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The Collected Stories

eudora welty

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With a preface written by the author especially for this edition, this is the complete collection of stories by Eudora Welty.   Including the earlier collections A Curtain of Green, The Wide Net, The Golden Apples, and The Bride of the Innisfallen, as well as previously uncollected ones, these forty-one stories demonstrate Eudora Welty's talent for writing from diverse points-of-view with “vision that is sweet by nature, always humanizing, uncannily objective, but never angry” (Washington Post).

A curtain of green and other stories.
Lily Daw and the three ladies --
A piece of news --
Petrified man --
The key --
Keela, the outcast Indian maiden --
Why I live at the P.O. --
The whistle --
The hitch-hikers --
A memory --
Clytie --
Old Mr. Marblehall --
Flowers for Marjorie --
A curtain of green --
A visit of charity --
Death of a traveling salesman --
Powerhouse --
A worn path --
The wide net and other stories.
First love --
The wide net --
A still moment --
Asphodel --
The winds --
The purple hat --
Livvie --
At the landing --
The golden apples.
Shower of gold --
June recital --
Sir Rabbit --
Moon Lake --
The whole world knows --
Music from Spain --
The wanderers --
The bride of the Innisfallen and other stories.
No place for you, my love --
The burning --
The bride of the Innisfallen --
Ladies in spring --
Circe --
Kin --
Going to Naples --
Uncollected stories.
Where is the voice coming from? --
The demonstrators.

622 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1980
Literary awards
national book award, national book award finalist, 

This edition

Format
622 pages, Paperback
Published
February 1, 1982 by Harcourt Brace
ISBN
9780156189217
ASIN
0156189216
Language
English
Characters More characters

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About the author

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eudora welty

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Eudora Alice Welty was an award-winning American author who wrote short stories and novels about the American South. Her book The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published by the Library of America.

Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and lived a significant portion of her life in the city's Belhaven neighborhood, where her home has been preserved. She was educated at the Mississippi State College for Women (now called Mississippi University for Women), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Columbia Business School. While at Columbia University, where she was the captain of the women's polo team, Welty was a regular at Romany Marie's café in 1930.

During the 1930s, Welty worked as a photographer for the Works Progress Administration, a job that sent her all over the state of Mississippi photographing people from all economic and social classes. Collections of her photographs are One Time, One Place and Photographs.

Welty's true love was literature, not photography, and she soon devoted her energy to writing fiction. Her first short story, "Death of a Traveling Salesman," appeared in 1936. Her work attracted the attention of Katherine Anne Porter, who became a mentor to her and wrote the foreword to Welty's first collection of short stories, A Curtain of Green, in 1941. The book immediately established Welty as one of American literature's leading lights and featured the legendary and oft-anthologized stories "Why I Live at the P.O.," "Petrified Man," and "A Worn Path." Her novel, The Optimist's Daughter, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973.

In 1992, Welty was awarded the Rea Award for the Short Story for her lifetime contributions to the American short story, and was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, founded in 1987. In her later life, she lived near Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, where, despite her fame, she was still a common sight among the people of her hometown.
Eudora Welty died of pneumonia in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 92, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson.

Excerpted and adopted from Wikipedia.

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Raquenheim
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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My approach to reading collections is rather straightforward. I prefer to read one story (or sometimes several) each day until I have completed the entire collection. However, when it comes to Welty's collection, it seems to be of a different nature. It gives off the impression of being a more casual, laid-back kind of book, the type that you can simply pick up whenever you feel like reading a single story. Unfortunately, I have to admit that this style doesn't quite mesh with my own reading preferences.

I find that I need a more structured and consistent reading pattern to fully engage with a book. With Welty's collection, I often find myself getting distracted or losing interest easily. It's not that the stories are bad; they just don't suit my particular way of reading.

Perhaps if I were in a different mood or had more time to relax, I might be able to appreciate Welty's collection more. But as it stands, I have to conclude that we are really not compatible. It's a shame, but everyone has their own reading tastes, and this is just one that doesn't work for me.
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organikguy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Oh boy! This is truly a spot-on perfect read.

