Paris Stories (New York Review Books Classics)

From a celebrated writer such as Mavis Gallant, I expected more. It was certainly brilliantly written and observed but too often the stories left one with a feeling of incompleteness. Of course, that is the Gallant style: suggest rather than state, swerve rather than go in a straight line. Also, the recurrent theme - nomads trying to find their place in the world and failing to do so - is necessarily melancholy. Thus many of those stories leave one with a desire to see some sort of conclusion that never comes and that can be a disappointing reading experience.On the other hand, once one realizes that this is inherent in Gallant's "New Yorker" style of writing, then one can simply go ahead and savor it. It's like an acquired taste (as one of the other reviewers here aptly suggested). Accept the Gallant premise and enjoy the richness and subtlety of her writing...

'Paris Stories' by Mavis Gallant (1922-2014) is to be savored like a fine French meal. She was a Canadian reporter first in Montreal but her true love was writing fiction. In 1950 she moved to Paris to pursue her dream and remained there as an ex-pat breathing in the atmosphere while writing short stories. It was beneficial to read the 'Afterword' at the back first. It is a short story in itself, telling a little about her history, life and writing style. She can magically take a slice of a character's life and show the human side of him or her in a concise, witty way. She places the protagonist in a Paris apartment, street, cafe or Riviera hotel and these places seem like characters as well. Gallant has left the world with a legacy of brilliant short stories which require a slow reading pace to savor each turn of a phrase.

Mavis Gallant takes you to the idealized European streets you imagined before arriving. Her stories have rich characters and settings; maybe not much happens in the way of action or conversation because what she conveys is deeper than that. Many times you're in their heads and their histories, rather than the here-and-now. It reads like a dreamy nostalgia. Also interesting is a story that may have been a precursor to Michael Ondaatje's "The English Patient." He wrote the introduction to this collection and her influence on him, his enthusiasm for her, is expressed pretty openly. Anyways. If you like Ondaatje and you dream of going to a Europe that doesn't quite exist anymore (except for pockets of Spain which seems to be 40 years behind the rest of the continent), then you will love this collection.

Mavis Gallant is a master story teller. Her short stories are magnificent and compelling. This is a little known Canadian writer recommended by Francine Prose in her wonderful book "Reading like a writer". Beware they are also a bit bleak, so if you need an uplifting read, leave this jewel for another time.

Couldn't get into many of the stories. Think the issue was with me. May try again at some point. Or not.

Mavis Gallant, expat Canadian who chose to live most of her life in Paris, published hundreds of stories in really prestigious journals. Her point of view in stories is brilliant and varied. It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I think "The Moslem Wife" will do. I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Ondaatje's introductory essay as well.

No one can put a sentence together like Gallant. I kept rereading them to enjoy their depth and descriptiveness.

Captivating personalities, timeless scenes. Savor the situations you may or may not encounter in your visits to Paris -- they will remind you of real life!

If you are looking for a book about Paris, you are wrong here. Those stories were (perhaps) written IN Paris. And I was sooo bored, i wasn‘t able to finish more than one story.I‘ll give it another try, when I‘m retired, But for now, it was just a big disappointment.By the way: where and when were those published? Couldn‘t find ANY information in the Book!

Gallant has an amazing eye for detail. She does something more than that. She packs her stories and characters with details and is never quick to judge them. Often, she doesnt judge them and doesnt make it easy even for the reader to do so. However, at times, I felt some of her stories lack emotional aspect which made me feel a bit suffocated. Her character sketches are marvellous. Within a para or two, she can bring in details of a life-long. My favourite of the lot is 'The Moslem Wife'. I will go back to this story again and again.

Mavis Gallant is one of those writers who don't make waves but yet command enormous respect from those who have the good fortune to read her work. As far as being a writer goes, Gallant is the real deal. She left Canada in her twenties and went to Europe, believing that writers ought not to have it easy if they were to learn their trade. She didn't and almost starved in Madrid in the early fifties. She later settled in Paris where she still lives.Gallant's writing is economical and spare but has an emotional precision that can be breathtaking. She evokes in a few words exchanges and experiences that many writers would struggle to express at all.If you love reading or you are or want to be a writer, you owe it yourself to discover her work if you haven't already.

If Alice Munro can get the Nobel prize, I dont see why this great Canadian writer has been overlooked. Her stories range over a wide spectrum of people, places and times and offer sharp and comprehensive insights into what we do to each other and ourselves. These 'Paris stories' offer an outsiders' view of goings on in Europe (and not just by Europeans) from the 1930s on. Very instructive as a basis for understanding how a specific culture (place, gender, age) steers universal needs and desires. Each story plays out over time, and as events unfold, you have a front row seat, thanks to her clear perspective and lucid writing.Every story in this collection is a winner - not true of some of the other MG collections.

first class in every respect