About book All The Days And Nights: The Collected Stories (1995)
I have never been much of a reader of Literature. My tastes tend to run toward simpler fare that I can enjoy on a level that doesn’t require a great deal of thought on my part. In short, I typically read to be entertained, not moved. So, when I heard an interview with William Maxwell on NPR in ’95 about his new collection of stories, “All the Days and Nights,” I didn’t take much notice. But as the interview went on and the late Mr. Maxwell read selections from the book, I found myself purchasing the collection in February of 1995.I attempted to read it several times that year, but failed for various reasons. Perhaps it was the motion of the light rail train on the ride home after a hard day’s work that distracted me into sleep. Or maybe I was just too shallow at 33 to appreciate Maxwell’s justly praised gifts. In any event, the book sat on my bookcase in plain sight for many years after that. I didn’t give it away or resell it because I knew there would, eventually, be a day when I would pick it up again and not put it down.I’m pleased to report that, 18 years later after discovering it, I have finished “All the Days and Nights,” and am very happy for the experience. It took me darn near two years to get through it because I spend most of my free time writing, not reading. So I would pause from what I was creating, read a story or a portion thereof, and get back to my own work – none of which will ever be described as influenced by William Maxwell.Maxwell was one of those writers I’ll never be, one who could find the poetry in ordinary life, but express it in vivid, accessible terms. As I read this anthology, I found myself highlighting passages that may have required an older soul to appreciate. “There is no longer an older generation. You have become it, while your mind was mostly on other things.” Or: “If you turn the imagination loose like a hunting dog, it will often return with the bird in its mouth.”Maxwell’s prose carries equal doses of reward and regret for his characters. From the poorest servants to the wealthiest barons, all are easy to visualize as their stories unfold. (His words flow wonderfully when read aloud, by the way.) As with any anthology, all of its tales are not necessarily for every taste; there were a few I could have skipped, but I’m glad I plowed through them. I won’t critique every story in this volume, but one in particular resonated with me: “The Gardens of Mont-St.-Michel.” This story follows a man on a family vacation in 1966 who returns to Pontorson, a town in France that had enchanted him when he was there in 1948. As the story progresses, and the man discovers how much the town has changed over 18 years, and he becomes disillusioned with the place and his present-day experience there, I found myself thinking of my own recent visits to Wildwood, a Jersey Shore town where I spent many happy summers. It’s still a fun place (just ask our 13-year-old son), but none of the landmarks of my youth are present on its boardwalk anymore, and the city itself is barely recognizable from when I was a regular visitor. Still, this is life, and I frequently have to deal with that the same way Maxwell’s gentleman in Pontorson must deal with his own loss.I promise, not every story in the collection is a downer. I direct you to one of Maxwell's Improvisations, "The man who had no friends and didn't want any," about, well, a man had no friends and ends up with more than he could have imagined.So, am I less shallow than I was when I bought “All the Days and Night” in ’95? I doubt it. But I do feel a certain sense of accomplishment not just for finishing the book, but for sincerely enjoying it.
I'm only half way through this book and may not go back to it for a while but wanted to comment on how beautiful the stories are. I'm not normally a short story reader but this was a moment in my life when I needed something that I could be absorbed in and yet not be lengthy. Some of the stories speak to me more than others but all have been good. Settings have varied . . . from rural Illinois to NYC to France, all places important to Maxwell, I presume. Stories were written over a 40 or 50 year time span. These are not stories that would have appealed to me as a college student but now I find so much wisdom, so much life experience in them. Maxwell was a very thoughtful, sympathetic observer of human nature. I will read more by him eventually.
Do You like book All The Days And Nights: The Collected Stories (1995)?
William Maxwell's collection of short stories is special. The stories have a quality of simplicity while simultaneously containing profound truths about life and relationships. Each story touches on aspects of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States which stirred memories of growing up in that era. One of my favorite is the sound of the newspaper thumping as it hit the front porch when the delivery boy rode by, tossing the paper with practiced expertise. That is just one of many sensory experiences these stories stirred. Absolutely lovely!
—Ferris
