Reviews

Katherine Anne Porter: Collected Stories and Other Writings (Loa #186) by Katherine Anne Porter

ewynn610's review against another edition

1

jkwriting24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

graywild's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I tried very hard to get through this book of short stories but I just could not get into any of the stories.  They were well written but just had no interest in either the characters or storylines.  Not recommended

supkevs's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

highaction's review against another edition

4.0

Dated but craft-ful

caitlinxmartin's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not generally a big reader of short stories. I want to like them, but mostly end up feeling sort of dissatisfied & not quite filled up. It's like eating a really nice appetizer & nothing else for dinner - two hours later you're scrounging in the fridge for the peanut butter. I guess I just like a longer read.

There are some writers who work within this genre who stand out for me - [a:James Joyce|5144|James Joyce|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1183237775p2/5144.jpg], [a:Raymond Carver|7363|Raymond Carver|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1201118985p2/7363.jpg], [a:Ernest Hemingway|1455|Ernest Hemingway|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1175539371p2/1455.jpg], [a:Ellen Gilchrist|34005|Ellen Gilchrist|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1208809202p2/34005.jpg], & [a:Alice Adams|31134|Alice Adams|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]. All of these writers have the ability to encapsulate a moment in time that makes reading them a pleasure. I'm going to add [a:Katherine Anne Porter|74572|Katherine Anne Porter|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1245828857p2/74572.jpg] to my list.

Porter's writing is a bit formal, but that works within the context of what she is doing with it. Her stories capture their characters within the frame of the story, but effortlessly acknowledge that there is a life that happens outside of that frame. I loved that I got a true sense of the before & after lives of these characters & that I cared.

This collection is also wonderful for the reason all collections like that are wonderful - you really get to see the maturation of the writer through their writing. In this regard short story writers probably have the advantage. It took me a bit over a year to read all of [a:Iris Murdoch|7287|Iris Murdoch|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1238673382p2/7287.jpg], this was substantially quicker.

I don't know that I'll go on to become an enormous reader of short stories, but I'm glad I read these. They were beautiful & satisfying in their own way & that's what good reading is all about, right?

wathohuc's review against another edition

3.0

This one took me a while to work through. I have to admit, somewhat grudgingly, that Porter is a very good writer. She’s well-versed and her style is natural, easy, and evocative. But while I acknowledge the superior writing talent, the stories themselves were depressing and her characters were on the whole pretty unlikeable. She was not very kind to her women characters, portraying them most often as stereotypically jealous, shrewish, vindictive, petty, and mean. Most of the male characters weren’t paragons of virtue either. They are well-written stories, but not uplifting stories. Is it worthy of a Pulitzer? I’d have to say yes purely on the strength of the writing. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

kbluvsimon's review against another edition

Counting this as read because I read what was required for club.

catherinepbartnikgmailcom's review against another edition

4.0

Found this in a used bookstore on 7th avenue and needed it years later for a class. I love reading kismet.

aglaranna's review against another edition

2.0

I had to read this short story for one of my creative writing courses, but it does not really speak to me. Granny is thinking way too much about trivial things while she is on the verge of dying. All will be well, Granny, you can go now.

Perhaps Katherine Anne Porter's other stories are more to my liking, perhaps I'll read something else written by her in the future.