I am completely and absolutely captivated by The Petrified Man short story. It delves into the world of small town beauty parlor gossip and a traveling freak show. What could possibly be more entertaining than that?

FINISHED

Howl! This collection has ascended to become one of my all-time favorite reads. It has also made the author my favorite. She is a powerful writer who can explore so many different directions and "see" through the eyes of so many diverse folks.

The Petrified Man was a captivating introduction to Eudora Welty's remarkable skills. Then, when I read The Burning, I was simply blown away. It is horrifying. It展现了战争的残酷, especially the Civil War in this case. It also reveals the stark brutality of racism. This story will remain forever "burned" in my mind.

As further evidence of Welty's profound insight and power, the story "Where IS The Voice Coming From" pierced my heart like a stake. This story is written from the perspective of the brutal murderer of Medgar Evers, although the name Medgar Evers was changed in the story. She gives voice to the thoughts and motives of the hater. It is cringeworthy.

I relished the entire diverse collection of stories and could definitely comment on each one. Just give it a read. It will leave you astounded!
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kurikenshi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Is It Me, Or Is It Her?

I have an intense love for reading southern authors and stories that are set in the South. This passion led me to decide to give this book of short stories by Eudora Welty a try. However, I'm truly sorry to say that I'm extremely disappointed in her writing. There were several times when I was on the verge of putting the book down, but each time I told myself to persevere until the end, hoping that surely it would improve. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

After reading some of the stories, like “Music From Spain”, I found myself asking, “what was the point of this story?” It's as if she simply stopped writing before reaching a resolution. In other stories, it seems as if a proper way to conclude the story eluded her. The ending of “The Wanderers” completely escapes my understanding, just like the endings of many of the stories.

Her analogies are often rather obscure. For example, the description “his little chin that was like a chicken’s clean breastbone tilting upwards” from “At the Landing” is almost nonsensical.

By far, the best stories in this collection are “Why I Live At The PO” and “Shower Of Gold”.

If I were to establish a kingdom of southern writers, William Faulkner would undoubtedly be the king and Flannery O'Connor would be the queen. Of course, Harper Lee would be among the royalty, as would Pat Conroy. John Grisham and James Lee Burke would be the knights. But Eudora Welty, in my opinion, would be just a simple commoner.
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girlgotgame
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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What can I say of Miss Welty that has not already been said? This remarkable writer has left an indelible mark on the literary world.

Her works are a treasure trove of human experiences, emotions, and insights. When you pick up one of her books and start reading, you are immediately drawn into a world that is both familiar and yet full of surprises.

Miss Welty's writing has the power to make you more in tune with your own humanity. It can make you laugh, cry, and think deeply about the world around you.

Her characters are vividly drawn, and you can't help but become invested in their lives. Through her stories, she explores the universal themes of love, loss, hope, and redemption.

So, instead of trying to say something new about Miss Welty, I would simply urge you to read her work. Let her words wash over you and transform you into a more empathetic and understanding human being.
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Chieken
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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While I was in New Orleans, it dawned on me through Paul Theroux's musings on Southern literature in Deep South that I hadn't truly delved into the work of Eudora Welty.

Since most of her stories are set in Mississippi and New Orleans, I made the decision to read The Collected Stories Of Eudora Welty (1982). This book encompasses the short story collections A Curtain of Green, The Wide Net, The Golden Apples, and The Bride of the Innisfallen, along with previously uncollected ones.

The forty-one stories within display Welty's virtuosity in inhabiting people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. A Curtain of Green is particularly notable for containing her most anthologized short story, "A Well Worn Path," which I recall reading in high school and college. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter some Southern Gothic elements in "Petrified Man" and "Keela, the Outcast Indian Maiden."

