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2: A Pair of Silk Stockings;Best of Women's Short Stories
This eclectic collection celebrates long-neglected short fiction by great women writers best known for their novels. Highlights include Jane Austen's The Watsons, thought by many to be a study for her classic novel Emma; Elizabeth Gaskell's The Half-Brothers, a heartbreaking account of two brothers who go missing in the Cumbrian mountains; and The Red Room, a little-known gothic horror story from L. M. Montgomery, the creator of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published July 17, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 28, 2020
This installment is just as good as Volume 1 if not better. Another set of emotionally gripping stories by some wonderful female authors. I loved being able to sample some different works by authors I've really been meaning to read, some unknown, and one I'd rather pushed aside, but was glad for the introduction as after reading her story I'll read more of her work now (Virginia Woolf).
The Stories included are:
The Watsons : Jane Austen - This is not particularly a short story, but an abandoned novel. It had potential, although I'll say for certain I disliked the use of the characters names... Emma, Elizabeth, Jane, Margaret, Mary, Tom... having known these characters from other Austen novels its hard to do an about face and think of them as someone new.
The Half Brothers - Elizabeth Gaskell : The story is about unfair prejudice and redemption. Its heart wrenching. I sobbed & sobbed.
A Pair of Silk Stockings - Kate Chopin : This was an interesting story about money & desire, opposed to reason and virtue, and the choices people make.
The Wronged Woman - Winifred Holtby : It was not a favourite, but it was interesting and well written. What would you do in the circumstances?
The Red Room - L. M. Montgomery : This was not what I expected, it was suspenseful and well shown from a child's point of view.
The Parvenue - Mary Shelley : a very tragic story of money & greed and being stuck in a hopeless situation. I've read its possibly a bit autobiographical.
Bliss - Katherine Mansfield : A story of misunderstandings. It seems a low-key story but emotions bubble under the surface to a shocking revelation.
The Legacy - Virginia Woolf : a moving piece of despair, longing, loving, distraction, inattention, mourning...
The Stories included are:
The Watsons : Jane Austen - This is not particularly a short story, but an abandoned novel. It had potential, although I'll say for certain I disliked the use of the characters names... Emma, Elizabeth, Jane, Margaret, Mary, Tom... having known these characters from other Austen novels its hard to do an about face and think of them as someone new.
The Half Brothers - Elizabeth Gaskell : The story is about unfair prejudice and redemption. Its heart wrenching. I sobbed & sobbed.
A Pair of Silk Stockings - Kate Chopin : This was an interesting story about money & desire, opposed to reason and virtue, and the choices people make.
The Wronged Woman - Winifred Holtby : It was not a favourite, but it was interesting and well written. What would you do in the circumstances?
The Red Room - L. M. Montgomery : This was not what I expected, it was suspenseful and well shown from a child's point of view.
The Parvenue - Mary Shelley : a very tragic story of money & greed and being stuck in a hopeless situation. I've read its possibly a bit autobiographical.
Bliss - Katherine Mansfield : A story of misunderstandings. It seems a low-key story but emotions bubble under the surface to a shocking revelation.
The Legacy - Virginia Woolf : a moving piece of despair, longing, loving, distraction, inattention, mourning...
September 7, 2013
Anyone who likes good short stories will like this, with one exception. The first story, by Jane Austen, is not a short story. It is the first chapter of an unfinished novel, so it introduces you to the characters and sets up the whole thing to move forward, then just stops. It sounded so promising, too! I had to Google it, because I didn't think this seemed right at all. Sadly, she never got to finish this novel, but there is at least one version someone has written which finishes it. It's on my To Read list: . The Watsons
May 28, 2016
To start with I have no idea why the publishers decided on that specific cover image. It reminds me of Hollywood Starlets of the 1930's, and I honestly don't see any correlation between that image and the stories of this anthology.
The Watsons, by Jane Austen, 3/5
I'm always hesitant over a well-beloved writers "unfinished work" - anything published posthumously lacks the genuine eye that only an author can have. The Watson's feels like a typical Austen piece, with her gift for creating unique characters, but it also shows the darker sides of sibling rivalry and jealousy, that we have never seen from her before. Its hard to say where Austen intended for this story to go, but she does an excellent job of setting the story up. I can't help but feel for the deeply sheltered Emma, yet also identify with her older sisters who were denied the sense of luxury she was raised with simply because they were older, and less "in need" after their mothers death.
