I picked up Welty’s book because I read that she was a big influence on Alice Munro.

It’s easy to see why. Welty’s writing is rich, gorgeous and deep.

Give yourself plenty of time with this collection. It truly deserves to be savoured.

I read each story multiple times in an effort to try and capture all the finer details.

At times, it felt like I was reading a Munro story – and that’s a good thing.

Both writers focus on pivotal moments, stories in which not much really happens in real time, but there’s a tidal wave of revelation under the surface.

Highly recommended for any Munro fan. Or anyone looking for topnotch short stories.

You will be immersed in the beautiful world of Welty’s words, experiencing the emotions and insights she so skillfully weaves into each tale.

The stories have a way of staying with you long after you’ve turned the last page, making you reflect on the human condition and the subtleties of life.

Whether you’re a lover of literature or simply looking for a great read, Welty’s collection is sure to satisfy.

Eudora Welty (1909 - 2001) was a highly regarded writer in her era. Her books were published, purchased, read, and received favorable reviews. I don't assign only two stars lightly. I truly desired and hoped to relish the work of this American woman writer. I happen to be a fan of her contemporaries like Dawn Powell and Carson McCullers. Moreover, I have a penchant for pastoral fiction, such as that of Sarah Orne Jowett and Martha Ostenso, and I don't require that every book I read must have blood on the floor and heart-stopping excitement. I greatly like and appreciate much of mid-20thC. realism, from the likes of the above-mentioned ladies, Erskine Caldwell, Sherwood Anderson, and others. I also understand that works set in a particular time and place, like the segregated American South, will have their offensive elements, such as the casual use of the infamous "N" word.

Golden Apples is an interconnected collection of short stories, set in the fictional town of Morgana, Mississippi, and featuring the members of what must be considered the town's leading families. All of them live in the shadow of the McLain family, local magnates who are in decline. One can assume that the McLains must have lost land during Reconstruction. A nearby town bears their name.

For me, reading Golden Apples was like trudging through mud. Welty employed the technique, which I've witnessed in other short story writers, of intense focus on the minutiae of daily life. And I do concur that daily life is significant and people's daily experiences should not be overlooked, as they often are by both writers and scholars. However, what her stories evoked in me was intense claustrophobia. I felt no interest in any of her characters except for one, and that one, a girl named Cassie Morrison, only appeared in two of the stories. I would rate this as a one-star book were it not for the fact that I did like Welty's description of the natural setting.

American writers have bestowed upon us many excellent novels of small town life, such as The Lemon Jelly Cake (I've forgotten the author's name), McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and an undeservedly forgotten novel by Tony Cade, I think the title was The Salt Eaters. For me, Golden Apples does not measure up to them. I'm afraid I found it tiresome and uninteresting. If it contained some sort of "important message", that message eluded me. If I need a book to enhance my life, I turn to Holy Scripture.

A wonderful collection of linked stories

truly impressed me. It reminded me a great deal of Lives of Girls and Women. Perhaps this is because Alice Munro was influenced by Eudora Welty's work. If Alice Munro is my idol, then that makes Eudora Welty my grand-idol.

What's interesting about these stories is that they don't all center around the same main character. This is a nice touch as it gives the impression of an entire town.

I have a strong feeling that I need to read this collection from the beginning again at some point. This is because in later stories, we get to know some characters a lot better. It will be fascinating to see how they are portrayed in the earlier ones.

I think my favorite story was "June Recital". It might possibly be the longest "short" story I've ever read. The depth and complexity of the characters and the plot in this story really captured my attention and made it stand out for me.

Overall, this collection of linked stories is a must-read for anyone who enjoys character-driven fiction and wants to explore the lives and experiences of a diverse group of people in a small town setting.

Eudora Welty is indeed a remarkable master of the American short story.

The Golden Apples is a captivating collection consisting of seven intertwined stories. These stories are set in the fictional town of Morgana, Mississippi, during the time period between the two world wars.

However, I must admit that I found this collection rather difficult to read and fully enjoy. The edition I was reading was an old paperback that I had borrowed from a friend. It lacked an introduction and any accompanying notes.

Perhaps if I had access to another edition that included those additional resources, it would have provided me with a better understanding and enhanced my appreciation of the stories.

Nevertheless, despite the initial challenges, I still believe that Eudora Welty's talent and the unique charm of The Golden Apples are worth exploring further.

I’ve been plodding my way through The Golden Apples for what seems an eternity.

I think I’ve been indulging in a little too much Welty lately, or maybe this just isn’t as good as her other works.

But for some reason, I’m bored stiff. The chapters are very long, very uneventful short stories that more or less all tie together into one timeline.

I know I read “Moon Lake” in another collection, and I was unimpressed that time too.

Nothing happens, and it takes such a long time doing it.

A good bit of the action that does take place is seemingly random or at least without consequences.

Goodness, I’m such a Gloomy Gus of a reader this week!

I usually enjoy exploring different literary works, but this one has really left me feeling rather disappointed.

I keep hoping that something exciting will happen to liven up the story, but so far, it has been a rather dull and uneventful read.

Maybe I’ll give it a bit more time and see if it improves, but for now, my enthusiasm for The Golden Apples is definitely lacking.

This is a captivating collection of seven stories, with one of them being long enough to be considered a novella. Set in a charming small town in Mississippi, the stories span approximately the first half of the 20th century.

Each story delves deep into the life of a particular character or family, while others make appearances as secondary characters. Some of the stories are like brief vignettes, unfolding within the span of a single day, while others cover a few years. What makes this collection unique is that the stories do not overlap in time. In fact, decades may have passed between one story and the next.

