There is a truth that I should come to terms with about myself.

I simply don't find short stories to be my regular source of enjoyment. I think that every once in a while, I might want one as a condiment, to add a touch of flavor to what I read. However, a continuous diet of short stories only numbs my senses.

It took me a considerable amount of time to make my way through Welty's The Collected Stories. Some of the stories were amusing, while others perhaps had more depth than I was able to perceive. I just didn't enjoy reading them one after another.

I only read the first series, A Curtain of Green, which might be approximately half of the volume of stories. My favorite was "Why I Live at the P.O." There were a couple of other stories that left an impression on me, but I think I should establish a rule for myself to read them one at a time and space them out. Otherwise, I am likely to lose interest!

This way, I can savor each story and give it the attention it deserves, rather than feeling overwhelmed by a continuous stream of them.

Maybe by approaching short stories in this more measured way, I will be able to appreciate their unique qualities and find more enjoyment in reading them.

Helen Hooven Santmyer said she penned And Ladies of the Club because she was irked by the depiction of small town life in Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson. Eudora Welty's portrayal of small town life is far more nuanced than either of theirs. Her works are filled with remarkable details that can be both perplexing at times yet still powerfully evocative. Of course, Santmyer and Andersen were writing about Ohio, while Welty initially focused on Mississippi and eventually expanded her scope to include Los Angeles, Wales, and a cruise to Naples.

Welty began by writing about life along the Natchez Trace (which I had to research), an Indian trail and natural colonial "highway" that runs through Mississippi to the Mississippi River. Her descriptions and dialogues are precise and rich in detail. Sometimes they can be difficult to follow, but ultimately they are poetic and moving. She is a renowned stylist, and while her writing can sometimes be confusing, her figures of speech are perfectly suited to the characters she describes. She also has an Olympian perspective, standing back slightly while allowing the characters to speak for themselves.

The last story involves father and son doctors, in some ways similar to Santmyer's book. However, Welty maintains the ambiguity and pathos of life without the overly optimistic mood of Santmyer. A better comparison might be to Faulkner, although Welty is much more adept at capturing the emotional texture, without reaching the level of existential meaning. Welty is always true to her characters. As she states, her aim is "to enter the mind, heart, and skin of a human being who is not myself."

Makes for delightful teaching. Students truly respond extremely well to the stories. They display an abundance of compassion and generosity towards the characters. In 1941, Welty was mistakenly labeled as a "grotesque" by Katharine Ann Porter, and that reputation is rather difficult to evade in the early and renowned stories such as "Petrified Man" and "Why I Live at the PO." These stories are hilarious tour-de-forces, being innovative in both voice and form. My personal preference leans towards the later works. "The Bride of the Innisfallen" is one of those long, seemingly plotless stories (somewhat like "The Dead") where nothing occurs until precisely at the end. Suddenly, one realizes what a remarkable journey one has been on throughout the entire twenty pages. There are also two previously uncollected stories, including "Where is the Voice Coming From?", which is a fictionalization of the murder of Medgar Evans. For a writer whose most famous essay is about why writers don't need to crusade, it is indeed a remarkable crusading piece.

The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty is a remarkable work that won the 1982 National Book Award.

This extensive 622-page book contains forty-two short stories. While I found the earlier stories in the book quite enjoyable, I didn't care for many of the later ones.

Reading these stories some seventy years later, they feel rather dated. However, there are still some gems among them.

For instance, "Why I Live at the Post Office" tells the tale of a sister who alienates her family with too many assumptions but manages to turn them to her side through blatant lies and manipulation.

"Old Mr Marblehall" presents a man leading a double life with a son by each wife, and the sons even look alike. The author envisions the day when Marblehall's secret will be exposed, perhaps when one of his young sons follows him to the other house.

"Flowers for Marjorie" is a creepy story about a man who kills his pregnant wife.

"The Wide Net" features a husband who believes his young pregnant wife has drowned herself and spends all day dragging the river to find her body, only to discover she was hiding the whole time seeking attention.

