A Curtain Of Green: and Other Stories [Hardcover]

Eudora Welty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 1991 | Series: HBJ Modern Classic

This is the first collection of Welty’s stories, originally published in 1941. It includes such classics as “A Worn Path,” “Petrified Man,” “Why I Live at the P.O.,” and “Death of a Traveling Salesman.” The historic Introduction by Katherine Anne Porter brought Welty to the attention of the american reading public.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In her now-famous introduction to this first collection by a then-unknown young writer from Mississippi named Eudora Welty, Katherine Anne Porter wrote that "there is even in the smallest story a sense of power in reserve which makes me believe firmly that, splendid beginning that it is, it is only the beginning." Porter was of course prophetic, and the beginning was splendid. A Curtain of Green both introduced and established Eudora Welty as an instinctive genius of short fiction, and in this groundbreaking collection, which includes "Powerhouse" and "Keela, the Outcaste Indian Maiden," among other stories, are the first great works of a great American writer.

"To explain just why these stories impress one so appears as difficult as to define why an ordinary face, encountered by chance in the street, might suddenly reveal miraculous beauty, through a smile perhaps, or through an unexpected expression of sadness."--Original review of A Curtain of Green, November 16, 1941, by Marianne Hauser in the New York Times

"Miss Welty's short stories are deceptively simple. They are concerned with ordinary people, but what happens to them and the manner of the telling are far from ordinary . . . A fine writer and a distinguished book."-The New Yorker


Eudora Welty (1909-2001) was born in Jackson, Mississippi. She worked as a photographer during the Depression and published her first book, a collection of short stories, in 1941. In addition to short fiction, Welty wrote novels, novellas, essays, and reviews, and was the winner of both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. By the time of her death in 2001, Welty had established herself as one of the most important and beloved American writers of the twentieth century.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

EUDORA WELTY (1909-2001) was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and attended the Mississippi State College for Women, the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University (where she studied advertising). In addition to short fiction, Welty wrote novels, novellas, essays, and reviews, and was the winner of both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 50 Anv edition (November 7, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151236712
• ISBN-13: 978-0151236718
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,479,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review, November 1, 2001

By 

"calico30" (Katy Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Curtain of Green: and Other Stories (Paperback)

This was the first Eudora Welty book I've read. Because this is my freshman year in college, I'm wondering why it took me so long.
Like her senior, Southern cohort Faulkner, Welty concentrates her gentle touch on characters in and around Mississippi. Every story is remarkable in its own way, but there are a few standouts. "Lily Daw and the Three Ladies" is an amusing tale of a dim-witted girl who's on the brink of marriage, is snatched away, and then thrown right back when her beau comes calling. The Hitch Hikers is a brooding story of a murder in a traveling salesman's car. My favorite is The Key, in which a filched key gives doubtful, deaf newlyweds new reason for hope of love and contentment.
Miss Welty puts an incredible amount of feeling into her stories, but is not afraid to allow the charming or even picayune to provide distraction from the gravity surrounding. This collection encapsulates the famous Death of a Traveling Salesman. Lovely.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant debut, January 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Curtain Of Green: and Other Stories (Hardcover)

In her first book, Eudora Welty surpassed the mannered and overreaching efforts of more celebrated Southern authors. She examined the inner lives of varied characters -- male and female, black and white, funny and brutal -- and submitted them all to her quiet and curious personality. The effect is both timeless and strange.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A skilled writer, but too much ambiguity for my taste, October 12, 2002

By 

Linda Linguvic (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Curtain of Green: and Other Stories (Paperback)

Eudora Welty had a long and distinguished writing career. Her stories are set in the small southern towns that she knows so well, and she is known for her character portrayal. This book, which is my first experience with her work, is no exception. The stories are short and full of meaning. Some are simple and some border on the horrific. But all of them leave a lasting impression, causing me to ponder their meaning. The characters are well developed. There is no doubt that Ms. Welty is a master of her craft.

It's true that the people come alive right off the pages. Only problem is that I just didn't like any of them. Each story presents some sort of a puzzle. She packs them with great imagery and wonderful details. I found myself getting involved in reading them. And then, when the story ended, there was a lingering question. What had happened? I was always left with an uncomfortable feeling. And left wondering.

I am sure that this ambiguity was the writer's intention. And I do applaud her skill. I'm glad I had the experience of reading her work. I just don't want to read any more of it.