Reviews

The Garden Party and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

Only show reviews with written explanations

nelly_1803's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

helgamharb's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Lost! One Golden Hour
Set with Sixty Diamond Minutes.
No Reward Is Offered
For It Is Gone For Ever!

A collection of short stories, covering the subjects of marriage, love, regret, despondency and death.

My favorites were The Garden Party, The Singing Lesson and The Stranger.

choupinsky's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

dylanpong's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

faintgirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I was amazed to discover that this was Katherine Mansfield's final piece of work before she died at 34. This woman, younger than me, uses such sleight of hand and brief strokes to produce glorious vignettes of personality that can turn on a knife edge. I knew nothing about Mansfield, but apparently she has been accused by many of focussing on the little things. But in these stories, the little things are what make these characters excruciatingly human. It's beautiful, and surprisingly dark.

lucyblack's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Katherine Mansfield mostly writes about sad cold women and the buffoonish men in their lives. Sometimes she writes about confused young girls who are destined to become sad cold women. I am not mysterious, rich and cold, but sometimes I would like to be. I want to waft around a large bungalow in a kimono in the summer, sniff the flowers, admire my severe cheekbones and sigh about my boring husband and his silly moustache. I don’t normally read short stories but at times Mansfield’s writing took my breath away. She cuts right down to the sharp edge of sadness underneath long routine days and social niceties