Dangerous Calm: The Selected Short Stories of Elizabeth Taylor

by Elizabeth Taylor

A collection of short stories, two previously unpublished, by Elizabeth 'a joy to read... Taylor excels in conveying the tragicomic pognancy of the everyday' (Daily Telegraph).In 1945 the publication of AT MRS LIPPINCOTE'S launched Elizabeth Taylor's career. The author of twelve novels and four collections of short stories, she excelled at unravelling the comedy of ordinary life. DANGEROUS CALM draws on her volumes of short stories to produce a fine selection of her work. Stories such as 'Summer Schools', 'Flesh' and 'The Devastating Boys' confirm her status as one of the finest short story writers. This selection also features two previously unpublished stories and three uncollected ones, including the late, poignant tale, 'The Wrong Order'. Together they celebrate a formidable stylist whose work has delighted readers and critics for fifty years.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

338 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 1995

About the author

Elizabeth Taylor (née Coles) was a popular English novelist and short story writer. Elizabeth Coles was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1912. She was educated at The Abbey School, Reading, and worked as a governess, as a tutor and as a librarian.

In 1936, she married John William Kendall Taylor, a businessman. She lived in Penn, Buckinghamshire, for almost all her married life.

Her first novel, At Mrs. Lippincote's, was published in 1945 and was followed by eleven more. Her short stories were published in various magazines and collected in four volumes. She also wrote a children's book.

Taylor's work is mainly concerned with the nuances of "everyday" life and situations, which she writes about with dexterity. Her shrewd but affectionate portrayals of middle class and upper middle class English life won her an audience of discriminating readers, as well as loyal friends in the world of letters.

She was a friend of the novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett and of the novelist and critic Robert Liddell.

Elizabeth Taylor died at age 63 of cancer.

Anne Tyler once compared Taylor to Jane Austen, Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Bowen -- "soul sisters all," in Tyler's words . In recent years new interest has been kindled by movie makers in her work. French director Francois Ozon, has made "The Real Life of Angel Deverell" which will be released in early 2005. American director Dan Ireland's screen adaptation of Taylor's "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" came out in this country first in 2006 and has made close to $1 million. A British distributor picked it up at Cannes, and the movie was released in England in 2009.

Reviews

[Mary Durrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real gem!
Elizabeth Taylor writes with elegant prose, she wryly captures the ordinary exceptionalness of life.
With minute observations of everyday life we can all relate to some of these wonderful stories.
I loved them and was sad to finish!

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Extra Debut. Emily and Edmund know more about each other than anyone in the world, but how will their first meeting go? Read by Joanna David.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...

newtome author

Apparently Elizabeth Taylor is most renowned to us today for being the one who was neglected during her life time. I can't help but see in my mind's eye...



... and the cover is meant to induce a connection I think.



Cracktastic writing.

[Pixelina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stories such as 'Summer Schools', 'Flesh' and 'The Devastating Boys' confirm her status as one of the finest short story writers. This selection also features two previously unpublished stories and three uncollected ones, including the late, poignant tale, 'The Wrong Order'

however the BBC didn't add any of those in this broadcast. I am sure the book is good, but the broadcast is lacking...

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Selected short stories by the British author.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like William Trevor but with added bitchiness. Best stories are 'Summer Schools' and 'The Letter Writers'.

[Avril · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Elizabeth Taylor's novels and expected to be equally fond of her short stories. However, I found this collection to be quite depressing and all very much the same. The theme of dull, uninspiring characters living dull uninspired lives in settings.... well you get the picture, left me feeling.... the same.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

checked this out from library just for the five uncollected/previously unpublished stories, all of which are great.

[Deborah J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was put onto this book by Paul Magrs when I was doing my MA dissertation and I still think 'The Devastating Boys' is a work of near genius. Everything simmers under the surface.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and satisfying read. Appreciation to the article that directed me to check the library for her books, including this one.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

from Hester Lilly (1954):
Spry character
Nods & becks & wreathed smiles
Oasis of gaiety
***
*The first death of her life
*A red-letter day

from The Blush and Other Stories (1958):
*The blush
The letter-writers
Summer schools
Perhaps a family failing
***
*The ambush
*Poor girl

from A Dedicated Man and Other Stories (1965):
Girl reading
The prerogative of love
The benefactress
*A dedicated man
***
*Mr. Wharton
*Mice and birds and boy

from The Devastating Boys (1972):
*The devastating boys
*Flesh
*Sisters
Hotel du Commerce
Miss A and Miss M
***
*The excursion to the source
In and out the houses--3

Uncollected Stories:
Husbands and wives
The blossoming
The wrong order
A responsibility
Violet hour at the Fleece