First edition of Carter’s stunning feminist retellings of classic fairytales. Carter brings the themes of power and sexuality to the forefront of the stories, not shying away from bloody violence.

From the title story, which is her uniquely chilling interpretation of Bluebeard to ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon,’ her modernization of Beauty and the Beast, Carter’s fairytales retain the familiarity of the originals, but have been infused with Carter’s interests in feminism, postmodernism, psychoanalysis, and her fascination with the idea of metamorphosis.

British author Carter still has only a small, but fervid readership in America, though it is growing particularly amongst feminists academics and lovers of fairy tales, while in the UK she is considered one of Britain’s top 20th century writers. Gollancz published the first edition in a vivid dust jacket that was atypical for the publisher, which is known for its yellow image-less dust jackets. Cover illustration by Malcolm Ashman.

London: Victor Gollancz, 1979. 20.5 x 13.5 x 2. 157 pages. Octavo. First edition. Hardback, in illustrated dust jacket. Publisher’s black cloth lettered gilt at spine. Top edge slightly dusty, slight lean at spine, else clean. Very good in slightly browned, very good dust jacket.