kristinana's review
5.0
Came for the influenza, stayed for the phenomenal writing.
"Pale Horse, Pale Rider" is a beautifully-written story that many of us living through the current pandemic can empathize with: the abrupt change of situation, the shocking realization of illness and loss, the nostalgia for life prior to the illness. Porter's description of death and her character's sense of loss after her near-death experience is stunning.
"Old Mortality" is another beautiful story about a young woman learning how to be a woman in her time. The way that the family stories about the girl's tragic and beautiful aunt is woven into Miranda's own coming of age is truly poignant.
"Noon Wine" is extremely different from the other two stories. It almost reminded me of a Cohen Brothers film -- the mysterious, taciturn stranger; the farmer who is too big for his britches; the dangerous visitor; the dark humor combined with an unnerving obsession with a terrible split-second action. A truly impressive story. I always suspected the Cohens had read a lot of Flannery O'Connor, but now I wonder if they may have read some Katherine Anne Porter as well!
Overall, a wonderful set of stories from a criminally under-read author.
"Pale Horse, Pale Rider" is a beautifully-written story that many of us living through the current pandemic can empathize with: the abrupt change of situation, the shocking realization of illness and loss, the nostalgia for life prior to the illness. Porter's description of death and her character's sense of loss after her near-death experience is stunning.
"Old Mortality" is another beautiful story about a young woman learning how to be a woman in her time. The way that the family stories about the girl's tragic and beautiful aunt is woven into Miranda's own coming of age is truly poignant.
"Noon Wine" is extremely different from the other two stories. It almost reminded me of a Cohen Brothers film -- the mysterious, taciturn stranger; the farmer who is too big for his britches; the dangerous visitor; the dark humor combined with an unnerving obsession with a terrible split-second action. A truly impressive story. I always suspected the Cohens had read a lot of Flannery O'Connor, but now I wonder if they may have read some Katherine Anne Porter as well!
Overall, a wonderful set of stories from a criminally under-read author.
richardwells's review
5.0
Time is treating the three short novels in this collection with kindness, and well it should. Each is masterfully written, taking us places we wouldn't normally go, with characters who speak through the years in a language common to this mortal coil.
Yes, the prose is more formal than we're used to - especially in this age of the abbreviated and hyphenated colloquial - but it can be appreciated, and enjoyed with very little effort. The words flow beautifully.
In this time of Covid, the title novel, Pale Horse, Pale Rider is short cinema that for about 3/4ths of the novel takes place in the fevered hallucinations of a young woman struck down with the Spanish Flu. Katherine Anne Porter doesn't have to make much of the social conditions of the time, because she has a fine eye for those telling details that condense a time of national stress into a few sentences. It seemed awfully familiar, and I thought I could have been reading about the year 2020.
I recommend the three short novels: Old Mortality, the first about growing up privileged and lied to, Noon Wine, the second about life and a tragedy on a small dairy farm, and the third, Pale Horse, Pale Rider, about the time of flu. Miranda is the name of the protagonist in both the first and third novels. Same person? Why not?
Yes, the prose is more formal than we're used to - especially in this age of the abbreviated and hyphenated colloquial - but it can be appreciated, and enjoyed with very little effort. The words flow beautifully.
In this time of Covid, the title novel, Pale Horse, Pale Rider is short cinema that for about 3/4ths of the novel takes place in the fevered hallucinations of a young woman struck down with the Spanish Flu. Katherine Anne Porter doesn't have to make much of the social conditions of the time, because she has a fine eye for those telling details that condense a time of national stress into a few sentences. It seemed awfully familiar, and I thought I could have been reading about the year 2020.
I recommend the three short novels: Old Mortality, the first about growing up privileged and lied to, Noon Wine, the second about life and a tragedy on a small dairy farm, and the third, Pale Horse, Pale Rider, about the time of flu. Miranda is the name of the protagonist in both the first and third novels. Same person? Why not?
More...