"Livvie" shows a situation where the husband is old, sickly, and dying, and Livvie brings home a young man of her age. They watch the old man die and then begin to dance.

Overall, I rate this collection 3.5 stars. I didn't love these stories as much as I expected, especially since I had previously read Welty's novel, The Optimist's Daughter, and really enjoyed it.

I had never delved into the works of Eudora Welty before. I thought it would be a good start to read some of her short stories.

Little did I know that when I picked up this collection at the library, it contained every single one of her stories. It was like attempting to just dip a toe into the pool but instead slipping and falling right into the deep end. Oops!

Fortunately, it turned out well for me. I read one or two stories each day. This was quite easy as many of them were only 10 - 20 pages long. Although it took me a considerable amount of time to work through the entire collection, I ultimately came to enjoy her writing.

Sometimes it was a bit challenging to follow the plot and dialogue, but her characters were usually extremely charming. She offers a unique perspective on Southern ladies (mostly) during the 1930s - 1950s (mostly).

If you are new to Welty, I wouldn't recommend following my approach. Instead, you might want to try "The Bride of Innisfallen and other stories" or "A curtain of green and other stories" and then explore further as you desire.

Although she is often stereotyped as a genteel Southern lady who wrote comical yarns, there is far more to Eudora Welty than just the ample delights of “Why I Live at the P.O.” and its ilk. As the forty-one stories in this volume clearly demonstrate, Welty is an artist of diverse gifts and a vivid imagination. She has the remarkable ability to depict the quiet tremblings of the inner life, the uncertain consolations of family relations, the manners and matters of small-town society, and the universal relevance of ordinary emotions and experiences. Her characters are a rich tapestry, including both black and white, young and old, mad and sane. There are hairdressers, jazz pianists, and traveling salesmen. There are envious sisters and uncles with questionable impulses. There are crooks, doctors, and historical figures. One tale can be hilarious, while the next is heart-rending. What they all have in common is a magnanimity that is born of listening closely.

Eudora Welty is a highly regarded American writer.

She was born on April 13, 1909, in Jackson, Mississippi. Her works are known for their vivid portrayal of the American South, its people, and their cultures.

Welty's writing style is characterized by her use of rich language, detailed descriptions, and a deep understanding of human nature. She often explores themes such as love, loss, and the search for meaning in life.

Some of her most famous works include "The Optimist's Daughter," "Delta Wedding," and "A Curtain of Green and Other Stories." These works have received numerous awards and have been widely praised for their literary merit.

Eudora Welty's contributions to American literature are significant. Her works have not only entertained readers but also provided valuable insights into the human condition and the history and culture of the American South.

She passed away on July 23, 2001, leaving behind a rich literary legacy that will continue to be studied and enjoyed for generations to come.

A bit like Flannery O'Connor, Welty has a penchant for setting her stories in the not-quite-civilized and frequently impoverished frontiers of mid-20th century America. Her chosen locales are the swamps, countryside, and small towns of the deep south. The 41 short stories and novellas she has crafted are executed with an almost flawless precision. However, there is something about them that fails to warm my heart. I believe it is the hardened lack of empathy exhibited by many of her characters. These individuals have discovered peculiar ways of eking out a living and surviving in their often harsh and unforgiving environs. Their actions and behaviors, while perhaps understandable in the context of their circumstances, leave me with a sense of detachment and coldness.

I was introduced to this book by a smooth-talking, cool, British professor. He mentioned it was his favorite - was it a collection of short stories or a book? It's difficult to remember now. That was years ago. And it wasn't the first time I had heard of the collection. In college, I think I even recorded a friend reading "Why I live at the P.O." in a funny voice for a theater class. Or maybe just selections from the story.

Anyway, I was on a short-story-reading kick. After loving Cather's, Hemingway's, and Katherine Mansfield's works, I thought I would give these a chance. At first, we really hit it off. The stories in the first collection, "A Curtain of Green", are really tight with surprise endings and good dialog.

