Dance of the Happy Shades (1968)

Another great collection from the author, it's not her best, but considering this was her first collection of short stories, I was very impressed with the quality of writing, characterization and plot development throughout the collect - especially compared to her other collections - it is one that same level of quality.

My favourite short stories from the collection where; The Office, Time of Death and Boys and Girls. Time of Death in particular was a very memorable read, and somewhat haunting. I enjoyed how Munro set the story up and brought it to life. The Office is also another story, which stuck out for me - and for such a short story it was done very well. With strong characterization and plot, the story is probably the one that sticks with me the most (it may be my second favourite, but it's the one I remember the most). All of the stories in the collection are well done, Walker Brothers Cowboy for example, while it wasn't my favourite, it was a story I enjoyed reading and during my short time with it, I wanted to see how it would play out. Which is an aspect of the author's writing I appreciate, her ability to make me want to read more, in such a short period of time. Munro is also able bring life to all of her short stories and the characters in them - this collection of course is no exception.

Another great read, by one of my favourite Canadian authors, and one that is well worth reading.

Also on my book review blog Jules' Book Reviews - Dance of the Happy Shades ( )

This is a collection of Alice Munro's early stories, written in the 1950s and 1960s. By no means unpolished, these stories evoke a time and place, mid 19th century rural Canada, that is distant yet familiar. Told from the perspective of children, teenagers, and adults, mostly but not exclusively female, Munro can deftly conjure both external and interior landscapes. Munro's reputation as the eminent English language short story writer is well deserved. Even her earliest writings are beautifully written, remarkably descriptive, carefully observant, and emotionally/psychologically astute. ( )

This is my first expierence of Alice Munro - an author I had heard good things of previously. These stories are beautifully written. Each story is satisfying, with characters you can't help but care about. This is something I don't always find with short stories, that the reader is able to step into the world the author is writing about within just a few pages. However each of these stories is set in the same sort of community, and so it becomes easy to step into the lives of these rural peoples. I will certainly be looking out for more by Alice Munro. ( )

It's been said a million times, but Alice Munro really is the master of the short story. As this was her first collection, it was a little rougher than some of her more recent works, but it was great nonetheless. There was an ongoing undercurrent of aging and death that was sometimes a bit difficult to read (and a little creepy) but it was still fantastic. ( )

Collection of short stories. Alice Munro has somehow captured experiences that I'm sure I could have lived. Absolutely amazing. ( )