Fatal Women is a collection of novellas and short stories written by
Lee's alter-ego, Esther Garber. Thematically, these works explore
Lesbian love and romantic obsession. The set pieces, however, are
wide ranging. Both the opening novellas, "Rherlotte" and "Virgile"
are set in the historic past of France; they are moody gothic tales,
and have more than a whiff of the Bronte sisters fabulist works, with
overheated dark passions and surreal images. At the same time, there
is ribald humor to set off the darkness. They are pastiches, of
gothic and erotic literature. Elsewhere, there are bittersweet short
stories, which are intensely introspective ("The Umbrella"), and a
poetic contemporary novel ("Green Iris") set in England. All stories
feature Lee's rich, hallucinogenic prose. Readers who like the
historical lesbian fiction Emma Donoghue or Sarah Waters should
explore these works.

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