At first, I found the pace a bit slow, but as I got used to it, I began to appreciate the lazy flow, much like the Mississippi river itself. Among all the stories, my absolute favorite was the last one. It had a certain charm and depth that left a lasting impression on me.

I would highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys character-driven stories set in a bygone era.

In this justifiably famous collection of related short stories, Welty employs poetic, allusory language to exalt the ordinary life of small-town Mississippi in the early 20th century to a mythic stature. And she accomplishes this with remarkable ingenuity.

There are, of course, the Golden Apples of the title, which Welty borrowed from Yeats' poem The Song of Wandering Aengus. These evoke Hera's renowned fruit tree guarded by the dragon, Ladon. Instead of Heracles undertaking his eleventh labor, Welty presents us with Loch Morrison, hanging upside down from a hackberry tree and scheming to steal the Maclain's enchanting figs. When they cracked open their pink and golden flesh would show, their inside flowers, and golden bubbles of juice would hang, to touch your tongue to first. Virgie Rainey, attempting to outrun a lovesick sailor in hot pursuit, calls to mind Hippomenes' utilization of the same golden apples to distract Atalanta and claim her in marriage. Even the first story's title, The Shower of Gold, is a clear allusion to the story of Danae, alerting the reader to the fact that King Maclain represents the powerful, globe-trotting, womanizing Zeus of Morgana. I surely did not decipher all of the codes, but there were sufficient ones in evidence to make this an engaging read.

Based on this collection, I do believe Eudora Welty was more adept at capturing certain voices and characters than others. The women and children were very human: vivid, complex, and believable; the men were more often personifications and seen from the outside rather than the inside. It's possible this was intentional, with men intended to be the flawed gods of the tiny universe she fabricated. If that is the case, then it functioned more on the intellectual plane than the emotional.

I am extremely glad to have finally made Ms. Welty's acquaintance. I will most definitely get around to reading The Optimist's Daughter and The Robber Bridgegroom at some point.

As I continue delving into the story collections of Welty, I must admit that I still grapple with her unique style.

To be honest, there were a few stories within this collection that left me somewhat baffled. Even immediately after reading, I found myself unable to precisely articulate what had been narrated and its intended meaning.

Several of the stories in this compilation, owing to their length and structure, resembled novellas more closely than traditional short stories. Among these, "Moon Lake" and "The Wanderers" stood out as the finest, with the latter being particularly revealing.

The complexity and depth of Welty's writing continue to pose a challenge, yet it also intrigues and compels me to further explore and attempt to understand her literary vision.

This was an extremely challenging piece for me to read.

On one hand, the allusions flew right past me, making it difficult to fully grasp the intended meanings.

On the other hand, the blatant racism that was deeply ingrained within the book was truly disturbing.

The writing itself, however, was truly amazing. The author's skill and talent were evident on every page.

It was worth taking the time to savor and appreciate the beauty of the language.

But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and discomfort.

I just wanted to be finished with it, to put it aside and move on to something else.

Despite the literary merit, the presence of racism made it a difficult and somewhat unpleasant reading experience.

Welty is truly a titan in the literary world. Now that we've established that, this book is a remarkable collection of short stories. All of them are related to the same town, "Morgana," and its townspeople. In fact, it feels more like a novel than a typical short-story collection. I learned from an interview with Welty that the town's name is based on the sea horizon mirage phenomenon, "fata morgana." This hazy, dream-like misting in and out of mirage and reality perfectly captures the tone and structure of the book. It became a bit of a "white whale" for me to finish truthfully because the density of the prose was a stumbling block. Her narrative is interspersed with long lists of character names and dream-like sequences, making it quite slow to digest. However, I finally gave in to the book by allowing the language to wash over me and by paying less attention to who was who. Some of her descriptive passages are simply exquisite, using such unique and unexpected metaphors that they truly take your breath away. Welty was an amazing literary mind, and this book is a clear testament to that fact.

Not an easy read, but a worthwhile one.

Welty's works are filled with ubiquitous allusions to the mythology of Western Civilization. These allusions have a profound impact on the readers. Long after turning the last page, the readers will still be haunted by these allusions.

They are forced to confront the mythology of their own "heroes" and "villains". It makes them think about how the act of storytelling can have a powerful influence. It can transform evil into good and truth into lies.

Welty's use of allusions adds depth and complexity to her writing. It challenges the readers to look beyond the surface and explore the deeper meanings and implications. Through her works, she encourages the readers to question the established norms and beliefs and to form their own opinions. In this way, her writing becomes a catalyst for self-reflection and growth.

The book is deceptively short, yet there is such profound depth in each story.

I had to deliberately slow down my reading pace to extract the maximum essence from them.

I completely adore her writing, and as is always the case when I discover an author I love, I explore related works and information around the subject.

She is an extremely interesting woman, and her utilization of mythology is truly impressive.

On YouTube, there are several uploads of Welty reading some of her stories and interviews with her. One particular interview with her and Gore Vidal I found to be most captivating.

I read somewhere that a classic is a book that necessitates multiple rereads, much like wine, where the full flavor emerges over time.

Based on this definition, then this book is undoubtedly a classic. I will most definitely need to reread it at some future juncture.

The copy of the book I have is from the library, and it contains the complete stories.

This is a book that I would very much like to have on my own shelf and perhaps attempt to read each of the individual books of stories at a rate of one per year.

Maybe it could be my summertime reading choice because I suffer from SAD and winter is not my most mentally optimal time. And Welty's works definitely engage and exercise one's mental faculties.