Reviews for Stories, Poems and Other Writings

The average rating for Stories, Poems and Other Writings based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-09-25 00:00:00 Martin Beckford 4.5 stars for this delightful anthology. The collection of short stories, novellas, remembrances, and essays was interesting on several levels. Willa Cather's writing spans different 'styles'. I had noticed this with the novels that I had already read: My Antonia, The Professor's House, and Death Comes For The Archbishop. Each book read differently in terms of language usage and the impressions conveyed. This collection offered that variety again, including a few which reminded me O'Henry! The remembrances were touching and dealt with meeting several figures with literary ties and their mutual enjoyment of the time they spent together. There was a nostalgia that draped over this section, that those encounters, values, depth of literary sophistication would not be found in a more modern world. The three novels I mentioned above show Cather's connection to the land and people, as well as her understanding of peoples yearnings, hopes, and despair. But they had not prepared me for the fact that Cather had spent her adolescence and college years doing extensive studying and reading in Greek, Latin, French, and German . . . in Nebraska and during the 1880's. Her reminiscence about meeting Flaubert's niece was marvelous. The essays selected were mostly about other authors and their work, and they were severe, sometimes harsh. There was snobbishness and inflexibility (dare I say close-mindedness?) on display. She was wearing a critic's hat, and that hat had turned into a helmet. Her reasoning was opaque to me and I frankly didn't enjoy these critiques. The biggest pleasure in this book lay in the novellas and short stories. She didn't need a novel-length telling to paint pictures of people, both ordinary and not. I just sank into each story, and came up for air at the end of each one. I can't think of anything more to say than that ... they're just perfect. (In the interest of full disclosure, there is also a section of poems too, which I skipped over. I'm not gifted with much ability to read poetry with discernment, and even with Mary Oliver and W.S. Merwin I can only read them in short sessions.) Lastly, I want to mention that this edition is put out by The Library of America, published by Literary Classics of the United States. It is archival quality book, printed on lightweight, acid-free paper that doesn't yellow or become brittle with age. The sewn binding opens and lies flat, there's a ribbon bookmark, and the font is very readable. Despite being more than 1000 pages, it is very easy to carry and hold. The tactile feel of the book added immensely to the pleasure of reading it. Kudos! But even if you can't find this edition, do find some of Willa Cather's shorter stories, get a cup of tea, and settle back for a leisurely read.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-10-13 00:00:00 sean gillespie 4.5 stars. I only got about two-thirds through this collection before I had to return it to the library, but having never read anything by this author before the stories I did get to complete were a good insight into her writing style.