The Half Brothers, by Elizabeth Gaskell, 4/5
This was excellent! Elizabeth Gaskell does such an amazing job of building characters and plots in such a short time. I loved the bittersweet relationship between the two half brothers, but especially concerning Gregory who is only ever seen through someone else's eyes. The fathers repentance at the end was so satisfying.
A Pair of Silk Stockings, by Kate Chopin, 3/5
This story can be read one of two ways:
1.)A housewife who is ultimately oppressed, dedicates what little money she has to buying her children new clothes, but the weight of her oppression makes her too weak to the lure of silk stockings, or,
2.)A housewife who is ultimately oppressed, spends the day how she chooses, spending what little money she has on luxury stockings and a day out at the theater where she realizes she, like the players, and the bored woman around her, are all merely acting out their parts.
The Wronged Woman, by Winifred Holtby, 3/5
This one started off really slow, but ended up being completely fascinating in the end. It tells the story of a spinter who by chance meets and "entangled" herself with a promising doctor. After fearing/faking a pregnancy , they marrry, only to discover who incompatible they really are for one another.
The story becomes particularly interesting when the woman the doctor has been having an affair with confronts the wife and attempts to gain a divorce because she herself is expecting a child.
This one ended way too soon!
The Red Room, by L.M. Montgomery, 2/5
One of the weakest stories in the series. L.M. Montgomery has such a natural innocence to her writing, and with her go-to choice of utilizing young narrators, this gothic tale of oppressed wives trapped in ghostly red rooms just does not work.
The Parvenue, by Mary Shelley, 2/5
Another weak addition, unfortunately. The story of a young poor woman suddenly finding herself on the receiving end of a wealthy mans ardore, just didn't work for me. The added complication of her families moneygrubbing and her husband's miserly behavior felt underdeveloped.
Bliss, by Katherine Mansfield, 4/5
The moral of this story is that there will always be two people in a marriage. Just because you feel absolute bliss doesn't mean your husband's not diddling a woman you may or may not have sexual feeling for.
The Legacy, by Virginia Woolf, 3/5
My biggest complaint with this was that I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away. The characterization was also lacking the usual richness I expect so see from Woolf's writing.
The Watsons, by Jane Austen, 3/5
I'm always hesitant over a well-beloved writers "unfinished work" - anything published posthumously lacks the genuine eye that only an author can have. The Watson's feels like a typical Austen piece, with her gift for creating unique characters, but it also shows the darker sides of sibling rivalry and jealousy, that we have never seen from her before. Its hard to say where Austen intended for this story to go, but she does an excellent job of setting the story up. I can't help but feel for the deeply sheltered Emma, yet also identify with her older sisters who were denied the sense of luxury she was raised with simply because they were older, and less "in need" after their mothers death.
The Half Brothers, by Elizabeth Gaskell, 4/5
This was excellent! Elizabeth Gaskell does such an amazing job of building characters and plots in such a short time. I loved the bittersweet relationship between the two half brothers, but especially concerning Gregory who is only ever seen through someone else's eyes. The fathers repentance at the end was so satisfying.
A Pair of Silk Stockings, by Kate Chopin, 3/5
This story can be read one of two ways:
1.)A housewife who is ultimately oppressed, dedicates what little money she has to buying her children new clothes, but the weight of her oppression makes her too weak to the lure of silk stockings, or,
2.)A housewife who is ultimately oppressed, spends the day how she chooses, spending what little money she has on luxury stockings and a day out at the theater where she realizes she, like the players, and the bored woman around her, are all merely acting out their parts.
The Wronged Woman, by Winifred Holtby, 3/5
This one started off really slow, but ended up being completely fascinating in the end. It tells the story of a spinter who by chance meets and "entangled" herself with a promising doctor. After fearing/faking a pregnancy , they marrry, only to discover who incompatible they really are for one another.
The story becomes particularly interesting when the woman the doctor has been having an affair with confronts the wife and attempts to gain a divorce because she herself is expecting a child.
This one ended way too soon!
The Red Room, by L.M. Montgomery, 2/5
One of the weakest stories in the series. L.M. Montgomery has such a natural innocence to her writing, and with her go-to choice of utilizing young narrators, this gothic tale of oppressed wives trapped in ghostly red rooms just does not work.
The Parvenue, by Mary Shelley, 2/5
Another weak addition, unfortunately. The story of a young poor woman suddenly finding herself on the receiving end of a wealthy mans ardore, just didn't work for me. The added complication of her families moneygrubbing and her husband's miserly behavior felt underdeveloped.
