resstheCoastofandelfarawayontheporphyryandlapislazuliIndianShore".But,asusual,hersarcastion-senseyanksthestorybacktoearthbeforeitdisappearsinanexquisitepuffofsmoke.Thisdream-wood--"nowherehens...(it)isreallylocatedsomewhereintheEnglishmidlands,possiblynearBletchley"--isdampandwaterloggedandthefairiesallhavecolds.Also,ithas,sihedateofthestory,beenchoppeddowntomakeroomforamotorway.CarterselegantfugueonShakespeareanthemesisliftedtowardsbrilliancebyherexpositionofthediffereweentheDreamswoodandthe"darkneanticforest"oftheGrimms.Theforest,shefinelyremindsus,isascaryplace;tobelostinitistofallpreytomonstersandwitches.Butinawood,"youpurposelymislayyourway";therearenowolves,andthewood"iskindtolovers".HereisthediffereweentheEnglishandEuropeanfairytalepreciselyandunfettablydefined.

    Mostly,however,BlausanditssuceriGhostsandOldWorldWonders,eschewfantasyworlds;Cartersrevisionistimaginationhasturowardsthereal,herioortraitureratherthannarrative.Thebestpietheselaterbooksareportraits--ofBaudelairesblackmistressJeanneDuval,ofEdgarAllanPoe,and,intwostories,ofLizzieBordenlongbeforeshe"tookanaxe",andthesameLizzieonthedayofhercrimes,adaydescribedwithslow,languorousprecisionandattentioail--thesequencesofoverdressingi-wave,aingtwice-cookedfish,bothplayapart.Behehyper-realism,however,thereisanechoofTheBloodyChamber,forLizziesisabloodydeed,andsheis,inadditioruating.Herownlife-bloodflows,whiletheangelofdeathwaitsonanearbytree.(Onceagain,aswitht