therandsisterarelostinasensual,malevolentforest,whosetreeshavebreasts,andbite,aheapple-treeofkeaotgoodandevil,butiuoussexuality.I--arecurringCartersubject--cropsupagainin"TheExecutionersBeautifulDaughter",atalesetinthekindofbleakuplandvillagewhichisperhapsthequintessentialCarterlocation--ohosevillageswhere,asshesaysintheBloodyChamberstory"TheWerewolf","theyhavecoldweather,theyhavecoldhearts".WolveshowlaroundtheseCarter-tryvillagesandtherearemaamorphoses.

    Cartersothertryisthefairground,theworldofthegimcraan,thehypnotist,thetrickster,thepuppeteer."TheLovesofLadyPurple"takesherclosedcircus-worldtoyetanothermountainous,Middle-Europeanvillagewheresuicidesaretreatedlikevampires(wreathsofgarlic,stakesthroughtheheart)whilerealwarlocks"practisedritesofimmemorialbeastlinessintheforests".AsinallCartersfairgroundstories,"thegrotesqueistheorderoftheday".LadyPurple,thedominatrixmarioe,isamoralistswarning--beginningasawhore,sheturnsintoapuppetbecausesheis"pulledonlybythestringsofLust".Sheisafemale,sexyahalrewriteofPinocchio,and,alongwiththemetamorphiccat-womanin"Master",ohemanydark(andfair)ladieswith"unappeasableappetites"towhomAngelaCarterissopartial.Inhersedcolle,TheBloodyChamber,theseriotladiesiherfialearth.

    TheBloodyChamberisCartersmasterwork:thebookinwhichherhigh,perfervidmodeisperfectlymarriedtoherstoriesneeds.(Forthebestofthelow,demoticCarter,readWiseChildren;butinspiteofalltheuv,b