Short stories written by a master storyteller.

I really liked each of the stories in this collection. I have previously read The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence, and the stories in Roman Fever seemed just as enticing as those novels. Sometimes I thought I would have liked a novel-length version of certain of these stories, but I also appreciated them for their compactness. I felt these stories were very relatable to modern life in their themes--holding on to old grudges, looking back on one's life from middle age, reflecting on the changing mores of society, aging out of popularity and into senility, etc.

While I still prefer the Wharton novels (especially Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence), these are very compelling and moving short stories. My favorite--and probably the most well-known-- is the title story, Roman Fever, where two old friends are chatting in Rome and inadvertently learn a little too much about each other and their past lives and loves. I also liked The Last Asset and Autres Temps. Wharton considers the hypocrisy of the age and is an astute observer of life and humans in general.

The short story Roman Fever first appeared in 1934 – although this particular collection wasn’t published until 1964 these stories come from across the long period in which Edith Wharton was writing. I assume, therefore, that these stories probably do appear in collections first published during Wharton’s lifetime.

The title story of this collection also appears in The Persephone book of short stories – memorable for its final line – it is the perfect story to start off this little collection, and one I was very happy to revisit. It is a little piece of perfection from Edith Wharton. Two middle ages matrons; Grace Ansley and Alida Slade, are in Rome with their daughters, the two women don’t move from their position on a terrace overlooking the city they each have reason to remember from their youth.

“ ‘I always used to think’ Mrs Slade continued, ‘that our mothers had a much more difficult job than our grandmothers. When Roman fever stalked the streets it must have been comparatively easy to gather in the girls at the danger hour; but when you and I were young, with such beauty calling us, and the spice of disobedience thrown in, and no worse risk than catching cold during the cool hour after sunset, the mothers used to be put to it to keep us in – didn’t they?’
She turned again toward Mrs Ansley, but the latter had reached a delicate point in her knitting. ‘One, two, three – slip two; yes, they must have been she assented without looking up.”

The two women have known each other many years, first as young women brought to Rome by their mothers, and later living on the same street in New York as married women. Their friendship is gradually revealed to exist only superficially. While their daughters go off together to explore the city, to have fun, the older women stay behind, knitting rolled up in their bags, reminiscing over past days. It’s a masterly example of subtlety, as the true nature of Grace and Alida’s jealousies and a long-held secret are unearthed through their conversation.

The remaining stories were all new to me, they are all excellent in their way, but although there are only eight in the collection, I won’t be discussing each of them. Famous for her stories depicting the upper echelons of New York society, the themes Wharton explores in these stories feel very familiar. Many of these stories show the contradictions in a society of slowly shifting mores. The daughters of women whose lives were once so narrowed by convention, find their lives easier, their lives less judged than their mothers’. In others Wharton details the absurdities of the conventional society she was a part of.

Full review: https://heavenali.wordpress.com/2017/...

It is so fun to revisit one of your authors! I am not a short story fan, but I will read anything written by Edith Wharton- love her writing style and syntax! A classic is a classic for a reason, and E W is a writer of unforgettable classics. These short stories are timeless! Loved the second in the series about a book club and their successful effort in befuddling an arrogant author visiting one of the club's meetings :)!

I liked the book , two of my favorite stories were Roman Fever and Xingu. Edith Wharton knew how to write, very clever and beautiful sentence structure. Please it’s historically interesting.

Excellent collection of stories. Wharton can continue a metaphor for page after page, successfully and skillfully! She is the master of metaphors!

Wharton's prose is impeccable and quite typical of the time. It's always a joy for me to experience such command of the English language.

The 8 stories in the book cover various topics usually involving relationships, scandalous or otherwise, between men and women. All the stories had interesting and unforeseen (by me, at least)endings-- strange and often humorous twists.

Dreadful and boring! This book is more confusing than ever, don't understand what's going on at all and strongly don't recommend it! Took me so long to read it because I was so tempted to abandon it...

Post-reading I find that that these lavish stories compensate for my gross inadequacy of words.
To put it simply, I am more or less speechless.
Bathed in Wharton's snobbish syrup of setting is the golden meat of these full-bodied stories broaching so many different topics.

Roman Fever is cut out to be the star of the show and rightly so, as its captivating portrayal of illegitimacy, envy, and realization is carried vividly throughout the piece. I personally think Roman Fever is remarkable because of Wharton's incredible attention to detail in an intricate ode to cunningness in careful wielding of power. "Well, girls are ferocious sometimes, you know. Girls in love especially" (19). As soon as Mrs. Ansley says, "I had Barbara," (20), everything becomes transparent, and the reader is enraptured in sheer awe of the sly fox that Wharton has been. "So these two ladies visualized each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope" (9).
The story is passionate from start to end and it is characterized by an onset of multifarious emotion.
What is the real Roman fever? Ask yourself this if you read it.

