A Pair of Silk Stockings (Dover Thrift Editions) [Paperback]

Kate Chopin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Thrift Editions | Publication Date: September 24, 1996

Written with grace, delicate humor and a keen understanding of the female psyche are 9 portraits of black and white inhabitants of Louisiana's bayou and urban areas. Includes "A Night in Acadie," "A Respectable Woman," "The Dream of an Hour," and the title story. A masterful collection of Chopin's short stories.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (September 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486292649
• ISBN-13: 978-0486292649
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creol blues, January 24, 2003

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Pair of Silk Stockings (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

I came on this book by chance, having never heard or Kate Chopin or her more famous book "The Awakening." This slim volume of short stories is my only experience with her still.

The easy pace of the stories, the charming lilt and rhythm of the dialogs, gives a good impression of bayou life, something that I am not very familiar with. Pace is something in common with all of the selections, with none of the characters getting very excited or overwrought, even in the midst of a fight or falling in love. "The Big Easy," they call it, and I believe it from these tales. They are small, psychological portraits, well written and engaging.

"Desirees Baby" was an almost Lovecraftian psychological horror tale, of hidden ancestries creeping unwanted across generations. "The Dream of an Hour" is in a similar vein, with a twist ending. Most of the stories are gentle, understated love stories both romantic ("A Night in Acadie") sad ("At the Cadian Ball," "Azelie,"), forbidden ("A Respectable Woman") and funny ("Madame Celestins Divorce.") I must admit to being charmed by each love story, and hoped the best for everyone involved. "A Pair of Silk Stockings" and "A Gentleman of the Bayou Teche" are both brief glimpses into a small world, and equally good.

I am glad to be introduced to Kate Chopin, and look forward to seeking out "The Awakening."

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bargain, April 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Pair of Silk Stockings (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

The first story alone was worth the [money] I paid for this book. It was a sad, gentle social commentary (or maybe not so gentle) that seems very much like the work of someone who would raise so much public outcry (for "The Awakening") that she would never be published again. One or two of the stories struck me as being bitter, but the others were up to her current day reputation. Many of the stories hinge on careful character studies of Acadians, the Acadians being descendants of French families relocated to the United States when Canada become unarguably British. The French dialect used in some of the stories only made the collection richer, in my mind. It would have seemed false to have these people speaking proper English. On reading the other reviews, I tend to agree that it might be a good idea to skip this book and buy Bayou Folk or another more thorough collection. If you know you love Kate Chopin's writing, do that. Otherwise, this collection is a good introduction although it can't beat "The Awakening."

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mish-Mash, December 11, 1999

By 

Elizabeth Dalecki (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Pair of Silk Stockings (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

Of course I love all of Kate Chopin's work, but this collection overlaps with both Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie (which one can purchase from Penguin Classics in a complete volume). The only real treasure in this book is a story that may be tricky to find: The Dream of an Hour. The title story is no great shakes. I would recommend buying her more comprehensive collections of stories and using this booklet (9 stories) as a filler for a few missing works. At 80 cents, who can loose?