A Pair of Silk Stockings

by Kate Chopin

Désirée's baby --
Miss McEnders --
The story of an hour --
Nég Créol --
A pair of silk stockings.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Feminism, 19th Century, American, School

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

Kate Chopin was an American author whose fiction grew out of the complex cultures and contradictions of Louisiana life, and she gradually became one of the most distinctive voices in nineteenth century literature. Raised in a household shaped by strong women of French and Irish heritage, she developed an early love for books and storytelling, and that immersion in language later shaped the quiet precision of her prose. After marrying and moving to New Orleans, then later to the small community of Cloutierville, she absorbed the rhythms, customs, and tensions of Creole and Cajun society, finding in its people the material that would feed both her sympathy and her sharp observational eye. When personal loss left her searching for direction, she began writing with the encouragement of a family friend, discovering not only a therapeutic outlet but a genuine vocation. Within a few years, her stories appeared in major magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, and The Century, where readers encountered her local-color sketches, her portrayals of women navigating desire and constraint, and her nuanced depictions of life in the American South. She published two story collections, Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie, introducing characters whose emotional lives were depicted with unusual honesty. Her short fiction often explored subjects others avoided, including interracial relationships, female autonomy, and the quiet but powerful inner conflicts of everyday people. That same unflinching quality shaped The Awakening, the novel that would later become her most celebrated work. At the time of its publication, however, its frank treatment of a married woman’s emotional and sensual awakening unsettled many critics, who judged it harshly, yet Chopin continued to write stories that revealed her commitment to portraying women as fully human, with desires and ambitions that stretched beyond the confines of convention. She admired the psychological clarity of Guy de Maupassant, but she pushed beyond his influence to craft a voice that was unmistakably her own, direct yet lyrical, and deeply attuned to the inner lives of her characters. Though some of her contemporaries viewed her themes as daring or even improper, others recognized her narrative skill, and within a decade of her passing she was already being described as a writer of remarkable talent. Her rediscovery in the twentieth century led readers to appreciate how modern her concerns truly were: the struggle for selfhood, the tension between social expectations and private longing, and the resilience of women seeking lives that felt authentically theirs. Today, her stories and novels are widely read, admired for their clarity, emotional intelligence, and the boldness with which they illuminate the complexities of human experience.

Reviews

[Ilse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps some have been feeling caught and bereft of autonomy during these (semi) lockdown times, running into limitations we previously didn’t fathom possible, at least of some we might hope will be of passing nature so in the near future we might find again what we have missed most - a library visit, to meet friends or relatives who belong to our ever spatially expanding lives, so remote from the traditional life under the church tower that maybe still was the one of our grandparents. To put things into perspective it can be enlightening to read about past times, illustrating what is of essential value in our acquis, the importance of personal freedom, even if now under restriction to protect others and ourselves.

Personal freedom and the dearth of it especially for women in the rigid society that characterised the Deep South of the United States, Louisiana, in the late 19th century is one of the mayor, recurrent themes in these Kate Chopin’s (1850-1904) short stories – as in her novel The Awakening. Apart from the titular story and the poignant The Story of an Hour that I have read a few years ago, this collection comprises Désirée’s Baby, Miss McEnders and Nég Créol.

Some of these short stories are steeped in an astounding bravery, touching on topics that must have been audacious to speak about in Kate Chopin’s times and context, taboos - issues which are still a minefield today: race, class and gender - defying conventions and pointing at injustice.



(Berthe Morisot, Young Girl Putting on Her Stockings (1880)

Because I recently have been reading a story by Guy de Maupassant by coincidence, it struck me as meaningful to find out that Kate Chopin admired the writing of her French contemporary greatly:

"I read his stories and marvelled at them. Here was life, not fiction; for where were the plots, the old fashioned mechanism and stage trapping that in a vague, unthinkable way I had fancied were essential to the art of story making. Here was a man who had escaped from tradition and authority, who had entered into himself and looked out upon life through his own being and with his own eyes; and who, in a direct and simple way, told us what he saw.”

