(I must admit to not liking this film tie-in edition, because Uncle Philip -Tom Bell in the photo – is all wrong, so I shall be forced one day to buy another nicer edition *sigh*)
The Magic Toyshop was chosen by my very small book group as our November read, and I was quite simply delighted by it. This, was something of a surprise, because I am never very sure about novels which I think vaguely of as being ‘a bit odd.’ I put Angela Carter in the same category as Barbara Comyns – (rightly or wrongly), two writers I have only read once before, and have skirted around ever since. Some years ago, I read The Bloody Chamber stories – for another book group, and I did like it (though it is a bit odd).
The Magic Toyshop is fantastically imagined, brilliantly written, with intensity and a wonderful dream like quality. Characters and situations are instantly memorable, and it is a book I can imagine reading again. The writing is so beautiful, descriptions are simply glorious, I look forward to reading it again one day so I can fully appreciate them.
“Melanie let herself into the night and it snuffed out her daytime self at once, between two of its dark fingers.
The flowers cupped in the garden with a midnight, un-guessable sweetness, and the grass rippled and murmured in a small voice that was an intensification of silence. The stillness was like the end of the world. She was alone. In her carapace of white satin, she was the last, the only woman. She trembled with exaltation under the deep, blue, high arc of sky.”
Melanie is fifteen years old, the eldest of three siblings, she has a good life in her family home with its lovely garden, bedrooms to spare a Shetland pony and her happy parents. Her father, a writer, is at last enjoying some real success, and Melanie has grown up in a house that smells of money. While her parents are away the children are cared for by Mrs Rundle, who makes lots of bread pudding and has an obese cat.
At fifteen, Melanie is beginning to discover something of her sexuality, she’s curious, growing up fast, a child awakening, with her beloved Edward Bear never far away. One day she tries her mother’s wedding dress on and goes outside into the garden late at night, finding herself locked out of the house. She is forced to scramble awkwardly up a tree to her bedroom, ripping the dress in the process.
“She parcelled up the dress and stuck it in the fork of the tree. she could carry it up with her and put it away again in the trunk and no one would know it had been worn if they did not see the blood on the hem, and there was only a little blood. The cat put its head on one side and turned it sequin regard on the parcel; it stretched out its paddy paw and stroked the dress. Its paw was tipped with curved, cunning meat hooks. It had a cruel stroke. There was a ripping sound.”
Melanie is dismayed at the damage to her mother’s dress, feels like a foolish child, who will one day soon need to confess to what she’s done. However, the very next day a telegram arrives, and Melanie knows instantly what it contains, her parents have been killed. Melanie and her siblings are sent to live with relatives of her mother’s, Uncle Philip – who Melanie has only seen in an old wedding photograph – and his family in London.
To Melanie, this is not the London she has imagined London to be, and Uncle Philip is not the Uncle Philip of the photograph. Uncle Philip has a toyshop, there’s a puppet theatre in the basement, and Uncle Philip creates life size puppets which he cares for obsessively while seeming to hate everyone in the house. The household consist of red haired Aunt Margaret – struck dumb on her wedding day, cowed by her bullying husband and her two younger brothers Finn, who dances while the almost silent Francie, plays his music – at night, while Philip is out. Loving, gentle Aunt Margaret, loves Melanie and her siblings, particularly little Victoria, while Jonathon seems strangely self-sufficient.
At first Melanie is horribly alone and slightly disgusted by this strange new world, a dilapidated, dirty house and the two red haired Irish brothers, themselves none too clean, and her strangely silent aunt who communicates by scribbling on a pad. In time, Melanie find she loves her aunt, Finn and Francie, gradually becoming part of their world, she allies herself with them against the villainous Philip. She longs to give Aunt Margaret a present for Christmas, though none of them have any money, and Philip has no interest in celebrating Christmas.
Melanie finds herself drawn to Finn, though she is sometimes afraid of him too – not quite ready for the feelings he awakens in her.
“Everything went black in the shocking folds of his embrace. She was very startled and near to sobbing.
‘Caw, caw,’ echoed his raincoat.
‘Don’t be frightened,’ he said. ‘It is only poor Finn, who will do you no harm.’
She recovered herself a little, though she was still trembling. She could see her own face reflected in little in the black pupils of his subaqueous eyes. She still looked the same. She saluted herself. He was only a little taller than she and their eyes were almost level. Remotely, she wished him three inches taller. Or four. She felt the warm breath from his wild beast’s mouth softly, against her cheek. She did not move. Stiff, wooden, and unresponsive, she stood in his arms and watched herself in his eyes. It was a comfort to see herself as she thought she looked.”
Uncle Philip is a terrifying presence, his rages and his rules, oppress the strange little household, where his puppets take precedence. Uncle Philip draws his family into the stories he creates with his puppets, later after weeks of ignoring her presence in the household, he insists that Melanie take a starring role in a particularly disturbing story. Something has to give, and Finn takes drastic action.
The Magic Toyshop has elements of a Gothic fairy-tale, a coming of age tale and quirky romance, it’s compelling, disturbing and charming all at once.
