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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
As far as I can recall, I have never read any of Eudora Welty's fiction, but after reading this beautifully written memoir, I would like to seek out her work. I especially enjoyed the early sections of this slim volume, the parts that dealt with the author's pre-WWI childhood. Her writing in this section is especially evocative, recalling days when a town's library was run by one woman and schools were places where even the most eager to learn children, feared and respected their teachers. Welty does a wonderful job of bringing to life a long gone era and makes us understand how she grew to love words and stories. This is a wonderful book not just for writers, but for anyone who loves well-told stories of growing up and becoming conscious of the world.
These speeches-turned-into-print should be of interest to writers and to those who love Eudora Welty's writings, especially her short stories.
Like Eudora, I was born in the South and went to a university in Wisconsin (though she doesn't spend too much time talking of her time there), so there was a lot here to 'locate' (a word she uses twice in interesting ways) me. She was born in 1909, so of course there were differences too. But reading of the 'feel' of her summer trips in the family car (to visit her grandparents), I was reminded that some things never seem to change.
Welty mentions, as instrumental in her young reading life, a 10-volume set given to her as a child called Our Wonder World. I know I didn't own the set, but I believe I must have read some of it, or all of it, or at least something very similar, from the library, as so much of what she recalled was familiar to me.
It's always nice to see how a writer you 'know' interprets his or her past, as they look back and discover what brought them to where they are now.
Like Eudora, I was born in the South and went to a university in Wisconsin (though she doesn't spend too much time talking of her time there), so there was a lot here to 'locate' (a word she uses twice in interesting ways) me. She was born in 1909, so of course there were differences too. But reading of the 'feel' of her summer trips in the family car (to visit her grandparents), I was reminded that some things never seem to change.
Welty mentions, as instrumental in her young reading life, a 10-volume set given to her as a child called Our Wonder World. I know I didn't own the set, but I believe I must have read some of it, or all of it, or at least something very similar, from the library, as so much of what she recalled was familiar to me.
It's always nice to see how a writer you 'know' interprets his or her past, as they look back and discover what brought them to where they are now.
I received this for Christmas, as a surprise (it wasn't on my list) and I quite enjoyed it. The writing grabbed me on the first page and transported me to Welty's childhood. Her autobiography was really well written and I'm going to check out some of her other works. I'd never heard of her before. At any rate, this is worth reading simply for the writing, and her childhood is interesting as well. 4 stars.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
reflective
slow-paced
funny
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Enjoyable and quick. Maybe a little choppy in it's format.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I've read some Eudora Welty stories and appreciated her writing and insightful portrait of mid-century Southern life. I found this copy at home and was charmed and soothed by this three-part collection. There was a lot to underline and reflect on about memory and family life. I also enjoyed the portrait of her childhood, family, and particularly her parents that Welty drew. The book offered a mix of the relatable, on an emotional level, with the deeply foreign, in that the time and place of her history is gone.