A coming of age tale which extends the nature and boundaries of love, as seen through the eyes of the youthful and naive Melanie, The Magic Toyshop was enormously successful and cemented Angela Carter’s status as one of England’s greatest and most daring writers.

‘This crazy world whirled around her, men and women dwarfed by toys and puppets, where even the birds are mechanical and the few human figures went masked … She was in the night once again, and the doll was herself.’

When tragedy strikes, young Melanie and her two siblings are forced to abandon their family home and sent to live in London with their aunt Margaret, a kindly and beautiful mute, and their abusive and highly manipulative uncle, Philip.

Standing on the cusp of womanhood and threatened by her perilous new surroundings, this classic gothic tale follows Melanie as she interacts with a host of colourful characters and becomes increasingly aware of her own morality and sexuality.