Bliss, by Katherine Mansfield, 4/5
The moral of this story is that there will always be two people in a marriage. Just because you feel absolute bliss doesn't mean your husband's not diddling a woman you may or may not have sexual feeling for.
The Legacy, by Virginia Woolf, 3/5
My biggest complaint with this was that I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away. The characterization was also lacking the usual richness I expect so see from Woolf's writing.
April 7, 2022
Listened to this while I was doing other things, so I wasn't fully comprehending what I was listening to, but here are some tentative ratings:
The Watsons- 4/5
The Half Brothers- 3.5
A Pair of Silk Stockings- 4/5
The Wronged Woman- 5/5
The Red Room- 4.5/5 (well that was dark...)
The Parvenue- didn't hear this one at all so we'll go with 3?
Bliss- 3/5
The Legacy- 3/5??
The Watsons- 4/5
The Half Brothers- 3.5
A Pair of Silk Stockings- 4/5
The Wronged Woman- 5/5
The Red Room- 4.5/5 (well that was dark...)
The Parvenue- didn't hear this one at all so we'll go with 3?
Bliss- 3/5
The Legacy- 3/5??
July 23, 2021
I feel like this just confirmed that I don't like Jane Austen.
January 26, 2026
8 short stories from 8 well-known female authors. liked this collection pretty well.
The Watsons, by Jane Austen. An unfinished novel. Emma Watson is a young woman who has been raised away from her family by a wealthy aunt; when her aunt unexpectedly remarries, Emma finds herself with no prospect of an inheritance and must return to her less well-to-do family. Despite her misfortune, Emma is patient with her lot: the story ends as marriage prospects, silly sisters, and disreputable young men are beginning to develop her future. i was disappointed when this one ended; 4 stars.
The Half Brothers, by Elizabeth Gaskell. The relationship of two half brothers, one favored by his father, the other disdained, comes to a head one night when the favorite of the two gets lost in a blizzard. Told from the perspective of the more fortunate brother; a story of forgiveness and sacrifice. 3.5 stars.
A Pair of Silk Stockings, by Kate Chopin. A woman come into some money begins her shopping with only the necessities in mind. her eye is soon caught, however, by a pair of silk stockings; this indulgent purchase leads to others--gloves, new shoes, and a lavish dinner...a brief escape from the pressures of domesticity and a repressed life. 3.5 stars.
The Wronged Woman, by Winifred Holtby. writing this review only two months after reading and i find i remember very little about this story. Set during one of the world wars, a tale of a jealous woman, the soldier who marries her, and a wronged lover. I enjoyed it at the time, so 3 stars.
The Red Room, by L.M. Montgomery. A gothic tale by an author famous for her very un-gothic Anne of Green Gables series. Narrated by an old woman who, as a girl, witnessed the terrible events surrounding the Red Room: scandal, passion, and murder set in the classic gothic mansion. Some people have apparently drawn similarities to the childhood scenes in Jane Eyre. Perhaps a bit overdone, but I enjoyed it. 4 stars.
The Parvenue, by Mary Shelley. A young woman named Fanny marries above her class and soon finds that she must choose between her impoverished family's poor financial decisions and constant demand for money and her husband's affection and true regrard. a sorrowful story. 3 stars.
Bliss, by Katherine Mansfield. mc is a young woman in the prime of life who is revelling in her extraordinary contentment: she is married to a man she loves, she has many good friends, a lovely baby, a fine house. at the end of a dinner party one evening, however, she witnesses something that sends her world, the illusion of her happiness, crumbling down. takeaway: often things are too good to be true. 3 stars.
The Legacy, by Virginia Woolf. a young widower is going through his wife's things after her death in a tragic accident. He begins reading through her journals, and notes the frequent presence of a set of initials...a secret unhappiness is revealed as well as the truth about his wife's death. 3 stars.
Overall: some not as memorable as others, but i enjoyed them all at the time. 3.5 stars.
The Watsons, by Jane Austen. An unfinished novel. Emma Watson is a young woman who has been raised away from her family by a wealthy aunt; when her aunt unexpectedly remarries, Emma finds herself with no prospect of an inheritance and must return to her less well-to-do family. Despite her misfortune, Emma is patient with her lot: the story ends as marriage prospects, silly sisters, and disreputable young men are beginning to develop her future. i was disappointed when this one ended; 4 stars.
The Half Brothers, by Elizabeth Gaskell. The relationship of two half brothers, one favored by his father, the other disdained, comes to a head one night when the favorite of the two gets lost in a blizzard. Told from the perspective of the more fortunate brother; a story of forgiveness and sacrifice. 3.5 stars.
