The Collected Stories of Caroline Gordon

I had never heard of Caroline Gordon before reading this collection of her short stories. I was, for the most part, very impressed with her stories. They span many times and places, although many do center around life in the South when it was still a unique part of the country. Gordon captures the intimacy and warmth of the southern life style while exploring the complexity of life and death. However, she does not limit herself to this milieu. Her best stories take place in post-war Europe, including The Olive Garden, a reminiscence of life in pre-World War Two Europe seen through the eyes of a post war visitor. This story was first published in 1945, so it has a very immediate and intimate feel. Some of the stories are a bit weaker. Gordon sometimes gets too involved in her characters. She introduces too many characters for a short story - the reader tends to lose track of who is who. These stories, especially unfortunately the first story (The Petrified Woman) left me cold. Overall though, this anthology is well worth reading.

It pleases me to see Caroline Gordon's stories rescued from total obscurity in this new edition. Caroline Gordon is often overlooked in favor of many of the writers whose careers (and lives) she fostered. Her stories are beautifully rendered. Through Alec Maury, a frequent character in of her stories and the hero her fine novel, Alec Maury, Sportsman, Caroline Gordon reveals a philosophy that (in its pure form) may be all but extinct. Her work is accessible, without being "dumbed down." I hope that Farrar, Straus and Giroux are able to bring more of her works back in to print.

A New Critic to her core, Gordon's discipline, control, and craftsmanship shine through in her short stories. This collection should show anyone why she was such a tremendous influence on Flannery O'Connor. As a master of the short story, Gordon deserves the recognition accorded O'Connor, Katherine Anne Porter, and Eudora Welty. I hope someone will reissue Gordon's anthology 'The House of Fiction.'