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Katherine Anne Porter: Collected Stories and Other Writings (Loa #186) by Katherine Anne Porter
catebutler's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favourite choices for the Real Readers Book Club. Katherine Anne Porter has such a unique and descriptive way of writing. We were assigned to read four of her short stories, three chosen by this month’s host and one that we then shared about, including why we chose it. Many of us, ended up reading more than what was assigned (should testify of her writing ability) and now, I’d like to go back and read all her short stories.
The main thing I took away from our lively discussion and from reading this collection, was a curiosity about the author herself. Much of her real life adventures inspired her stories, but I longed to know more about why she wrote about a certain topic or what exactly influenced her unique and original way of describing. I think it would have been fascinating to sit with her, and just let her talk and share her personal life stories. We discussed that Porter, herself, looked down on this desire to analyse the author and their message, but there is something about her writing that makes you want to learn more.
The majority of our group enjoyed her stories that revolved around the southwest and Mexico. I of course found her journalism and European stories to be the most fascinating. Overall, I highly recommend reading anything by Porter and look forward to reading more of her short stories and her one novel.
Real Readers Book Club - February 2019 (Priscilla)
The main thing I took away from our lively discussion and from reading this collection, was a curiosity about the author herself. Much of her real life adventures inspired her stories, but I longed to know more about why she wrote about a certain topic or what exactly influenced her unique and original way of describing. I think it would have been fascinating to sit with her, and just let her talk and share her personal life stories. We discussed that Porter, herself, looked down on this desire to analyse the author and their message, but there is something about her writing that makes you want to learn more.
The majority of our group enjoyed her stories that revolved around the southwest and Mexico. I of course found her journalism and European stories to be the most fascinating. Overall, I highly recommend reading anything by Porter and look forward to reading more of her short stories and her one novel.
Real Readers Book Club - February 2019 (Priscilla)
angielisle's review against another edition
3.0
This book was okay - definitely worth reading if you are a serious reader or writer; but okay to pass up if you aren't.
Some of the stories, like "Noon Wine," "He," and "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" drew me in, kept me interested, and made me think. Some, like "The jilting of Granny Weatherall," drew me in but failed to deliver what I expected. Some, like "The Martyr," couldn't keep me interested.
Some of the stories, like "Noon Wine," "He," and "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" drew me in, kept me interested, and made me think. Some, like "The jilting of Granny Weatherall," drew me in but failed to deliver what I expected. Some, like "The Martyr," couldn't keep me interested.
buzzgirl's review against another edition
2.0
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. Porter takes this format however, and produces stories that are not cute, that are not clean and certainly not contrived. Each one of these stories was completely different in style, voice, content and characterization and kept me suitably engaged to make it through the book.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review against another edition
4.0
“It was, I think, the fact that I had participated in death and I knew what death was and had almost experienced it,” she continued. “Now, if you have had that, and survived it, come back from it, you are no longer like other people, and there’s no use deceiving yourself that you are.”
Katherine Anne Porter spoke in a 1963 interview about the time she contracted influenza during the 1919 resurgence of the pandemic. Subsequently, she wrote the novella for which she is most famous, Pale Horse, Pale Rider.
I came to this collection intrigued by the pandemic theme of this story and by the fact that Porter is a Texan, but I left with a deep appreciation for Porter's writing. Porter sees the world and she writes just what she sees. She doesn't stick to writing from within her own narrow culture of her time, either; somehow she is able to sneak little glimpses of other cultures, too.
V. S. Pritchett wrote of Porter in the New Statesman: "Miss Porter's singularity as a writer is in her truthful explorations of a complete consciousness of life. Her prose is severe and exact; her ironies are subtle but hard...." Yes.
Katherine Anne Porter spoke in a 1963 interview about the time she contracted influenza during the 1919 resurgence of the pandemic. Subsequently, she wrote the novella for which she is most famous, Pale Horse, Pale Rider.
I came to this collection intrigued by the pandemic theme of this story and by the fact that Porter is a Texan, but I left with a deep appreciation for Porter's writing. Porter sees the world and she writes just what she sees. She doesn't stick to writing from within her own narrow culture of her time, either; somehow she is able to sneak little glimpses of other cultures, too.
V. S. Pritchett wrote of Porter in the New Statesman: "Miss Porter's singularity as a writer is in her truthful explorations of a complete consciousness of life. Her prose is severe and exact; her ironies are subtle but hard...." Yes.
maebinnig's review against another edition
5.0
I am always racing through books, but I savored this one, and I'm genuinely sad to be finished with it. What a brilliant little portal into the past.
innatejames's review against another edition
1.0
KAP was recommended to me because I'm such a fan of Flannery O'Connor. I stopped reading this book about 3/4 of the way through. I just wasn't interested. Maybe I'll go back to it later just to say I read it all.
As a writer, she focuses so intently on detailed perceptions that I, as the reader, have a limited sense of the full character. Maybe the writing is too quiet and intricate for my current mind frame. I do know that most of the stories I would finish and then have to go back because i had no idea what had happened. And on a third reading still had only a vague impression of the author's purpose in writing the story. She ends stories gently. I often stopped at the end of a story to think why KAP would end her story at the point that she did. There most probably is a great meaning to it that is beyond my abilities at this point. Most of the stories, especially the ones at the beginning concerning Mexico are a mystery to me.
Vacation, The Downward Path to Wisdom and The Leaning Tower were worth going back for. But I am still not convinced of Katherine Ann Porter.
As a writer, she focuses so intently on detailed perceptions that I, as the reader, have a limited sense of the full character. Maybe the writing is too quiet and intricate for my current mind frame. I do know that most of the stories I would finish and then have to go back because i had no idea what had happened. And on a third reading still had only a vague impression of the author's purpose in writing the story. She ends stories gently. I often stopped at the end of a story to think why KAP would end her story at the point that she did. There most probably is a great meaning to it that is beyond my abilities at this point. Most of the stories, especially the ones at the beginning concerning Mexico are a mystery to me.
Vacation, The Downward Path to Wisdom and The Leaning Tower were worth going back for. But I am still not convinced of Katherine Ann Porter.
lnatal's review against another edition
3.0
Opening lines:
She flicked her wrist neatly out of Doctor Harry’s pudgy careful fingers and pulled the sheet up to her chin. The brat ought to be in knee breeches. Doctoring around the country with spectacles on his nose! “Get along now. Take your schoolbooks and go. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
You may read online at Bibliokept.
She flicked her wrist neatly out of Doctor Harry’s pudgy careful fingers and pulled the sheet up to her chin. The brat ought to be in knee breeches. Doctoring around the country with spectacles on his nose! “Get along now. Take your schoolbooks and go. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
You may read online at Bibliokept.
ranaelizabeth's review against another edition
3.0
Great writing, great stories. Minus at least one star for short story format, which I just can't get into.