Thirteen Stories

These are well-written and sweet southern stories for the most part--but when I read Welty, I never seem to get enough to really care about the characters, except in those few classics we've all ready a dozen times anyway. Here, it just feels as if the characters, themes, and ideas are being repeated, and sometimes as if there's just not much to say. I needed more for this collection to reach me or make me care. As is, it was simply slow, and forgettable.

JUST SOME THOUGHTS I'M JOTTING DOWN WHILE I GO ALONG. They're not very coherent, or a real "review", just talking about things that stood out to me that I found interesting

The Wide Net: Good story, although I feel I lacked the proper context to fully understand the interactions and what they were doing. Theme of thinking you understand what you don't at all - William believes for certain Hazel has jumped in the river, despite not even reading the entire letter. The boys that take a baby alligator just because they can - also somewhat related to William's relationship with Hazel, where she's described as very pretty but otherwise he seems to have no real interest in her. Doc is a sort of "voice of reason" in both cases.

Old Mr Marblehall: show more I liked the idea of a double life almost just for the sake of it. Both his families are described negatively and he seems to find fulfilment only in the having of a double life at all. It reminds me of a sort of childish thing to do - children always try and hide things from their parents, even the most mundane stuff - which links both with his having children exactly at the time when he started a double life and with his obsession - and apparently his only real interest, Weird Tales and similar magazines. This also relates to the story as a story - the premise is somewhat absurd, that nobody has noticed or cared, which makes it almost fit for that kind of magazine.

A Worn Path: Pretty stark portrait of desperation. The old woman's path reminded me of a sort of shortened down fairy story of someone's quest to save the princess or whatever, which I guess in a way is kind of what it is

A Still Moment: Some dudes want to kill him for his horse but despite outnumbering him let him go because he can't be shot easily? And then in the next paragraph this is implied to be a bad thing??? What. Whole story absolutely mystified me, I couldn't pin down characters or what was going on or get any kind of feeling out of it, and the tortured syntax was especially noticeable here. Definitely didn't enjoy it

Powerhouse: Opens with several paragraphs of racial stereotypes and racism. Blecchhh. Going to excuse myself from that

complaint: occasional weird syntax? a few sentences were ordered counter to my expectations, confusing me a bit.
-The racial descriptions bother me a bit sometimes, more than usual. Black people seem to be *actually* stupid and bad, even outside of the perceptions of the viewpoint characters.

In general I've enjoyed it. Most of the stories are good/great/amazing but there are a couple I disliked and the racism was a bit grating show less

I sense that Eudora was quite a character, if her writing is anything like her life. I enjoyed some of the stories, although not all of them. The one called 'Why I Live at the P.O.' was my favorite. I would have liked to hear her read her writings.I first became aware of Eudora Welty when I learned that the mail server called Eudora was named after her.

Another collection of American classic short stories.

Also, I should work some Welty into next year. Thanks for the reminder, Kaion.