Customer Reviews

Katherine Mansfield's Selected Stories (Norton Critical Edition)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mansfield's work has never been out of print, but it's amazing to think that it's hard, at times, to find. Norton, obviously with an eye to the academic market, recently published this fine anthology. Vincent O'Sullivan has chosen carefully, and his footnotes and other editorial material is simply top shelf. The critical material is well chosen--that alone would be worth the price of admission. If you've read some KM, this is a good source for expanding your background; if you're new to her work, you're in good hands. If you're an astute collector of her first editions, here's a copy that you can feel free to underline, highlight, and just enjoy.

Mansfield has a subtle and ingenious form; her works are quite interesting, both for content and style. I would have given the book 5 stars, but for some reason, the ebook tends to center and bold the text, on both my Kindle and the Kindle iPhone app, if you navigate near the beginning of a chapter--very disappointing for a $10 book.

By accident, I very recently discovered Katherine Mansfield.
I can honestly say it has changed my life. Her writing is extraordinary. To anyone who really cares about beautiful, meaningful, emotional fiction, I urge them to try reading all her short stories, a field in which she specialised.
When reading one of her stories "A Cup of Tea" for example, or "Je ne Parle Pas Francais", I feel as if I had viewed an entire film, so realistic are the people, the rooms, the descriptions.
How did I not hear about Mansfield until now?
I urge you to dip into this book and get addicted, as I did.