What she described having touched her in de Maupassant’s writing echoes through her own realist storytelling as well, having an observant eye for the dynamics of the time and place influencing the individual lives of people, living in times in which racism and patriarchal oppression was the order of the day.

Well-paced and punchy, three of the five stories stab like a knife, the endings leaving the reader against the ropes, rendering the reader into a shocked partaker when people are shattered on the rocks of brutish, bitter reality, watching how they crash into a concrete wall they hadn’t been aware of existing before – the veil of hypocrisy and self-delusion lifted, moral smugness retaliated and backfiring in the delicate pink coloured face of self-righteousness.

Particularly powerful and intense are the stories in which women taste the joys of independence and of personal freedom – in The story of an Hour almost, in A pair of Silk Stockings a delicious slice of it – the touch of silk unlashing a fairy-talish magic dotting a woman’s life for one day with a gracious frivolity of unexpected self-indulgence, ending this collection on a sparkling note of exquisite and sweet carpe diem.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens if a white supremacist finds himself in the situation to discover he is not white?

What happens if a woman, who suffers from the fact that matrimony is an eternal state of reciprocal ownership, finds herself free for an hour, until freedom is revoked again by the clarification of a misunderstanding?

What happens if a self-righteous Christian woman discovers she is a product of the sin she loves to point out to others?

What happens to 15 dollars if there is the temptation of perfect silk stockings at a sale?

This is my first attempt at reading Kate Chopin, and she blew my mind.

I can't believe she wrote these sharp, honest, brutal short stories in the final days of the 19th century, in the American South. I can't believe we had this kind of brilliant emancipation then and there and yet we are still struggling with the same kind of racist, misogynist, patriarchal structures. Why haven't we learned anything from Kate Chopin and her likes? Why don't we read Désirée's Baby and The Story Of An Hour in all schools everywhere to show the evil of white supremacy and patriarchal family structures?

Why don't we learn even from the lighthearted shopping spree of a poor housewife, who has her one day of pleasure in the theatre, restaurant and department store before facing the drudgery of sacrifice again?

This book was a spontaneous buy at a small bookstore that I entered on a whim, but it changed my day while I read it in a restaurant, with a glass of wine, all alone, like Mrs Sommers.

The only thing that is still missing to make this a perfect day is a good pair of silk stockings...

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short story by one of the earliest feminist authors, Kate Chopin. This was originally published in Vogue magazine in 1897.

A cute story about a tired and overworked woman who finds herself with an extra $15 and decides to treat herself to an ultimate, "ME" day. Just goes to show past or present women do enjoy a nice shopping spree every now and then!

You can read the story for free at the following link.

https://www.katechopin.org/pdfs/Kate%...

[Leonard Gaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Within the Southern US canon, Kate Chopin is a minor classic (not as popular as Mark Twain, let’s say). But this small volume pays homage to her remarkable talent as a storyteller through five very brief stories: “Désirée’s Baby”, “Miss McEnders”, “The Story of an Hour”, “Nég Créol”, and “A Pair of Silk Stockings”. All of them are centred on the Cajun and Creole communities and reflect the diverse social, ethnic, and linguistic milieu in Louisiana around the time of the Civil War.

Chopin’s writing is incredibly effective in creating compelling characters and engaging little narratives and, in this sense, is evocative of Flaubert’s and Maupassant’s stylistic mastery. But one of the most striking aspects of these stories is probably the ironic and satirical (sometimes ambiguous) overtones with which she denounces the coercive and racist white patriarchy of her time and the pressure put on virtually everyone, from urban upper-class women to Black communities living in the bayous. In that sense, Chopin was certainly well ahead of her time.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve all had a day they we didn’t want to end: we’ve all had a day that was so good we wanted it to exist forever. I think if anything, that is the feeling this remarkable short story captures. Mrs Sommers has fifteen dollars, which to her is great deal of money. She treats herself to a lovely pair of silk stockings and, then later, some gloves. She goes to the theatre, and when the play ends she feels like she has woken up form a dream. Evening approaches so she gets a cable car home, except she doesn’t want the journey, and the day, to be over.



