About book The Collected Stories Of Katherine Mansfield (2006)
What first began as assigned school reading soon developed into a newfound love as I discovered the magnificence of Katherine Mansfield's writing. This collection of short stories is simply amazing. For someone who has difficulty finding an author they love, I would easily recommend this book of stories. The beauty of short stories is they are usually just the right length to finish a few in one sitting. I love the feeling of finishing a full story in such a short amount of time. Mansfield's stories have the best endings, which often leave you wanting more or simply in pure awe. That's what truly caught my attention- how, in a few pages, she was able to create a whole story with a nail-bitter of an ending. The way she artfully crafts her stories show true talent and love for writing, and that's what literature should, be shouldn't it! Although Garden Party is probably her best known story, but I loved reading Miss Brill. My favorite by far is Mr. and Mrs. Dove because of the way it perfectly comes full circle but still leaves some to the imagination at the end. Whenever I find myself wishing to read a good story, I always go back to this collection of short stories. Although I have not finished all of the short stories in this book, I can't wait for the next chance I get to sit down and lose myself in the pages of her brilliant writing. This really is the type of book you want to read on a rainy winter day in a cozy sweater and a cup of tea. Do yourself a favor, and read some of her short stories. I promise you won't be disappointed.
I first picked up this book when I was pregnant, having been warned there was a good chance my brain would turn to mush during the early stages of motherhood; Katherine Mansfield was my investment against this fate, a way of taxing my literary intelligence during what, in her day, would have been called my confinement. Also, I loved the cover, which at the time featured a dish of vanilla ice-cream on a Liberty print tablecloth, silver spoon and strawberries. I expected the stories to serve up similar dainty delights, glimpses of a bygone era where ladies wore gloves and carried lace parasols. It’s an easy trap to fall into, given the era and class to which Mansfield belonged. But I quickly discovered why she was considered to have revolutionised the genre with stories which were the envy of, among others, Virginia Woolf. Read my full review here:http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews...
Do You like book The Collected Stories Of Katherine Mansfield (2006)?
I finally finished this. It didn't take a long time because I didn't like it. I think that I struggle with finishing short story collections because I have a little ADD sometimes... I finish a short story, set the book aside and go cook dinner or do something with the kids and then I pick up a different book and read that. Rinse and repeat.Anyway, I am not going to review these story by story, just going to say that they were lovely and heart breaking and sweet and sad and thought provoking. Mansfield might have been a wee bit mental, but there is nothing wrong with her imagery, setting, character study or use of language. So glad I read it. 5 stars.
—Jennifer
Katherine Mansfield is such a beautiful short story writer. My favorite story in this collection (and one of my favorite stories ever) is "The Garden Party." Mansfield often draws comparison to Chekhov, which I can see, but there is also a kinship between the author and Willa Cather at her finest. Both are masterful at creating that definitive moment--in Joyce's hands it's called epiphany, but for Cather and Mansfield that doesn't seem like exactly the right term. It's perhaps more accurately described as a moment of transformation.
—Courtney Watson
As when any collection, some stories should be 5's and others 4's although I dont think I would rank them any lower than that! Katherine Mansfield is the absolute master of the short story form, she packs a lot into each one with common themes of family/social pressure, unhappy relationships, snobbery and the inner lives of women. She captures writing from a child's viewpoint brilliantly and also from the viewpoint of old spinsters which is ironic as she died in her early 30s. I really enjoyed the stories, they are set in London or New Zealand and capture a particular time although the themes continue to endure....
—Nikki
