The Golden Apples

I just couldn't seem to get into it at all.

The beginning was extremely muddled, making it very difficult to distinguish who was who and exactly what was going on.

There was so much confusion right from the start that it really hindered my ability to engage with the story or understand the context.

I found myself constantly trying to piece together the identities and actions of the characters, but it felt like an uphill battle.

The lack of clarity in the opening sections left me feeling frustrated and disengaged, and I struggled to find any real interest or investment in what was supposed to be happening.

It was a real shame, as I had been looking forward to getting into this particular piece, but unfortunately, the confusing start just didn't give me the opportunity to do so.

This is a compilation of stories that are somewhat loosely centered around the MacLain family from Morgana, Mississippi.

The prose within these stories is both tumultuous and poetic. The plot of each individual story twists and turns, spins and weaves in such a complex manner that one easily gets lost within them.

One really has to pay extremely close attention while reading; otherwise, you'll find yourself simply looking at the words with your mind wandering elsewhere.

And even when you are diligently paying attention, you often end up not fully understanding what exactly is happening.

Consequently, this is not a book that is likely to appeal to the general masses. I can't truthfully say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, I do very much recognize the amazing artistry that this writer possesses.

It's a unique piece of work that demands a certain level of concentration and perhaps a more discerning reader to fully appreciate its nuances and intricacies.

Despite my personal feelings about not enjoying it as much, I can't deny the talent and skill that went into creating these captivating and somewhat perplexing stories.

I initially despised this "novel." The first few pages left me with a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction. However, as I embarked on my critical analysis of it, something unexpected happened. I began to develop a certain appreciation for one of the characters.

This character's complexity and depth gradually emerged, captivating my attention and making me look at the story from a different perspective.

Additionally, after delving into the mythological aspects of the short stories within the novel, my perception started to shift even further. I realized that the author had cleverly incorporated mythology in such a way that it added an extra layer of richness and intrigue to the narrative.

Now, I find myself thinking that I could potentially grow to actually like this novel in its entirety. The more I explore its hidden gems and the intelligent use of mythology, the more I am drawn to its unique charm.

It just goes to show that sometimes, a closer look can reveal the true value and beauty of something that we initially disliked.

I absolutely adored this compilation of interconnected stories centered around the inhabitants of a petite Mississippi town.

The author has painted a vivid picture of the town's landscape, weather, and plants with such meticulous detail that I could effortlessly envision the entire setting in my mind's eye.

The characters, ranging from children to adults and the elderly, are all captivating and full of life.

However, the pièce de résistance of this book, in my opinion, is Welty's brilliant and luminous descriptions of how each character felt and dealt with the challenges of life.

There is a great deal of thought-provoking consideration given to the question of whether to leave the town or stay put.

This book has quickly become my favorite Welty work to date, leaving a lasting impression on me with its rich and engaging narrative.

This book has been on my "to-read" list for a couple of years and I finally got around to it.

I have long heard of Eudora Welty and was extremely interested in delving into a collection of her short stories.

I especially liked "June Recital" and "Moon Lake."

At times, it was rather challenging to precisely understand what was happening. Instead, you more "feel" a sense of what the characters are thinking and experiencing, which is very nuanced.

Her writing is truly beautiful. One passage that I marked described a girls' tent at summer camp.

"The pondering night stood rude at the tent door, the opening fold would let it stoop in - it, him - he had risen up inside. Long-armed, or long-winged, he stood in the center there where the pole went up. Nina lay back, drawn quietly from him. But the night knew about Easter. All about her. Geneva had pushed her to the very edge of the cot. Easter's hand hung down, opened outward. Come here, night, Easter might say, tender to a giant, to such a dark thing. And the night, obedient and graceful, would kneel to her. Easter's callused hand hung open there to the night that had got wholly into the tent."

This passage vividly creates a mysterious and almost magical atmosphere, making the reader feel as if they are right there in the tent with the girls, experiencing the presence of the night.

It showcases Welty's remarkable talent for using words to paint a vivid picture and evoke strong emotions.