For me, a good short story is something that when its last few sentences are read, it makes you go back and read the whole short story again. I think with this one, the last few lines give us the realisation that Mrs Summers doesn’t want to go home. But, why is this? I think it is because she has a controlling husband. I get the feeling that the day she just has was a rarity, and would never have been possible in the presence of her other half. If this was the case then, it is no wonder she doesn’t want to go home, and wants to live that day for eternity.

This was only one of the five short stories in his edition and I must say together they comprise a very impressive collection. I have not heard of this author prior to reading this, and I’m glad I bought this collection if it was only to discover her and this short story. Indeed, this will certainly not be the last thing I read by this author.

Penguin Little Black Classic- 66



The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.

[Ahmed Ejaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this is a very simple and plain story . But I have read some reviews which says completely the opposite. :(

OVERVIEW
One day Mrs Sommers finds fifteen dollers. Her first thought is to spend them on her children. But when she goes to the store, she ends up spending them on herself by buying a pair of stockings, boots, going to restaurant and watching a movie. In the end, she doesn't want to go back home; to her responsibilities.

Overall, I don't know I liked it or not. But I would recommend it to everyone. Especially women.

[Shaghayegh]

محض اطلاع، ریویوم پیرامون داستان "یک جفت جوراب ابريشمی" هست.
تو این داستان، کیت شوپن شخصیتی رو خلق کرده به نام خانم سامرز. این زن یکی از ملموس‌ترین مامان‌هایی واسم به شمار میره که تو زندگی میبینم و باهاشون برخورد میکنم. زنی که بعد از ازدواج، زندگیش رو وقف خونواده میکنه. اولویتش بچه‌هاشن و حالا که ۱۵ دلار ناقابل دستش اومده، مونده باهاش چیکار کنه.
کل داستان با سادگی و ظرافت پیش میره. پارادوکس در تصمیم‌گیری نحوه‌ی خرج کردن پول و سوال تأمل‌برانگیزی که بعد از ورود به زندگی زناشویی و پاگذاشتن بچه پیش میاد؛ اینکه چطور میتونی عزیزانت رو دوست داشته باشی در حالی‌که خودت رو از یاد بردی.
خانم سامرز با شک و تردید مواجه میشه. اینکه بعد از مدت‌ها به خودش اجازه‌ی دوست‌داشتن بده یا محبتش رو خرج خونواده کنه. به خانم سامرز قبل ازدواج، همونی که به خودش می‌رسید کمی برگرده یا نه. کمی خودخواه رفتار کنه یا به ازخودگذشتگی میدون بده. فقط ۱۵ دلار و جدال ذهنی یه زن متأهل با خودش.
کیت شوپن تفاوت خرج کردن برای خود و دیگران رو نشون میده. چهره‌ی زن رو در اون زمانه به تصویر میکشه و شادمانی‌های کوچک رو خاطرنشان میکنه. قلمش پیچیدگی زیادی نداره. موضوع ساده اما بحث‌برانگیزی رو مطرح میکنه و این، سومین داستانی بود که ازش خوندم و به دلم نشست.
از دلارای عزیز متشکرم که به‌ واسطه‌ی میدل‌مارچ، با نویسنده‌ و قلم جدیدی آشنام کرد. بسی لذت بردم.

[Jan-Maat]

Many a long and weary year ago I read The Awakening, I remember little about it apart from the sense of languid people in a sultry climate and it's inevitable cheerful ending see how I evade giving spoilers through such gross dishonesty!, I suspect I read it not as a stand alone but in a collection with some of her other stories which the passage of time has eroded from my mind. Her name remain intact in my blockhead and so I was glad to spot and seize this little volume in a little library.

This is a little book, fiftyish pages with five stories of equalish length, so they average out as short.
Five stories: Desiree's Baby, Miss McEnders, The Story of an Hour, Neg Creol, and A Pair of Silk Stockings.