Then, as I got to know Welty better, it became obvious that maybe she was a friend who was fun to party with, but not someone with whom I'd want to talk about anything important. Because I had to start to ask myself if she wasn't kind of racist. I generally still liked "The Wide Net", especially the title story. That was one of my favorites in the whole book.

It wasn't until "The Golden Apples" that I realized Welty is boring. And then, by "The Bride of the Innisfallen", Welty had become just a crazy old bitty, calling to ramble nonsensically about some kids holding hands on a cruise ship. Then, there is a surprise uber-racist ending of a couple of unpublished stories.

The one story in "The Golden Apples" that is worth reading is "Moon Lake". It starts out slow, like a lot of hers do, but it's worth it for the way it ends. Otherwise, I would skip the last two collections entirely. The first two are still worth reading, though. Well, maybe just the first one and the title story of the second.

It took me about three years to read this collection of short stories, so I feel like I should be able to write something more profound about it. I have been reading this book since I first started my goodreads account, and finishing it is something of a milestone. Rather than feeling celebratory, though, I feel more like I just don't ever want to think about it again. One reviewer wrote of "The Golden Apples", "This book has been an albatross around my neck all freaking summer." I'd like to echo that sentiment for the entire collection. I've been a lot better about it since I started this book reporting business, but usually I'm pretty stubborn about finishing books even if I don't like them. This is a good example of that. I should have just quit when it started going bad because it did not ever get better. Stupid smooth-talking Brits. Stupid southern women writers.

Eudora, what a cool name! It immediately makes me think of Endora from Bewitched.

She had the ability to turn a phrase and create a wonderful atmosphere. However, in many of her stories, the characters felt more like silhouettes. I could see their outlines, but I really would have liked to have more context or depth to truly understand them.

Out of the ones that I fully read, "The Whistle" stood out as the most powerful, while "Clytie" was just plain sad.

Given her high ratings, I'm sure the problem lies with me. But unfortunately, I just couldn't stick with it. One reviewer suggested spreading out the reading of her stories over time, and that might have actually improved my experience. It's possible that with a more spaced-out approach, I would have been able to better appreciate the nuances and details of her work.

Maybe I'll give it another try in the future and see if this method makes a difference.

“Why I Live at the P.O.” is truly hilarious. It has a certain charm that makes it an enjoyable read.

Overall, though, Welty didn't really have a profound impact on me. In my opinion, as she grew older, her writing style improved in some aspects. The language became more refined and perhaps more sophisticated. However, her storytelling seemed to take a step back.

I've never been a big fan of Chekhovian, slice-of-life stories. They often lack the excitement and drama that I look for in a narrative. But Welty, in her many descriptions of the landscape of the South, manages to capture a touch of Ray Bradbury's poetic flow. Her words paint a vivid picture of the region, with its unique charm and character.

Like Bradbury's, also, her stories sometimes take on a mythological, magical tone. This adds an element of mystery and wonder to her work. But the thing that really struck me was her well-observed Southern characters. She has an amazing ability to think, imagine, and feel her way into so many different and varied lives. From the ordinary to the extraordinary, she brings each character to life with authenticity and depth. It's quite a remarkable feat.

Perhaps I am a failure at being a southerner, or a reader, or both.

To be honest, I just didn't like it. I struggled a great deal in my attempt to find some profound meaning in many of the stories. As I was reading, I often found myself simply going through the motions, just reading the words without really engaging.

I tried with all of my might to not give up on the book, but unfortunately, I had to. I guess I'm the kind of reader who needs something that can really capture my attention and hold it firmly. Whether it's a short story of just 3 pages or a long one of 300 pages, I just never managed to find that in any of the stories within this collection.

Maybe it's because the themes didn't resonate with me, or perhaps the writing style wasn't to my taste. Whatever the reason, it's a pity that I couldn't fully appreciate these stories.