All of the featured short stories are gems. One of the most brilliant, I think, is Souls Belated, which I believe captures the essence of what Wharton tries to combat: "the same fenced-in view of life, the same keep-off-the-grass morality, the same little cautious virtues and the same little frightened vices", all of which appear to cower in the face of something like the "nakedness of each other's souls" (119-20).
It is the routine of something like marriage that is harshly questioned by Wharton; through the character of Lydia, she tears apart the pre-constructed concept with organized, whitened jaws.
In the wispy white smoke of Gannett's cigarette is hidden the danger of closeness, the impatience and the irrationality of love, and the gently uncurling ties that hold two people together.

If you truly want a taste of Wharton and can only read one story from this collection, read The Angel at the Grave. It is captivating, rich, and absolutely glorious.
The spirit of Wharton's attractive, meaningful rhetoric is entrenched in every part of this piece. It boasts an amusing and meritorious magniloquence to its readers, and, well, "what could have been more stimulating than to construct the theory of a girlish world out of the fragments of this Titanic cosmogony?" (134).

If you must take something from Wharton (and you must!) to keep in your pocket through your endeavors, my favorite piece was this jewel from The Angel at the Grave: "Literature's like a big railway-station now, you know: there's a train starting every minute. People are not going to hang round the waiting-room. If they can't get to a place when they want to they go somewhere else" (138).

Roman Fever and Other Stories is the epitome of the zest of Wharton, with a flavorful moxie that gives it a unique edge in the enormous sphere of literature.

A fine book. Edith Wharton was one of the masters of both the short story and the novel. All of the stories in this volume are good and several are great. I would recommend the book to anyone who loves the short story form.

ROMAN FEVER (20 pp.) 1934
The title story is the first one and is an insightful look into a friendship between two upper class New Yorker widows in their 40s while on a trip to Rome, a place both ladies have been before. The story takes place entirely at a restaurant with a gorgeous view of Rome, including the Colosseum.
Mrs. Alida Slade and Mrs. Ashley are lunching while their 20s daughters Jenny Slade and Barbars Ashley go off gallivanting with some aviators they have met.
The story involves the two longtime friends discussing their daughter’s personalities and previous trips to Rome when eventually conversation turns to a long ago trip when the two ladies were about their daughters’ age. Secrets are revealed and it all culminates in a quite entertaining ending
I very much enjoyed this examination of long-term friends looking back on the past and its impact of the present. I am amazed that Wharton could pack such high quality characterization and plot into a 20 page one-scene story. My pleasure may have been enhanced by my age, as I am currently doing much of that type of reminiscing with a group of high school friends. It may not be as appealing to younger readers. I note that it was published in 1934, when Wharton was 72. Even without such enhancement, though, this story still contains such intriguing progressive reveals of both plot and character that I think it is objectively entertaining. .A well-crafted short story.
I rate it as 5 stars

XINGU (35 pp.) 1911
This was a fun read. It’s a satire of a distinguished upper-crust ladies’ book club as they have a famous writer visit their meeting. The dialogue between the six members and the author accompanied by the inner monologues of the participants as they all try to act intelligent and knowledgeable made a fun and interesting read that works as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek mystery too. This is Wharton at her socially satirical best. I can see why it is a favorite to use as a stand-alone story or in anthologies.
I rate it as 4.7 stars

THE OTHER TWO (30 pp.) 1904
This is another very good short story. The story begins as our protagonist, mid-30s wealthy New York Investment Broker Mr. Waythorn, as he is called back from his honeymoon with his lovely mid-30s socialite wife due to the illness of his stepdaughter Lily Haskett, Mrs. Waythorn’s daughter from her first marriage. Social and professional circumstances soon bring Waythorn into contact with Mrs. Waythorn’s husbands from her first marriage, Mr. Haskett, and her second marriage, Mr. Varick. These are the titled “Other Two.” Waythorn’s inner monologue provides much interesting insight and character reveals.
The plotting is well done and, while the subject matter is dealt with seriously at first, I gradually grew into a humorous grin at the proceedings. I thought it interesting that when referring to the adult characters informally, without a Mr. or Mrs., they were called by their last names rather than by any first names. Another well-done story.
I rate it as 4.3 stars

SOULS BELATED (40 pp.) 1899
This story is about the relationship dynamics between Lydia Tillotson, the wife of a rich New Yorker and Ralph Gannett, a young writer and the man she has left her husband for.
The couple ran off to Europe and toured Sicily, Dalmatia, Transylvania and Southern Italy and are now on a train through northern Italy as they search find a place where Gannett can start writing again. Gannett wishes to marry her after she gets divorces and Lydia does not want a marriage.
They find a hotel on the Italian lakes that suits them, but it is a hotel whose social propriety is enforced by the annual resident Lady Susan. While there Garnett and Lydia face issues regarding their marital status, putting on a false face to others, and how best to resolve these issues and their relationship status.
While I appreciated the discussions and portrayal of the societal issues at the heart of the couple’s dilemma, my enjoyment of the story was limited by my failure to empathize with Lydia’s thoughts, attitudes and actions. I didn’t dislike her, I just couldn’t really relate to her. I felt more empathy with Garnett but he has a secondary role and it is Lydia who is our protagonist.
I rate it 4.0 stars.

