The Magic Toyshop

It's truly excellent because of the fairy tale/children's story element. It's also a story about life in England for young people in the early 70's. Suddenly, what was at the center of English social life is in ruins, and young people with imagination find themselves as misfits. This is merely my take on what the novel might represent. If you are not interested in reading books this way, you will still find The Magic Toyshop mesmerizing, entertaining, controversial, or whatever type of reading experience you wish to have. Get it.

There is not much to the overall plot of this book. The strength of it lies within the wierd characters and dialog among them. I felt a few things were thrown in for shock value like the unexplained severed hand in the kitchen drawer or the 'don't see it coming revealed secret' at the end... that could have been either left out entirely or at best given us a hint about the secret. The peek hole was just down right creepy and some of the descriptions like the uncle's false teeth in the jar in the bathroom made me shudder. I had trouble with Melanie's attraction to her aunt's dirty brother with his nasty breath and teeth and unwashed stinky body. However it was this sort of thing that draws you in and makes you love the book because it IS SO macabre! The ending is lousy but in reality the whole story was not that great but it's the characters and their weirdness that will keep you reading so even with a bad ending you will go away whispering... wow...

this was a great buy, very low on cost and great for its price. the used book was priced at around 3 dollars and came in as if new, the quality of the book was better then some of my own used books, the only thing that could have made this purchase better would have been already knowing the quality of the book (aka: if it had creases, or was torn, etc.)

The puppets cut the strings of the puppetmaster. The woman silenced by patriarchy finds her voice. The romantic day, or rather night, dreams of a teenaged girl turn into a grimy, grim reality. This novel has all the earmarks of a feminist tale, tapping into the gothic feminist writings of Bronte, Alcott, Wharton, Shelley, Perkins Gilman, etc., but beyond Aunt Margaret finding her voice and the vanquishing of the creepy, grander, overt representation of patriarchy the story doesn't maintain it's feminist footing. Plus, I'm disturbed by the ambiguity of the fates of the characters...I don't need a big bow tying up the details nice and tidy, but this conclusion doesn't even bring the details into the same zipcode. The power of this novel is the cache of the author, not the story.

An incredible book. It's inspiring, well written, and positively intriguing.

After I wrote a mock fairy tale a professor I had suggested I read Angela Carter. She felt that I would love the satire and female strength within her books. So far I agree, this book is a funny, sweet, but in your face approach to certain genres. It is a really fun read, but doesn't waste your time. This book has many layers to it and it is breaks a lot of fairy tale taboos. It is not a children's book.

It starts with an idyllic situation but very soon it deteriorates and turns into horror. The end is dramatic but in my opinion a little bit fabricated.

Graphic story to begin with. Entertaining.

Good read.

È il primo romanzo della Carter, l'ho comperato per un regalo, spedizione perfetta.

ein Initiationsmärchen von Angela Carter, über die Ängste eines kleinen Mädchens, das sich an der Schwelle zum Frausein befindet. Parabelhaft, verzaubernd

Aunque está bien escrita, la historia no me engancho.

Another book that uses language and structure to touch on human life. I loved the twists and turns and the slow revelation of the characters. Each character had a sense of people one could recognize and the conclusion was both devastating but opened up the way of the future. Brilliant!