Since JRR Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, I don't think I've come across another work that has so enraptured me. It is truly a modern fairy tale, and one that can easily be re-read a hundred times over. (It's been awhile since I read this and I don't have my book with me, but I'll try to be as accurate as I can with the names of the characters.) You can tell from the start that this isn't your conventional fantasy romp: the heroine Marian Leatherby isn't a youthful, beautiful princess but an old lady with family problems. She doesn't journey to distant lands to find magic and adventure; instead, all the action takes place in an old folks home. Along the way Leonora Carrington slyly pokes fun at patriarchal myths and traditions. 'Galahad', a name familiar to us from Arthurian legends, reappears in THT not as some dashing, valiant do-gooder but, if my memory serves me correctly, as Marian's ineffectual, unpleasant son. So much for modern chivalry, Carrington seems to say. Yet while she debunks these old legends, she creates new ones, drawing upon mythology and fantasy alike to people her story with strong female characters and ancient Goddesses. Whimsical, magical, entertaining, thought-provoking. I won't say much more, you'll have to read it for yourself to find out just how excellent it is. And yes, do put your own copy under lock and key!!

Leonora Carrington is awsome as an author - she doesn't let her imagination be chained by convention or by anything. What a vivid, strange world these characters live in. Marian (the main character) is awsome herself; full of character and spirit. Everyone I've lent this book to has enjoyed it. If it has a fault, it's that it ends too soon.

The Hearing Trumpet is deliciously funny and irreverent; Surrealist painter/author Leonora Carrington's apocalyptic tale is filled with gems such as "Darling, don't be philosophical, it doesn't suit you, it makes your nose red." Filtered through the eyes and ears of Marian Leatherby, a 92 year-old inmate of a Spanish old folk's home (run by the cultlike Well of Light Brotherhood), the tongue-in-cheek tone and hilarious chracters make this book a refreshing surprise. Every copy I've ever owned has been stolen! From the first paragraph, the reader will see that Marian Leatherby and her friends are NOT LOL's (Little Old Ladies), and Leonora Carrington is not your average author. (She's truly hilarious, for one!) Read this book for its wacky imagery (a trompe l'oeil "furnished" tower, a pair of murdering religious quacks, termite engineering, wigs, marijuana-stuffed needlepoint pillows, and a 92 year-old lady swarming down ten stories of rope, for starters), then hide your copy from your well-read friends...or buy them their own!

If you click on the picture of this book you can get glimpse into the Surreal art of this fascinating British artist who emigrated to Mexico early on in her career. The front and back covers are a detail from a piece created in 1963 entitled El Mundo Magico De Los Mayas which was commioned for the then new Anthropology Museum in Mexico City. This particular piece was eventually moved to Tuxtla Guiterrez, the capital of the state of Chiapas. The complete mural, featured in the book, is a mystical journey that is reflective of this creative artist. Her imagery is finely layered, producing glimpses into the seen and unseen of the world. This book was published on the occasion of an exhibition in San Francisco at The Mexican Museum entitled The Mexican Years 1943-1985. In that regard it is more of a catologue which features the art from the exhibit. However, it more than just pictures as it gives a brief overview of a truly fascinating life including a chronlogy. The book takes the reader on a magical ride through her upbringing in priviledge, her schooling in a castle built by Henry VIII under the tuteledge of nuns who were perplexed by her questions, such as, "Who said 2+2=4." Needless to say ordinary education and a mundane life were not to be. The book tells the story of a woman ahead of her times who ran off with Max Ernst, writes a book which Ernst illustrates and begins a career as a writer and artist. Drawn to Surrealism, her roots are reflective in her art with a mixture of Celtic mythology and Christian imagery; that coupled with the influences of her life in Mexico result in some stunning creations. Her psychic and cosmological thematic works are a exploration of the inner working of an intuitive artist whose bold expressions set the stage for her to associate with Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo and be at the forefront of women in art. One of the highlights of this book is the interview by Paul De Angelis which reveals the woman in complete candor as she explores her belief systems that lie outside Western rationalism. I only wish this book were bigger. I would recommend this book to a collector,or someone interested in the life and works of Leonora Carrington.

I had read this book a couple of months ago. In my opinion, the short stories of The Oval Lady go about the nonsense and deep messages about society in a way that few authors can get. The Oval Lady crosses the barrier of surrealism and takes into short and easy-to-read stories the wide imagination, personal mithology of Carrington. I strongly recommend this book. Once you get into the world of Leonora, you will charmed by the way she writes and explores her own oniric world.

A truly original collection of surrealist fiction with a feminist twist. Carrington's stories are dense with occultist and cabalistic symbolism which may at first appear daunting, but which also contain a strong dose of black humour that never fails to be engaging. The language itself is both beautiful and strange, and many of these stories were originally written in French and Spanish, as well as the writer's native English.

Highlights include "As they rode along the edge", "My Mother is a Cow" and the novella "The Stone Door." This fascinating collection, from an often-overlooked writer, is an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in feminist or surrealist literature.