The Bloody chamber And Other Stories

    publishedin1979,thebloodychamberandotherstories,whichreceivedthecheltenhamfestivalliteraryprize,retellsclassicfairytales.angelacarterrevisespuss-in-bootsandsleepingbeauty,forexample,fromanadult,twentieth-centuryperspective.herrenditionsareintendedtodisturbandtitillateheraudience,insteadoflullingittosleep.thetitlestoryrecaststhelegendofbluebeard,themysteriousfrenchnoblemanwhomurdershismanywives.thelegend,asrecordedbytheseventeenth-centuryauthorcharlesperrault,beginswiththemarriageofagirltoaneccentric,wealthyman.calledawayonbusiness,thenewlywedhusbandleaveshiswifethekeystoeveryroomandcabinetinthehouse.thiskeyringincludesonekeythatshemustnotuse:theonetotheroomattheendofthegreatgallery.ofcourse,sheeventuallyenterstheroomforbiddentoher.initshefindsthecorpsesofherhusbandspreviouswives,allwiththeirthroatscut.startled,thegirldropsthekey,whichisenchantedandpermanentlystainedbythebloodonthefloor.fromthisstain,bluebearddiscoversherdisobedience.heraiseshisscimitar,butjustintime,herbrothersarrivetoslaythemurderer.thoughitfollowstheoriginaltaleinbasicstructure,thebloodychamberaddsdetailsofcharacterandsettingthatraiseissuesofsexualawakeningandsexualdepravity,ofthewilltolive,andoflifeinhell.inhavingtheyoungbridebetheonetotellherstoryandinhavinghercourageousmothercometotherescue,moreover,carterrevisitsanage-oldtalewithherfeministviewpoint.