I've been fascinated by the sanitisation of fairytales for as long as I have been aware of the phenomenon; the evolution (to take one example) of Red Riding Hood, from a bawdy pub story to a cute morality tale for kids. It feels very appropriate to then read Carter, and find someone taking this full circle, using these stories as a springboard to explore darker, more sexual ideas (with a feminist twist, for added interest). The reader is left with a neat parcel of familiar tales that nonetheless defy expectation. It's a great collection. 
 Whilst I can't fault the prose (which jumps with virtuosity from voice to voice, genre to genre), the storytelling eventually begins to feel a little academic. In some ways this works well, as we get the same basic story (Beauty and the Beast, for example) retold twice in quick succession, as Carter dissects and subverts the original from all angles. But, somehow, this robs the endeavour of a little of its emotional impact. Similarly, Carter's pyrrhic retelling of The Snow Child is less a story than a barbed joke; I can appreciate it, but can't really say I enjoyed it. None of these are massive problems in and of themselves, and short story collections are almost always a mixed bag, but I did feel that something was a little lacking by the time I reached the end.