The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter was an experience. Not a book I would read or listen normally - I picked it up from the library because I had decided to try something new for a change. Well, this was something else. Written in the 60s, the book tells a story of the young Melanie, suddenly left orphan and forced to move to his mean and violent uncle's house and to work in his toyshop. The story is, somehow, magical, and it's characters are somehow not of this world, incorporeal so to say, even though they live their lives as any of us would.

 

What Melanie has to endure, and the dramatic ending -not good nor bad- makes this book well worth a read. I didn't change my world, but I do find myself thinking of it from time to time, and going back to the places or situations in it. I am not sure if I'd read anything else from Angela Carter, but not because the book was bad, just it plays with my mind somewhat and leaves me wondering what on earth is happening next.

 

I listened to the book on CDs, complete and unabridged, read by Miriam Margolyes. I liked her reading, the characters had their own styles of speech, and it was easy to follow who is talking, and how they might have felt. All in all, very good performance.

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