What is the author's style in The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman: A Novel by Angela Carter?

The language of this novel is more formal than modern novelists often use. The language incorporates many words that are from a highly developed understanding of language, as though showing the reader just how educated the narrator really is. The language is often at odds with the plot, using such complicated words in situations that are often vulgar and as basic as human behavior can be. There are often foreign phrases in the novel, turns of phrase that are used to describe clothing, attitude, and behavior. These phrases are not explained in the text, giving the impression that the author anticipates her audience will be familiar with such sophisticated language.