Now I will digress and hopefully circle back to this book. Somebody gave my sister Becoming by Michelle Obama and because I am a high sociable and out going type of person and always honest except when I am not . I have ideally leafed through a good deal of the book and read it with a certain degree of slack jawed, wide-eyed amazement because it strikes me as such a regressive book. Here is a woman who we are only reading about because of her husband and who is presenting herself as the good wife and helpmate who walks a step behind him, she does not wish to appear to be a driving and dynamic force in his political life. Anyway, this is a digression, I'm sure she is a lovely lady and naturally a book by a politician or a politician's wife has to conform to the expectations and ideals of the readership, a fiction writer can be harder and sharper, they can kick over our expectations and force us to think and see differently, even if only for ten pages. Perhaps enough of those ten pages can transform a person, or open them up to the possibilities of being a different person. In short I end my digression. Kate Chopin is not regressive, time has not blunted her, she is still sharp, facing up to mind forg'd manacles. These are great little stories with perfect endings, full of sad self defeating pretensions. Five Stars.

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these stories. I need to read more by Kate Chopin!

[Zuli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨
I'm just a girl...

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but sweet story by Kate Chopin, though I still think "The Story of an Hour" is her best short fiction.

[Darwin8u · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.”
― Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour"



Vol N° 66 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This volume contains five short stories written by Kate Chopin, that appear in Penguin's The Awakening and Selected Short Stories. This selection contains:

1. Déserée's Baby ★★★★★
2. Miss McEnders ★★★★
3. The Story of an Hour ★★★★
4. Nég Créole ★★★★
5. A Pair of Silk Stockings ★★★★

I really enjoyed these tight little stories. It was nice to be reminded that Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, MO and lived in Louisiana. Sometimes, the long shadow she throws on early 20th-Century American letters seems to almost remove her from the source material of much of her writing. These stories are VERY grounded in St Louis and the Creole South.

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Pair of Silk Stockings" short story was read.

Mrs Sommers has been hardworking and frugal. She has a small amount of unexpected money that she's planning to use for new clothes for her children. But she gets tempted by a pair of silk stockings at the store and makes an impulsive purchase. Things snowball and she finds she has spent the money on a pleasurable afternoon shopping and going to the theater. She gave herself a needed lift in spirit before going back to a life where she was always putting her family first. It seemed like Chopin realized that everyone occasionally needs a psychological lift, and we have all impulsively done something special for ourselves. 3.5 stars.

[Liz Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was read for the #readwomen month.
Stories about women, and what they often give up for their family, and a socially acceptable life at the time as well as the role of race at the time.

-Désirée's Baby: Now my rating of five stars is mostly because of this story, which is my favourite of all her short stories after I read it at school right before we were made to read her novel The Awakening. This tiny story deals with miscegenation in Louisiana during the antebellum period, and how this leads to a small journey of race, heritage, and identity. Plus that plot twist!

-Miss McEnders: Do not be ethnocentric, it should not be that hard.

-The Story of an Hour: A woman hears of the death of her husband and dreams of freedom, and the title tells you all you need to know about the end.

-Neg Créol: The struggle between cultures, the story of a black fishmonger and his former master's family.

-A Pair of Silk Stockings: This is a story of escapism of a woman who wants to feel free for as long as she can (a day) after spending her entire life looking after her husband and children.

[Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed each of these stories. I chose this collection because I had read somewhere that Kate Chopin was a master at the short story. She certainly was. Each story has a climax finale that is more than a zing and not always a sting. The first story, Desiree's Baby, had that curl in the tail end that I did not expect and yet spoke volumes about the characters up to that point.

The naming piece, A Pair of Silk Stockings, by contrast, did not have a zing or a sting in the end but a summation that encapsulated the young woman's state of mind and emotions so expertly.

I have encouraged my wife to read these as I know she will appreciate each story. I will wait a year to pass before returning to reread them, but I certainly shall reread them.

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Mrs. Sommers had no time—no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty.

