A Curtain of Green: And Other Stories

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.

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.

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.