Wise Children

Book came in quite quickly, but the bottom right corner pages were bent.

One of my favorite books--a true sparkler that's theatrical in scope and deeply nostalgic the whole way through. Laugh out loud funny in some parts, and darkly sad in others. Carter's protagonist has a knack for the sentimental, but both the author and Dora keep it checked (for the most part). For me, this one shines above Nights at the Circus as Carter's true masterpiece--it contains all sorts of complicated and rich love stories. I would place a copy of it into your hands if I could!

In a scathing review of Raj Kamal Jha's new novel Fireproof, blogger and author Chandrahas begins with a succinct statement of what makes or breaks a piece of fiction: The good-ness or bad-ness of a work of fiction lies, among other things, in the choice of details that the writer chooses to present to us. And the test of those details is their relevance, the way in which each thing noted seems to become an essential part of a larger picture. When a reader picks up a novel, he or she signs an implicit contract with the writer. Irrelevant detail in fiction is a breach of that contract: when description seems gratuitous or self-indulgent, we have a right to complain about why our time is being wasted.The same is true of misleading or insufficient detail as well. For example, in Angela Carter begins her contract with the reader by establishing the inelegant English setting for the painfully detail-laden story of the performing Chance sisters, Nora and Dora, as told by Dora: Welcome to the wrong side of the tracks....we've always lived on the left-hand side...the bastard side of Old Father Thames. (Carter 2) Carter goes on to have Dora tell us: What would have become of us, if grandma hadn't left us this house?...If it wasn't for this house, Nora and I would be on the streets by now...Born in this house, indeed in this very attic...I made my bow five minutes ahead of Nora, who is, at this very moment downstairs getting breakfast. How is it, then, that on page 227, that not only is Carter not going to end the story with who actually bore these women, but the reader is scolded: But who she was or where they both were do not belong to the world of comedy. Perry told us, of course, but I don't propose to tell you....you might have known what you were about to let yourself in for when you let Dora Chance in her ratty old fur and poster paint, her orange (Persian Melon) toenails sticking out of her snakeskin peep-toes, reeking of liquor, accost you in the Coach and Horses and let her talk to you. All the vivid detail in the world isn't going to excuse Carter's breaking of her contract; she has made the reader wait 225 pages to find out he's been cheated and misled. The reader in not in the house where Dora was born. Nora is not downstairs cooking breakfast. And the time spent contemplating the mystery of Dora's origins has been a colossal waste of time. All the self-indulgent references to Shakespearean plays and characters notwithstanding, this is bad faith gimmickry at its worst; references to great story-telling cannot expiate Carter's cardinal sin of authorial duplicity. Money paying readers don't deserve to be treated so shabbily. It isn't difficult to imagine what Shakespeare's audiences would have done if Hamlet would have ended with the Prince saying, "And then I woke up..I am not a prince of Denmark. I won't tell you who I am, but that's what you get for dabbling in Danish politics." How many readers, despite the hyperbolic blurbs on the back cover that tout Carter's writing as "wonderful" "funny, funny" and her "best book", will pass on Carter's other work because of their dissatisfaction with her specific performance of this contract we'll never know. One thing I do know, I'll not read any of her other works. Sorry she's dead, but being a fan shouldn't interfere with objective evaluation of this book. it stinks.

Practically every word in Wise Children is magnificent and serves to examine the complex, confusing, and unfortunate tension that exists between the two families of the story: one that is (apparently) legitimate in every sense of the word, and the other that is not. A memorable, feisty narrator casually describes her incredible family history with humor, shocking twists, and sadness. Carter's final novel pokes fun at trivial theatrical prejudices and questions what it truly means to be "legitimate."

For years I had it on my bookshelf unread. What a surprise was waiting for me. It is likewhipped cream that has nourishment for the soul. A fabulous book to be read by women of all ages,but especially wonderful to discover as one grows older. It is sly, subversive ,feminist, wise, and, if you stay with it,funny as all get out. I just bought a copy for a friend.

Strange book..I loved it..

I loved it. Such a crazy happy walk down memory lane!

The concept is fun, but the incest really killed my enjoyment.

Wise Children is a riotous story which describes the lives of the Chances - Nora and Dora and their adopted Grandma - and the Hazards, an acting dynasty with an illegitimate connection to the Chance twins. The story is written in the first person, by Dora, who is remarkably erudite for someone who is not exactly top drawer, but that's probably due to her association with `Irish', an American writer, who has introduced her to literary classics - in alphabetical order.The book documents a history of the theatre over the last century, and is full of anecdotes about the lives and loves of the protagonists, and the naughty and apparently incestuous goings on. There are many appealing characters, but Dora who tells us the truth about all these people is particularly appealing and inspires much empathy.It is almost impossible to follow the plot, if there is one, but the prose is so rich - each sentence crammed with information, each paragraph, a history, so that in the end, it doesn't matter.Just as you think it is all becoming sameish, there is a climax, in which unimaginable events take place in a cascade of magical realism - or unrealism. Nostalgic, sad and happy, the book is brim full of life and colour.

I love Angela Carter’s book but this is not my favourite but it is a great read. The parts based in London are hilarious, querky and wonderfully unusual. Every page has something that made me laugh or brought me up short - there is a dark side to the story as well. Read her other books first and then read this book

This was a book club choice and my introduction to Angela Carter. It was a bit of a struggle to get through it, but looking back there were parts I really enjoyed (more so than when I was actually reading it - maybe it is because other book club members gave a different perspective to make me rethink the story). Some of the descriptions were written so well it was easy to visualise the scenes, although other events seemed too contrived for easy reading. Unusually, I think it would make a better film than it did a book. I felt a bit overwhelmed at the start, where the reader is introduced to many characters, but once I had worked out who is who I got more into it, but I don't like to have to do so much mental juggling when starting a book. I found the writing a bit cumbersome - the punctuation seemed a bit odd in parts and I found myself mentally rewriting sentences so that they made sense (to me). There were some very amusing lines, particularly when Dora - the septuagenarian twin that was narrating the story - was offering little asides, or her take on events. I would love to have a Dora in my family. I could suspend belief throughout much of the book and excuse the contrivances, except for the last chapter, which I found a little over the top - although another book club member thought this was the best chapter of all. It was OK: I didn't love it; I didn't hate it; I liked it a bit.

An intriguing journey through theatrical life in the twentieth century, viewed from the wrong side of the tracks. The delightfully Shakespearean plot involves an extended family whose members are engaged in both popular forms of theatre ie, variety, and the more grand, "legitimate" theatre - the one that used to be pronounced THEE-a-ter in John Gielgud tones. It's a very funny book.From birth to death (and beyond) the storytelling never falters. There are twins, coincidences and romance. Set-pieces include a hilarious trip to Hollywood (Max Reinhardt's Dream reflected in a distorting mirror) and a wonderful conflagration (with conflagrante delicto). The final family reunion draws all the threads of the plot together in an affectionate salute to the Bard. Or does it cock a very cheeky snook at him? The reader must decide.Either way (to quote Nora) - Oh what a joy it is to dance and sing.

A crazy, fun romp filled with unforgettable characters. Brimming with warmth and outrageous exploits. As weird and wonderful a book as I have read.