The Company of Wolves

short story by Carter

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July 22, 2026

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"The Company of Wolves" is a short story by Angela Carter, published in her 1979 collection The Bloody Chamber. This collection features adaptations of fairy tales, and "The Company of Wolves" is a retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood".12

Carter's version is known for its adult themes, exploring concepts such as puberty, menstruation, and sexual maturity. It infuses the traditional fairy tale with a ghastly humor and eroticism, reshaping familiar motifs from mythology and legends. The story was later adapted into a motion picture of the same name in 1984.12

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Little Red Riding Hood
Modern versions
…British author Angela Carter’s “The Company of Wolves,” a short story published in 1979 in her collection of fairy tale adaptations, The Bloody Chamber. Carter’s evocative and controversial telling of the tale explores the themes of puberty, menstruation, and sexual maturity. Her story was made into a film of…
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…British author Angela Carter’s “The Company of Wolves,” a short story published in 1979 in her collection of fairy tale adaptations, The Bloody Chamber. Carter’s evocative and controversial telling of the tale explores the themes of puberty, menstruation, and sexual maturity. Her story was made into a film of…
Read More