THE ANGEL AT THE GRAVE (26 pp.) 1901
This relatively brief short story is about Paulina Anson, the granddaughter of Orestes Anson, a philosopher/scientist whose family estate, upon his death, has become an informal museum for his many followers who revere him. While her mother, Orestes daughter, was estranged from her family, upon her death, Paulina comes to live at the family estate with her grandmother and two aunts. Paulina falls into the role of taking care of Orestes legacy as she is the only Anson with the intellectual capacity to understand Orestes teaching. The story deals with some events in the 20+ years following Paulina’s arrival.
This felt like a different type of story with quite intriguing themes of a granddaughter’s reverence for a grandparent she didn’t know personally, personal versus familial duties and the fleeting versus surviving legendary status of scholars such as philosopher, authors, scientists, whose legacy is based on their writings. I found it enchanting in its themes, but slightly less so in its execution. A slow starting but ultimately very good story that would have been greater with more insight into Paulina’s thoughts. As with many a Thomas Hardy short story, upon finishing, I was left with a pleasant feeling of wistful melancholy.
I rate it as 4.3 stars

THE LAST ASSET (46 pp.) 1904
This story about Americans in Paris has a story set-up I found intriguing. The protagonist is
American Paul Garnett a newspaper correspondent based in London who makes several Paris excursions per year. Over time, Garnett has become friendly with an elderly American gentleman at the restaurant they both lunch at. Garnett has also become friendly with fellow London based American Mrs. Sam Newell, a diva-like society matron, and serves as her voluntary aide-de-camp whenever they are both in Paris. The story involves Garnett’s role in accomplishing a task for Mrs. Newell to help smooth the marriage ceremony between her daughter Hermy and a young man from a local high society French family. Events bring Garnett’s acquaintance with both the gentleman and Mrs. Garnett into play.
I thought this was another creative story with a great premise and great characterization.
I rate it as 4.3 stars.

AFTER HOLBEIN (34 pp.) 1928
This story is about the aging process, a theme that hits home for me. The main protagonist is aging socialite Anson Warley who, after a strange Jekyll and Hyde inner conflict in his younger years, becomes a regular and active member of New York society into his older years. A secondary character is the aging matronly New York societal hostess Mrs. Jaspar who has long hosted dinner parties. The story mainly tells of Warley’s development into his current state with brief glimpses of Mrs. Jaspar’s life until an ending where their lives get intertwined in a surprisingly poignant sand well-crafted scene of a social event. This was another great story . Another great story in the collection.
I rate it as 4.3 stars.

AUTRES TEMPS (44 pp.) 1911)
This is the story of Mrs. Lidcote, who scandalously left her husband and ran off with another man some 18 years before the action of the story. She has been living alone in Italy for some time, but she is finally returning to New York to see her daughter, Leila, has done much as Mrs. Lidcote did – divorced her husband and married her lover. Leila is living in her new country estate with her wealthy ex-husband who is seeking an ambassadorship. An intertwined side story revolves around Mrs. Lidcote relations with a long-time suitor with whom she renews a relationship.
The story revolves around Leila and Mrs. Lidcote’s relationship as she is being accepted into New York society and whether her mother’s long-term ostracization from it. Themes addressed include societal standards in who and how long they ostracize, whether the sins of the mother fall on the daughter, and a daughter’s comparative devotion to a parent and spouse.
I thought this was another well-written and well-developed story that shares some similarities with the plotting of Wharton’s 1925 novel A Mother’s Recompense. Mrs. Lidcote is a wonderful creation and the situations she faces seem real even if they are upper-class New York 1900s ones. Her experiences were poignant and I strongly empathized with her situation.
I really liked this story, including the recurrent use of the term ‘cut’ to describe the individual’s compliant enforcement of society’ ostracization.
I rate this as 4.7 stars

ROMAN FEVER AND OTHER STORIES- Overall Rating
While my individual story rating average out to 4.45 stars, I am still going to round up because the stories as a whole provided me with a definitely 5 star reading experience. I love Wharton’s writing and the world she writes about with such incredible insight. Her themes may seem provisional and shallow to some but we all live life in societies and not as loners and the standards and methods of being involved in such societies are essential elements of life. I find the themes and insights transferrable between many societal levels. However, I do admit to a fascination with historical upper-class society, evidenced by my having the Forsyte Saga as my favorite reading experience. Trollope’s Pallisers series ranks up there too.
So I rate this collection as a whole as 5 stars.

n  My Ratings Of Wharton Novels I Have Readn
5 Stars
The Age of Innocence 1920 (Pulitzer Prize winner)
Old New York 1924
Roman Fever and Other Stories 1964 (individual stories published between 1899 and 1934)
4+ Stars
Ethan Frome 1911
The Custom of the Country 1913
The Glimpses of the Moon 1922
The Mother's Recompense 1925
4 Stars
The Touchstone 1900
Madame de Treymes 1906
The Fruit of the Tree 1907
Twilight Sleep 1927
The Children 1928
The Buccaneers 1938
The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton 1937
3 stars
The House of Mirth 1905
Summer 1917
Bunner Sisters 1916