Having recently discovered a couple of marvellous short stories from Kate Chopin, I am now inspired to scour the recesses of the Interwebs in search of more.

These silk stockings are what I have discovered first.

And this is what I have learned: Never go shopping on an empty stomach!

Of course, that is the flippant approach. In the undercurrents of this story Chopin has more to say about the disappointments of marriage, the demands of child-rearing, and the onerous —perhaps unbearable— self-denial imposed on women.

Three stars because it was not as strong as the first two I read: The Storm and The Story of an Hour.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not heard of Kate Chopin before I started reading this. A Pair of Silk Stockings contains five short stories and overall it was a really nice read. That's what I have been reading these little books for, finding new-to-me authors.

In the title story, a woman has 15 dollars to spend on nice things for herself - a rarity - and as she has a wonderful day choosing the beautiful stockings and gloves and visiting the theater, at a certain point realization hits that it can't last and that when the curtains draw she will have to return to her normal life. I think that is a very relatable kind of thing.

~Little Black Classics #66~

Find this and other reviews on https://www.urlphantomhive.com

[Samira · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The play was over, the music ceased, the crowd filed out. It was like a dream ended.”

نمایش (روز) تمام شد.
موزیک قطع شد و جمعیت آرام از سالن خارج شد.
مثل خوابِ (خوشی) که به پایان رسیده بود.

یک روزِ تمام شادکامی برای خانم سامرز که من رو از یه جهاتی به یاد “مهین” در فیلم “کیک محبوب من” انداخت…

[Michelle Curie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witty and honest collection of short stories dealing with the expectations society places on its inhabitants in the American South of the 19th century. This certainly made me want to read more by the author!



A Pair of Silk Stockings is one of the five stories included in this Little Black Classics edition, serving as an introduction to Kate Chopin's writing. I hadn’t actually read anything by her before encountering this, and I feel like it gives a good overview of the themes she explored.

These stories, set and written in the 19th century, deal with ideas of societal restraint, identity, and racial prejudice. They’re subjects that feel both like a history lesson and timely in some ways, as the unflinching way Chopin captures human desires and concerns feels just as applicable today. She must have been quite a modern and reflective woman, as the way she depicts racism and patriarchal structures is refined with a good pinch of humor and sarcasm.

The story that gave this edition its title is the one that stuck with me the most. Chopin is good at creating fleshed-out characters in the short span of time she gives them (page-wise). In A Pair of Silk Stockings, we meet Mrs. Sommers, who spends fifteen dollars on a pair of stockings and gloves and goes to the theater and a restaurant. When the day ends, we leave her, but we also remain with the feeling that this was a rare occasion for her—a dreamlike escape from the role of the constrained housewife. It leaves room for interpretation while being rich in its implications. Stuff like that is what makes short stories pop.

In 2015, Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries," as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read these for a long time before finally starting. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!

[abby (sumreader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big story of an hour lover

[Ailsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"... a poignant wish, a powerful longing that the cable car would never stop anywhere but go on with her forever."

Perfect little read for the train ride to and from work. My favourite story was the first Desiree's Baby, after reading it I had to check what year it was written in. It must of been absolutely sensational at the time. I must remember to read more of this author.

[Rikke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, and I think I liked the title story best. The simple, and yet rich, descriptions of an elderly lady being seduced by her own fantasies and imaginary life, reminded me of "Miss Brill" by Katherine Manson. As it is one of my favorite short stories, I can't think of any higher praise.

The rest of the stories were less remarkable. However, I did enjoy "Désirée’s Baby" which is a powerful tale of heritage, identity, prejudice – and racism.

[Chi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of these stories were okay. Not having had a good understanding of the settings and the characters' circumstances, it was hard for me to get an appreciation of the stories.

Having said that, I'm just going to note my observations, and they will contain spoilers, so read at your own discretion.

Désirée's Baby
How awful. The ending was a bit of a punch in the guts, but the main body of the story already had some hints as to the true nature of Désirée's husband, Armand. It was just painful to see him direct it towards his wife and their innocent son.