The back cover copy of my Penguin Modern Classics edition of this book asserts that it mainly centers on the relationship between Virgie Rainey and her piano teacher Miss Eckhart. Such an odd focus can be overlooked in the blurb of a book as ambiguous as this regarding the notions of 'central characters' and 'driving plot'. However, it's evident to me that the story is about the MacLaine twins and everyone's relationship - whether peripheral or not - to them. Why else would they appear (even if just in mentions) in stories unrelated to them, like Easter's near-drowning?

Overall, although I didn't exactly like this book, I respected its intentions. I was rather impatient and easily distracted while reading it, and unfortunately for my experience, it's a book that demands slow and thoughtful consumption. Despite a strong start in the opening story, told from Katie Rainey's perspective, I lost the opportunity to maintain an emotional connection due to the way the subsequent linked story meandered into discussing the malaria symptoms of the MacLains' neighbour, Loch Morrison. I felt - both years ago when I bought and first attempted to read this book, and now - that Welty rather wasted the rapport she had built with me regarding Snowdie, King, and the twins. I simply didn't care about Loch and why he was confined to his room and what his sister and servant were up to. Please go back to King and his disappearing act!

Consequently, I lacked interest in where Welty took the story, to Virgie and Miss Eckhart, later to Jinny Stark, and then back to the twins again. Welty, the writer, keeps herself at a distance from her characters, circling around them in a bird's-eye view and occasionally darting in to pick out details. I feel this despite the fact that some of the linked stories are deeply internal and solely focused on the narrating character's own musings.

It's a highly evocative novel, and Welty showcases her technical skills with ease. Nevertheless, I found myself skimming through passages to reach the 'important bit' and not missing much of what I skipped, which indicates to me that the balance needed to tip a little more towards'serving the plot'. It's a solid three-point-five if I ever saw one. I would definitely read more of her work, but not immediately.

She's truly excellent at describing cats, which always endears her to me.
“Like a little white kitty in a basket, making you wonder if she just mightn’t put up her paw and scratch, if anything was, after all, to come near.”
“A tortoise-shell cat pillowed in apples gazed at him from a grocer’s window. She pulled her round eyes closed as on little drawstrings.”
And her descriptions in general are also quite remarkable:
“She had wasting legs that showed knifelike down her long skirt, and clumsy-shaped, suffering feet that she placed just so out in front of her on the step of her chair, as if she wanted you to think they were pretty.”
“And Bertsingers’ never had a neon sign over his cage in the repair department. There was some dignity left to everything, if you knew where to find it.”
“You know he constitutionally brought home the kind of presents that break your heart.”
And you can understand why I wanted to hear more about King and less about the irritable Loch Morrison!

Rated 1.0

This is the strangest little book I have ever read. It is supposedly the author's favorite book she has ever written. However, there were sentences that painted a vivid picture but did not seem to fit into the story particularly well.

For example, "up close, her yellowish hair was powdery like goldenrod that had gone forgotten in a vase," or "the piano was butted and half-eaten by the goats one summer day." These descriptions were rather odd and didn't quite mesh with the overall narrative.

I must remember who recommended this book and not be so hasty to put the next recommendation on my "want to read" list.

Welty is on home ground in the state of Mississippi in this collection of seven stories. She portrays the MacLains, the Starks, the Moodys, and other families of the fictitious town of Morgana. “I doubt that a better book about ‘the South’ - one that more completely gets the feel of the particular texture of Southern life and its special tone and pattern - has ever been written.”

Overall, while the book had some interesting aspects, it also had its flaws, and I'm not sure if I would recommend it to others.

Something about the writing gives the impression of being rather artificial.... Moreover, her usage of the word "nigger" lacks creativity and perhaps merely indicates the environment and era in which she grew up. If there are any individuals who are fond of Welty and would like to enlighten me as to why she is highly regarded, I would wholeheartedly welcome such an educational experience. I am still in the process of reading it, but at present, my assessment stands at a three.

I didn't manage to finish reading it, and to make matters worse, I also received a library fine!