cover image The Collected Short Stories

The Collected Short Stories

Jean Rhys. W. W. Norton & Company, $19.95 (403pp) ISBN 978-0-393-02375-6

This collection rounds out the oeuvre of Rhys, a writer acclaimed for her explication of the female condition. From the highs and lows of her own troubled life, Rhys fashioned stories of women caught in failing relationships, often in lonely rooms in London, Paris or the Caribbean, capturing the essence of their experiences. The 36 stories here include the earliest, from 1927, and those from Sleep It Off Lady, her last collection in 1976. Three short narratives make their first appearance here in book form. Rhys's craft is subtly expressive, producing realistic portraits of women who refuse to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and suffer, in puzzlement, the inevitable consequences. This substantial representation of the works of this eccentric, intriguing writer will please her many devotees. (November 24)