Miss McEnders
With regards to this story and the previous one: never has the saying "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" been more true! The titular character was so judgemental, and self-righteous in her Christian indignation, but the fall from grace was apt for someone so undeserving of understanding.

The Story of an Hour
Now this, was an interesting little story. I had to read a couple of times before I understood how Mrs Mallard thought. Her life must either be thankless or challenging before she could even recognise that the emotion she felt was one of freedom.

I think that at least the first three stories were relatively easy to understand. Because, then there was:

Nég Créole
This story was difficult for me to understand, let alone like. I think that it'll take me another few readings before I'll begin to get an inkling of what it's about. From what I can gather, Nég (or Chicot) had been telling people for years that one was once owned by Jean Boisduré, and he still served of of that family. Yet there was now a sense of freedom by the end of the story? I'm not sure.

A Pair of Silk Stockings
And then finally, the story that I bought the book specially to read. Even now, mothers abound such as Mrs Summers, wanting to buy things for their children, and rarely indulging in anything for herself. I found myself growing morose by the understanding that she had indulged and bought things only for herself with her newfound money, only to have to return to her life of a mother by the story's end.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS FOR "A PAIR OF SILK STOCKINGS" BY KATE CHOPIN

A wonderful short story by Kate Chopin featuring a woman stuck between the restraints of poverty and asserting her own sense of freedom and agency.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Déserée's Baby - 5 Stars
Miss McEnders - 3.5 Stars
The Story of an Hour - 5 Stars
Nég Créole - 3 Stars
A Pair of Silk Stockings - 4 Stars

[eva ⚘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"désirée's baby" was SO good

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excepcional ❤
___

Review in English | Reseña en Español

Simplicity at its best. I was mesmerized by the stories that make up this Penguin Little Black Classic. Chopin was an incredible author, ahead of her time in terms of the issues she addressed (the role of women, their sexuality, their oppression in marriage) and a very talented writer. This edition includes five short stories: Désirée’s Baby, Miss McEnders, The Story of an Hour, Nég Créole, and A Pair of Silk Stockings. All stories, except for Nég Créole, have a woman as a main character. These women faced very difficult situations when discovering shocking truths about their surroundings which unfortunately, based on their class, their position and their time, they could do nothing about. The story which gives the title to this collection might be the one just bit different, as it deals with a woman who is married and has many children to whom she is dedicated and one day, she has money of her own to pamper herself and she does without any regret.

I think my favorite stories where Désirée’s Baby and The Story of an Hour… I was so overwhelmed by the first one: Désirée was found as a small child on the property of the Valmondé family in Louisiana and raised as a daughter. Years later a young and rich plantation owner, Armand, falls in love with her and they marry. The couple seems to be happy, living an idyllic life until their first son is born. Armand changes his attitude toward his wife and we learn that the child begins showing black features; as it was natural at the time, all that happens he blames on her. But in the end, we learn shockingly, that nothing is as it seems. The atmosphere of this story, the characters, all was so strongly built with very few words I am just amazed. In barely ten pages Chopin deals with love, prejudice, racism, the injustice of men against women. I am speechless, honestly, I had to read the story twice.

The Story of an Hour was also an amazing story and I’ve read it’s considered one of Chopin’s finest. This is nothing but the story of a woman who cherished a regain freedom after her marriage for literally, an hour. I can imagine this story was shocking for the time it was written because, why would a woman earn freedom when she was supposed to be on a perfectly happy state –the state of marriage?

“And yet she had loved him –sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being?”

On my recent reviews, I have complained a lot about plots –of books and stories out which are 500 pages and they say nothing really substantial about the characters or the story. And then, I go back to classics and it makes sense WHY THEY ARE CLASSICS . In my opinion, 19th century writers around the world mastered short stories because they were able to portray so much in so little. Economy of words is a quality which I think might be underrated in our times –and not to say long books are not good (I love long books and novels!) but they really must have some real content and not be long for the sake of it. To write a life, a condition, a tragedy in ten pages is not easy…and Chopin does it perfectly. Finally, what I also see in Chopin’s work is that, though the stories are short and they portray only a specific time in the lives of the characters –that is really enough. I don’t get the feeling I’d like to know what happened afterwards (which happens to me with many contemporaries) and that is what I mean when I don’t like too open ended stories, which is basically that I’d like to have a closure and I think Chopin’s stories delivered that.

