The 'tales' are notable for their brevity — some comprise only a couple of pages — and macabre, exceedingly downbeat, satirical tone. The underlying theme of each story is the misfortune of women and/or women who destroy themselves or the lives of others, hence the book's title. Each story satirises a specific misogynist stereotype, like the woman who manipulates men with her sexuality in "The Coquette", or one who is viewed solely as a sexual commodity, in "The Mobile Bed-Object".