I absolutely loved this book, I hope you can tell (this review is being written much faster than usual – it might be one of those weeks!) and I would love to explore more Angela Carter – but oh where to start? Angela Carter experts; please advise.
How interesting that you put her with Barbara Pym – I’ve always found her a lot more feminist and magical realist, and put her with people like Michele Roberts. But really, she’s out on her own, a real original.
I read Wise Children not that long ago, although I don’t seem to have reviewed it, and it’s wonderful and quite similar in a way to this one. The Passion of New Eve is quite amazing and disturbing and reminds me (probably just because I read it at the same time) of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
Comyns not Pym!
Thanks for the recommendations.
I meant to type Comyns but I obviously automatically type Pym after Barbara. But what I said referred to Comyns!
Ah ok. I have only read one Comyns so probably confused her in my mind with odd goings on.
All Carter fans will have their own favourites but I’d like to recommend Wise Children – witty, entertaining and one of the best portrayals of old women I’ve ever read.
Thank you, the title alone attracts me.
If you loved this you should definitely read Nights at the Circus – that’s her masterpiece, I think.
Ooh thank you I will look out for that.
Great review Ali! Another vote here for ‘Wise Children’. It’s absolutely hilarious, and for what it’s worth is listed as one of the Guardian’s 100 greatest novels. I have a copy of ‘The Magic Toyshop’ so I must make time for it soon – if it’s anywhere near as good as Wise Children, it’ll be a real treat!
Great. Wise Children sounds like another one to look other for then.
Wonderful review, Ali. I read this book a few years ago and although the some of detail now escapes me I do remember the disturbing, dreamlike quality of the story. As for Carter’s other work, Nights at the Circus is definitely worth a look. The opening section is particularly strong with its Victorian London setting.
Victorian London! That sounds interesting.
A lovely review, Ali. This was the first green VMC I read and so I love it for setting me on a path as well as for itself. I’d point you towards ‘Wise Children’ and ‘Nights at the Circus’, as well as saying that you should read more of her short stories.
Wise Children and Nights at the Circus are definitely on my wishlist after so many recommendations.
i can’t answer your question because I’ve never read anything by Carter sorry. That image on the cover does strike me as rather odd as you say
I can imagine this novel making an excellent film, but didn’t appreciate having the image of that actor as Uncle Philip.
Great review Ali! I’m no Carter expert, though I have a few on shelf (and was lucky enough to meet her at a book signing back in the day). The Bloody Chamber was one I loved too, and I believe Nights at the Circus is supposed to be pretty good!
Thank you. Nights at the Circus sounds like it might be worth looking out for
Terrible cover, film and TV tie ins always cheapen the book. I tried this books seven or eight years ago and just couldn’t get into it, I was probably too young to appreciate the nuances of it though. The Wonder Years put me off coming of age stories so that’s probably it.
Yes terrible cover. Maybe you could try again one day.
I will certainly have another go, yes!
I have read several reviews of Angela’s Carter’s books but have yet to read one.. The book you discuss sounds like a fun read though my heart always breaks at those stories of comfortable, lovely, cozy life and then ending up at the evil relative’s home. Like an old Shirley Temple movie, haha. Will keep an eye out for it.
I hope you do! I think it’s great – but yes it is always sad when lovely lives are turned upside down – but that is where the story lies.
I recently picked up a virago copy of this book – with a ‘proper cover’. I was slightly wary of reading it but you’ve eased my fears so thank you for that. Great review, regardless of the cover!
I’m going to get one with a proper cover one day 😁.
Really hope you enjoy it too.
It might seem odd- but I have read more ‘about’ Angela Carter but not her works. I have heard great things about all her books and The Magic Toyshop is on my TBR. I will be starting with Wise Children though. I was lucky to find a used Virago copy a while ago. And reading the comments above, many seem to have loved it too.
It sounds like Wise Children will be a great read.
The Magic Toyshop is the book which transitioned me from child reading to grown-up reading, and it holds a very special place in my heart as a result. In fact it’s a simply wonderful book. I can highly recommend her short story collections The Bloody Chamber and Black Venus, both are very powerful (and I speak as someone who is ambivalent to short stories, but I love these). In terms of her other fiction, as Susan mentions Wise Children is a very good choice, but I have an extremely soft spot for Heroes and Villains (Marianne is what I was like as a teenager!); The Passion of New Eve is a fantastic feminist work and a must read, I think, for anyone wanting to understand the female condition, and The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman is worth reading for the title alone!
Thank you for those recommendations I have already read The Bloody Chamber but Wise Children is certainly on my radar now having had so many people recommend it.
Ali, I really enjoyed your review! The Magic Toyshop is the first Carter I ever read: I checked it out of the library with my first adult card at 12 and you can imagine it was not what I had expected. What an imagination! Scary puppets! I love Carter’s ’90s novels, and am less keen on some of her early work, like The Passion of Eve, but she’s a post-modern meta-fictional genius.
A friend recently told me they didn’t think I would like The Passion of Eve so I am going to avoid that one for now . Though I certainly look forward to reading more of Carter’s novels.
[…] started the month reading The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter for my very small book group, I loved it – we all did – and I am keen now to […]
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