The Complete Short Stories of L.P. Hartley

This collection contains all L.P. Hartley's short fiction: the four story collections The Travelling Grave; The White Wand; Two For The River; and Mrs Carteret Receives in addition to the early novella Simonetta Perkins. Hartley is perhaps best known for his ghost stories. They are all included here, but I found the other stories just compelling. Many of the stories deal with the relation between employers and their housekeepers or valets. Hartley has a subtle ear for social interaction. Witheling End concerns a man whose friend is trying to drop him while he is determined not to be dropped. Simonetta Perkins is about a proper young American in Venice who falls in love with a gondolier. I thought these were two of the finest stories in the collection. A few of the stories such as Roman Charity and The White Wand were too rambling or obscure for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the collection.