The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter: A Collection

This book is perhaps the best written 500 pages bound in one place anywhere. Porter has a unique style of writing, that is hers alone. Her use of long, but salient and understandable sentences is terrific. Her use of simile and metaphor is almost unequaled. And her observational abilities and articulation of inner feelings makes her stand out as one of the best American writers of all time.The book consists of 19 Short Stories/Long Stories/Short Novels and they are all extraordinary. In a shockingly well written story, she writes in "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" a description of going into a depressive pit, the likes of which I have never seen before, fact or fiction. Her style is so good, she leaves the reader guessing what is fact and what is fiction, in her fiction, with respect to her plot line in this very surreal story of a lady going into depression. Her characters are so intimately real life, as to make the reader feel they know them, almost personally. But what we readers know truly, is how wonderfully Porter expresses herself, and how incredible are her endings and beginnings, as well as wonderfully written middles.No appreciator of American Literature should pass up the opportunity to read this book. In paperback, it is one of the true bargains in America today. For about 15 to 25 hours of extreme reading pleasure, this book fits the bill quite perfectly.

Katherine Anne Porter is one of America's greatest -- and most overlooked -- literary talents, and this book is a compilation of her superb short stories. Porter writes with the precision of a master jeweler; every sentence is polished like a gem, every word is perfect. From the haunting beauty of "María Concepción" and "Virgin Violeta" to the semi-autobiographical "Pale Horse, Pale Rider", Porter writes with an understated, almost stark, precision and elegance. This is a book to be read and savored slowly, a story at a time, to appreciate the awesome talent of a literary genius.

Have you ever gone to an all-you-can-eat buffet and overdone it? Then left feeling stuffed but satisfied? This collection of the works of KAP is sort of like that-- you can really binge because there are so many stories, and they're all of high quality. You just want to fill your plate and "eat too much." But you should really slow down, read some again and again. Maria Concepcion is a great tale of revenge and betrayal; "Virgin Violeta" a coming of age type story... "The Martyr" story about a famous painter (Diego Rivera type) who is in love..."Magic," "Rope," "He," "Theft"-- all of these are powerful looks into human relationships and are so well done that you really feel that you know the people that Porter describes. Read it slowly, go back and savor the spices & intricate details of every story.

"The Grave," a story about a woman whose past is as close to her as her present, is an incredible story. Like Faulkner's brilliance, she understands that men and women cannot escape their pasts, and the actions and events of youth play an indelible role in adulthood. Sometimes that past is forgotten, but small items, such as the shape of a particular hard candy, trigger emotional and poignant memories in the protagontist. This story blows me away every time I read it, and triggers fond and sad, emotional and trivial - memories - of my own childhood.

Katherine Anne Porter should be required reading for any aspiring writer. She has the power and mastery of understatement of Hemingway along with the subtle depth readers rave about in Munro and she is often overlooked. This collection of short stories is dense, yet you cannot put it down until you have read every story. Her tales reveal complex lives and the darker sides of human nature flavored with abundant Mexican sights and sounds. The reader travels back in time without sepia tones! Required reading!