I discovered that two of her more comical stories, "Lily Dew and the Ladies" and "Why I Live at the P.O.," were among my favorites. The title story of The Wide Net stood out as a portrayal of a small rural community and the distinct personalities that populated a Mississippi town. I was also entertained by the crime-noir atmosphere of "The Purple Hat."

The first story, "First Love," is remarkable as historical fiction where a deaf mute witnesses a meeting between Aaron Burr and Harman Blennerhassett. The next collection, Golden Apples, features a list of Main Families in Morgana, Mississippi and a note clarifying that it is a fictional place, suggesting the influence of William Faulkner. Generally, these stories were denser and more allusive than her earlier works.

The stories are interconnected by recurring characters and events, and there is a sense of solemnity. My favorite in this collection was "Moon Lake," which recounts the drowning and rescue of a young girl. My favorite collection in the book might be The Bride of Innisfallen. The title story details a group traveling from London to Fishguard to take a boat to Cork, with Welty allowing the characters to reveal themselves through conversation.

In another standout story, "The Burning" is her only Civil War story,讲述了两个女人被告知她们的房子将被谢尔曼的军队烧毁. This event haunts them and brings a family secret to the surface. "No Place for You, My Love" is a slow-burning love story that culminates in the realization of unrequited love. "Going to Naples" is another charming travel piece that gathers different characters for an ocean voyage from New York to Italy.

There are two uncollected stories, "Where Is the Voice Coming From?" and "The Demonstrators," written in the 60s, confronting the changes in the South due to the Civil Rights movement. This collection sometimes felt like a chore, but it clearly demonstrates that Welty is a masterful short story writer and worthy of a place in the canon of great American authors.
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mangalover939
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Eudora Wealty has had an enormous influence on other writers, especially female ones, for over half a century. Despite facing numerous rejections, she finally won a Pulitzer in the 1970s.

The short stories in this collection offer a wonderful introduction to her work. They are firmly rooted in a specific time and place, often Mississippi and always the South. However, the challenges that Eudora's characters encounter are timeless.

For example, a secret is uncovered during a casual conversation in the beauty parlor. A sister feels jealous of her more beloved sibling. The furious glory of burning furniture to stay warm is depicted. A memory is tainted by the boorish behavior of others. A traveling salesman is completely cut off from his fellow man. There are misunderstandings between young marrieds, and many more.

These stories are relatable even if, like me, you were born in a different time, on a different continent, and have never been to Mississippi. For readers, they are a source of pleasure. For writers, they are a must-read.
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userr223
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I have read nearly half of the stories that are set in the deep south during the Depression era.

To be honest, I didn't have a great affinity for them.

The settings and the themes they presented, while perhaps accurate and representative of that particular time and place, failed to truly engage me on a deeper level.

Maybe it was the sense of hopelessness and despair that seemed to permeate through the pages, or perhaps it was the slow pacing and the lack of a more compelling narrative arc.

Whatever the reason, I found myself often skimming through the pages, eager to move on to something else that would capture my interest more fully.

Despite this, I do recognize the importance of these stories in documenting a significant period in American history, and I'm sure that others may find them to be much more enjoyable and thought-provoking than I did.
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NearTu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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For what's missing from Kathryn Stockett's The Help, author W. Ralph Eubanks has an interesting recommendation. He suggests reading Eudora Welty's \"Where Is the Voice Coming From?\".

Stockett's novel, The Help, has received significant attention and acclaim. However, according to Eubanks, there are certain aspects that are lacking. By turning to Welty's work, readers can gain a different perspective and perhaps find what was absent in The Help.

\"Where Is the Voice Coming From?\" offers a unique exploration of themes related to race, identity, and the power of storytelling. It delves into the complex relationships between different social groups and the challenges they face.

Eubanks believes that by reading Welty's story, readers can enhance their understanding of the issues raised in The Help and gain a more comprehensive view of the historical and social context in which the novels are set.

So, if you're a fan of The Help and are looking for something more, consider picking up Eudora Welty's \"Where Is the Voice Coming From?\" and see what new insights and perspectives it has to offer.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/16/1396691...
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