The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield

by Katherine Mansfield
The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield cover
Good Books rating 3.75
Technical
  • ID: 5715
  • Added: 2025-10-24
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
londonreviewbookshop.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-24
brilliant 4.50

The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield offers a profound exploration of human emotions and societal norms through her distinctive modernist style. Her stories are celebrated for their insightful character studies and evocative prose, making them a timeless addition to literary collections.

Katherine Mansfield's collected stories are a testament to her mastery of the short story form. Her works delve deeply into the complexities of human relationships and the nuances of everyday life, often with a critical eye on societal expectations and personal freedoms. Mansfield's modernist approach, characterized by its introspective and often fragmented narrative style, provides a unique lens through which to view the inner lives of her characters. Her stories are not just snapshots of moments but are rich with emotional depth and psychological insight. The collection is a must-read for those who appreciate literature that challenges and engages the reader on multiple levels. Mansfield's ability to capture the essence of human experiences with such precision and sensitivity makes her stories enduring and universally relatable.

Quick quotes

    Her stories are celebrated for their insightful character studies and evocative prose.

    Katherine Mansfield's collected stories are a testament to her mastery of the short story form.

    Her works delve deeply into the complexities of human relationships and the nuances of everyday life.

abebooks.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-24
engaging 4.00

The reviewer undertook the task of reading all 650 pages of 'The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway', finding most of the stories engaging and worth their time, although some were not to their taste. They particularly enjoyed the Nick Adams stories and recommended Hemingway's novels 'A Farewell to Arms' and 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' for a great reading experience.

The reviewer embarked on a monumental task this summer: reading all 650 pages of 'The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway'. They found the collection divided into three sections, with the first containing the most famous stories published in 1938. The second section includes stories published after 1938, and the third features previously unpublished works, some of which are fragments of unpublished novels. While the reviewer enjoyed most of the stories, they noted that some were not to their taste, particularly those involving bullfighting and big-game hunting. They appreciated Hemingway's mastery of the short story form and his breadth of subject matter. The Nick Adams stories were a particular favorite. For those seeking a great reading experience, the reviewer recommended Hemingway's novels 'A Farewell to Arms' and 'For Whom the Bell Tolls', both of which are love stories set in war and considered among the best of twentieth-century American writing.

Quick quotes

    They drive, they drink liquor, they talk a lot, they eat, they sleep, they have sex.

    Nobody else demonstrates such a breadth of subject matter in a body of short stories.

    For a great reading experience, though, read either of the novels 'A Farewell to Arms' or 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' Both of them are love stories in a war setting and are superb.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-24
mixed 3.00

The reviewer found Hemingway's short stories more masterful than his novels, with some stories standing out as exceptional. They appreciated Hemingway's writing style and honesty, despite finding the collection tedious at times.

The reviewer struggled to decide between giving this collection three or four stars, but eventually settled on three because their dominant feeling was that they were just trying to plow through it to finish it. They didn't particularly dislike any of the stories, but most of them were just 'fine' and not very interesting. However, several stories stood out above the rest. Their two favorites, which they would give five stars, were 'Cat in the Rain' and 'A Natural History of the Dead.' Others they particularly liked that would get four stars were 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro,' 'Old Man at the Bridge,' 'Hills Like White Elephants,' 'Che Ti Dice La Patria?,' 'A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,' 'God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen,' 'Homage to Switzerland,' and 'I Guess Everything Reminds You of Something.' They also liked all of the Nick Adams stories, mostly because they're from Northern Michigan and most of them take place there, but also because they're coming of age stories that stand out among Hemingway's others.

Quick quotes

    Hemingway's short stories are far more masterful than his novels.

    I struggled to decide between giving this collection three or four stars, but eventually I gave it three because my dominant feeling as I was reading it was that I was just trying to plow through it to finish it.

    I would argue that, instead of glorifying these activities, Hemingway depicts what is flawed and sad about participating in them.

triumphofthenow.com · Unknown · 2014-04-08
mixed 3.50

The reviewer reflects on their long journey reading The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, noting how their perspective on his writing has evolved over time. They admire Hemingway's mastery of dialogue and concise storytelling but find the subject matter, particularly bullfights and the Spanish Civil War, repetitive and wearying.

The reviewer shares a deeply personal journey with The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, a book they've been reading for 30 years. Starting with 'The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber' in high school, they've read various stories multiple times, with some becoming familiar favorites. The reviewer appreciates Hemingway's genius for spare dialogue and creating vivid scenes with minimal words. However, they find the subject matter, especially bullfights and the Spanish Civil War, repetitive and exhausting. Despite their admiration for Hemingway's writing, the reviewer feels a sense of weariness and is ready to put the book back on the shelf for now. They acknowledge that their perspective on Hemingway's work has changed over the decades, from awe as a teenager to a more critical view as an adult.

Quick quotes

    His writing is masterful. He was a genius with spare dialog and creating reality with only a few brush strokes.

    What wore me out was the subject matter — the bull fights and the Spanish Civil War in particular. It just got to be a chore for me to get to the end.

    I know that I had to start this “Finca Vigia” edition several times, including reading the first half dozen or so stories out loud on road trips -- first with my practice husband and later with my keeper hubby.

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