__________

Creo que dejaré el grueso de esta reseña en inglés, porque al leer estos cuentos en ese idioma, me fue más natural escribir la reseña igual. En fin. Chopin es excepcional. Hace unos años leí su novela, The Awakening y me pareció fantástica. Esta colección de cuentos no se queda atrás –me dejó sin palabras. Creo que una cualidad que se ha perdido o no se aprecia en la literatura contemporánea es la economía de palabras. No quiero decir que los libros largos sean malos pero (y creo que en algunas de mis últimas reseñas me he quejado amargamente de esto), en mi opinión muchos libros nuevos son largos pero carecen de profundidad. Cien hojas y no ha pasado nada. Y de pronto, uno regresa a los clásicos y en diez hojas o menos un cuento le cambia la vida. O bueno, no tan exagerado pero en un espacio breve, con tan pocas líneas, uno reflexiona sobre el papel de la mujer, su papel en el matrimonio, los prejuicios, el racismo, etc.

Chopin fue una feminista pionera, cuyas historias tienen como protagonistas principalmente a mujeres de clase acomodada pero que deben enfrentar situaciones complicadas del entorno que las rodea. Son, en su mayoría, mujeres que o bien son arrancadas de su zona de confort –como en el cuento de El bebé de Déssirée o Miss McEnders o que cuestionan su estatus quo dentro de la sociedad y su matrimonio, como The Story of an Hour o el cuento que da título a la colección A pair of Silk Stockings.

Creo que el cuento que más me impresionó fue El bebé de Déssirée, la historia, la atmósfera idílica que crea al principio en la Luisiana de antes de la Guerra Civil, un amor aparentemente invencible… y luego los prejuicios raciales y esa tendencia del hombre a considerar que la mujer es la responsable de todo. Tuve que leerla dos veces. Me pareció extraordinaria: cómo en una narración tan breve, se abordan temas tan complejos. Si pueden leerla, háganlo, se encuentra en internet fácilmente.

Otra característica que me gusta mucho de esta autora es que, a pesar que retrata solo un momento de la vida de sus personajes, son momentos fundamentales y, para bien o para mal, hay un cierre. Es decir, en lo personal siento que no me quedo con el sentimiento de “querer saber más”. El inicio, desarrollo y cierre están redondos y eso es, en mi opinión, lo que caracteriza a un buen escritor o buena escritora y una buena historia.

[marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

its a bit too racist

[Yoana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without meaning to, I've started 2015 on a kick of short story collections by women, and they've all been excellent so far. This is a very small collection of 5 short stories by Chopin, who I knew only by name before I bought it. They seem simple but run deep, like all good short stories, and explore issues of race, societal hierarchy and its oppressive mechanisms, and women's lot in the world.

I'd single out the title story - it's poignant, and made even more so by the realisation that it sounds so modern in 2015: a woman who's devoted her every minute to providing care to her family suddenly finds herself, triggered by a chance touch of a pair of fine silk stockings, overcome by a powerful pull to, as we say nowadays, treat herself. I think Chopin has succeeded in making her intense need to come back to herself as a human being, and not just as a mother and wife - a helpmeet - palpable even to a reader who's never personally experienced getting lost in a servitude to others.

2015 Reading Challenge: A book you can finish in a day

[[ J o ] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five short stories set in Louisiana. I enjoyed these more than I imagined. The first I did not like until the end, and I was glad none of them contained any kind of hidden meaning or subtle parable, except that which was plain to see. Occasionally boredom came in to it, but it was always short-lived. Decently written, though nothing truly stood out.


Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy