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The Cost Of Living: Early And Uncollected Stories (2009)

by Mavis Gallant(Favorite Author)

4.08 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1590173279 (ISBN13: 9781590173275)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

NYRB Classics

review 1: Short stories are my favorite things to read, so I was overjoyed to see that Mavis Gallant is an absolute master. From the first story on, she managed to tell snippets of lives in a crisp, concise manner that went down like a cool drink of water. The stories were often somewhat sad, the problems of people's lives murmured about through a lovely tale by a master of language. Sometimes the prose was fantastically beautiful, in other spots it was plain, but only because necessary. I thought, after reading this book, Mavis Gallant writes the types of stories that I've been trying to. Amazing.
review 2: Short story fans: run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore or library and get a copy of this book. You will not be disappointed. This is a wonderful collection of... more short stories by a writer who should be much better known. Mavis Gallant was a Canadian who has spent much of her life in Paris, and many of the stories reflect this expat existence. My favorites include "The Cost of Living", about two sisters living in a hotel in postwar Paris, and "Autumn Day", about a woman who joins her husband (a soldier) who is stationed in rural France. Most of her characters are a little bit lost, and the stories themselves are a bit melancholy, but in a good way. The writing is fantastic - I will definitely be looking for more of her stories. Thank goodness that the NYRB keeps publishing them! less

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