The Collected Short Stories

by Jean Rhys

Book Overview

Jean Rhys was one of the twentieth century's foremost writers, a literary artist who made exqusite use of the raw material of her own often turbulent life to create fiction of memorable resonance and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393306259
• ISBN13: 9780393306255
• Release Date: June 1992
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 418 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

master of character portraits

Drawing from mundane incidents, Rhys's stories are told with a tone that is unsentamental and often detached. Yet her eye for detail, and in particular, character is unmatched. From everyday events she is able to create striking and realistic character portraits as witnessed in among others "Tout Mountparnasse and a Lady," where the "lady" is to be both pitied and despised. While her stories and characters are often filled with a sense of crushing despair ("Sleep in Off Lady" is particularly depressing), I also felt that her sense of humor (though often dark) is much more evident here than in her novels. In short, a great introduction to an underappreciated author.

Superb writing by a neglected master

Despite Rhys' near-constant theme of the "kept" woman who is now too old and paying her dues, she was a fabulous writer with a wonderful way of describing a woman's feelings. Highly recommended to anyone interested in great women writers of the last century.

Mostly brilliant

This writer ought to be read by a vast audience. Her stories are gripping accounts of lives lived on the edge of sanity or reason. The story "Let Them Call It Jazz" is worth the price alone. Read it and weep.