatwa. There's a great bit in the bio about how a bunch of writers were supposed to appear at a public event in defence of Rushdie at the very early stages of the fatwa, and only she and Kazuo Ishiguro turned up despite any fears they might have had about personal safety. Felt very fond of both of them when I read that. 7y

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

"It has been estimated that in 1961 the average British housewife spent seven and a half hours each day on her chores."

saresmoore This comes very close to telling the story of my life from just over a year ago! Damn chores. 7y

batsy @saresmoore Right? In her relationship with a younger Korean man in Japan, she told him that his most romantic gift to her was not "I will die for you" or anything along those lines but his ability to clean the lavatory and do housework without having to be asked/prodded. 7y

TrishB Never been to my house then....I'm definitely of the it can be done later (never!) variety. Waste all that reading time 😱 7y

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batsy @TrishB I'm definitely of that variety too 😁 And Angela was as well, she would have rather been writing. But her husband at the time would go into sulks if she didn't keep the house clean 🙄 7y

TrishB Lol 😀 I'm just imagining the look my hubby would get if he even offerred a comment 😂 7y

batsy @TrishB 😂👍 7y

chapter_fifty2017 How depressing is that estimate because its so true must read this book !👌 7y

RaimeyGallant Wow 7y

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

I just want to live in this book, or in Angela Carter's head. I'm reluctant to put it down and rejoin the real world, with its demands to be materially successful and conventional and "normal". Carter's defiant embrace of weirdness in life and in imagination was always undercut with a pragmatic sense of how ruthless and alienating the world could be. Loved reading about her childhood favourites in this passage.

rubyslippersreads I've not yet read any Angela Carter, but this makes me think I need to read

The Magic Toyshop

saresmoore Every time I think I'm on a reading trajectory, I'm derailed by @batsy! Now I feel I must immediately read Angela Carter. 7y

LeahBergen Yep. Now I need to read some Angela Carter, too @saresmoore ! 7y

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Ms_T I think you've just described the absolute wonder of books. 7y

batsy @rubyslippersreads @saresmoore @LeahBergen I've only read her short stories and her novel, Love. I think there short stories are a great place to start if you want to test out her style 😉 7y

batsy @Ms_T It's glorious agony! 😀 7y

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Edmund Gordon quoting Angela Carter from her journal written in 1969.

readordierachel Great quote. 7y

batsy @ReadOrDieRachel Yeah, I love how Carter thinks. 7y

Suet624 I think it's an imaginative construct all the way around. We are love, layered over with sparkles and dirt. 😁 7y

batsy @Suet624 Sparkling stardust with a core of love 💕😀 7y

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Got my essentials for #LitsyPartyOfOne

Billypar Ooh I should pick up some scotch for this... Good idea 🙂 7y

saresmoore Those accompaniments are going to make the book so much more awesome. 7y

LeahBergen Perfect!!!! 👍🏼 7y

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ReadingEnvy 💃 7y

Leftcoastzen How's that book going? I broke down and bought her first 3 novels at book depository.found a copy of Saints and Strangers at a library sale. 7y

andrew61 A perfect combination. 7y

RealLifeReading Ok you know how to party! 7y

batsy @Billypar @saresmoore @LeahBergen @ReadingEnvy @andrew61 @RealLifeReading It was indeed perfect... No regrets this morning 😁 7y

batsy @Leftcoastzen I've barely made a dent in it 😊 But so far, really good. Gordon has a fluid way of writing that captures you from the start. And I think Carter mumbling in her sleep would have been more interesting than what most people have to say. 7y

Leftcoastzen Lol!thats a good sign! 7y

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JessicaJernigan

Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

"Shit, I am writing this for the reader over my shoulder." Aren't we all?

batsy Love that. I'm going to have to start this one soon... 7y

JessicaJernigan So far, it's quite good. 7y

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

#JuneMostAnticipated #JuneBookBugs @RealLifeReading

This is a review copy so I'd better get cracking 😬

I'm definitely looking forward to this but I'd planned to revisit her short stories and read the novels I haven't yet read alongside the bio but I realised I literally don't have all year. #slowreaderproblems

merelybookish Looks good! I've read a bit of her stuff and find her fascinating. 7y

batsy @merelybookish That she definitely is! 7y

andrew61 Ill be really interested to know what this is like, ive read two of her novels and have another on my shelf, they are really unique, but her life sounds interesting as well. 7y

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batsy @andrew61 Yes, it really sounds like she had a fascinating life. I've heard lots of good things about the bio so I'm quite excited ☺️ 7y

Leftcoastzen The thing that annoys me is my go -to major city libraries have the bio and none of her work.Used to be libraries would keep good authors on the shelves from 60s ,70s,80s,I know budgets are tight but I want them have more than the classics and the newest bestsellers.Anyone else care to comment? 7y

batsy @Leftcoastzen That's really unfortunate. I'm not sure why that is, but it does seem to suggest slashed funding and maybe an indication of how publishing industry trends affect/influence libraries? I wish I knew; in Malaysia we do not have a library system. At all. Just one or two stand-alone libraries in certain areas, with bestsellers and children's books. 7y

Leftcoastzen @batsy wow ,no libraries,I am feeling like the entitled American.😔I think you are right ,fewer older titles in print and contracting with single vendor a problem too.I remember in old days a librarian on staff who's job it was to work with book scouts and used book vendors to replace worthy volumes. 7y

batsy @Leftcoastzen Oh no, not at all, but yes I think North America and perhaps UK have fantastic library systems that's really not found in these parts. (Singapore to the south of us is pretty good, though.) 7y

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JessicaJernigan

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

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Vikz

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

#WeekendRead. I really can't wait to start this book

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JessicaJernigan

Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Excited to be reading this. Grateful to be writing about it for Women's Review of Books.

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Liberty

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Epic nerdpurr. 🖤

Sue Ooooohhhhhh. 7y

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RowReads1

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Look at today's exciting #bookmail. Woot! #shepersisted

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angrylilasian

Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

I hadn't even heard of Angela Carter until a few days ago and then I saw this ARC. I had to get it. Must be fate. 😄 #blamelitsy

vivastory Angela Carter is wonderful, a good starting point is

The Bloody Chamber: And Other Stories: 75th-anniversary Edition

Leniverse Yes, what @vivastory said! 7y

angrylilasian @vivastory @Leniverse Thanks! I put it on hold at my library! 😄 7y

Weaponxgirl Nights at the circus too! I love Angela Carter so much 7y

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temptingpersephone

Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Coming home with me.

MadCatRamble

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

I'm leaving for London in one week. I have no idea what I'm wearing but I have my plane reading all picked out. Priorities.

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batsy

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Fantastic book mail day with the arrival of this beauty #reviewcopy

ReadingEnvy Beautiful cover! She's someone I'd like to know more about. 7y

batsy @ReadingEnvy Right? The reviews have been intriguing. I can't wait to read this but probably won't be able to get around to it until mid-March 😞 7y

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peggyriley

The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography | Edmund Gordon

Starting this gorgeous thing tonight.

daena Wow, I need to get this!! 8y

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