A Pair of Silk Stockings, by Kate Chopin. A woman come into some money begins her shopping with only the necessities in mind. her eye is soon caught, however, by a pair of silk stockings; this indulgent purchase leads to others--gloves, new shoes, and a lavish dinner...a brief escape from the pressures of domesticity and a repressed life. 3.5 stars.
The Wronged Woman, by Winifred Holtby. writing this review only two months after reading and i find i remember very little about this story. Set during one of the world wars, a tale of a jealous woman, the soldier who marries her, and a wronged lover. I enjoyed it at the time, so 3 stars.
The Red Room, by L.M. Montgomery. A gothic tale by an author famous for her very un-gothic Anne of Green Gables series. Narrated by an old woman who, as a girl, witnessed the terrible events surrounding the Red Room: scandal, passion, and murder set in the classic gothic mansion. Some people have apparently drawn similarities to the childhood scenes in Jane Eyre. Perhaps a bit overdone, but I enjoyed it. 4 stars.
The Parvenue, by Mary Shelley. A young woman named Fanny marries above her class and soon finds that she must choose between her impoverished family's poor financial decisions and constant demand for money and her husband's affection and true regrard. a sorrowful story. 3 stars.
Bliss, by Katherine Mansfield. mc is a young woman in the prime of life who is revelling in her extraordinary contentment: she is married to a man she loves, she has many good friends, a lovely baby, a fine house. at the end of a dinner party one evening, however, she witnesses something that sends her world, the illusion of her happiness, crumbling down. takeaway: often things are too good to be true. 3 stars.
The Legacy, by Virginia Woolf. a young widower is going through his wife's things after her death in a tragic accident. He begins reading through her journals, and notes the frequent presence of a set of initials...a secret unhappiness is revealed as well as the truth about his wife's death. 3 stars.
Overall: some not as memorable as others, but i enjoyed them all at the time. 3.5 stars.
March 3, 2020
The Watson’s, Jane Austen.
Read this maybe a year are so ago, not my favorite of Austen’s, but I feel like if she was able to finish it, it may have been better. 2.5*
The Half Brothers, Elizabeth Gaskell.
This is were the audio gets fuzzy and well just plain bad. I think when they switched from tape to modern audio it got muddled. Story isn’t terrible though and the narrator has a very soothing voice. 3*
A Pair if Silk Stockings, Kate Chopin.
I honestly.. don’t know what to think about this other than uhh what’s the point? Is there one I don’t know. Again narrator switch, this one is better quality. 2*
The Wronged Woman, Winifred Holtby.
Hmm, some outdated notions. They all kind of have that a bit. It’s kind of..
I just don’t know what to think about. It’s about a man who cheats on his girlfriend then goes off to war, but before it says what women are “supposed to do” and etc. it’s not something i expected to be written in this time. 3*
The Red Room, L.M. Montgomery.
It reminds me a little bit of Atonement as I have never watched the movie etc. I know enough about it to make a comparison. Very dramatic book, very different from the other books I have read from the author. 2.5*
The Parvenue, Mary Shelley.
I have absolutely no opinion of this book. I was just bored.. so bored. 1*
The Bliss, Katherine Mansfield. I liked the style of her writing it’s very much like hearing gossip from a friend, or a story I should say. I wouldn’t say it’s the most entertaining short story, but lovely writing. 3*
The Legacy, Virginia Woolf. I wanted to like it, simply because it was Woolf. It turns out that again, I was just soooo bored! I barely managed to find anything that made me invested. I honestly have no clue what I read. 2*
Total stars are calculated highest are added together (ex 3+3=6-2-2=total stars) then the lowest are subtracted from them.
2.5* total.
Read this maybe a year are so ago, not my favorite of Austen’s, but I feel like if she was able to finish it, it may have been better. 2.5*
The Half Brothers, Elizabeth Gaskell.
This is were the audio gets fuzzy and well just plain bad. I think when they switched from tape to modern audio it got muddled. Story isn’t terrible though and the narrator has a very soothing voice. 3*
A Pair if Silk Stockings, Kate Chopin.
I honestly.. don’t know what to think about this other than uhh what’s the point? Is there one I don’t know. Again narrator switch, this one is better quality. 2*
The Wronged Woman, Winifred Holtby.
Hmm, some outdated notions. They all kind of have that a bit. It’s kind of..
I just don’t know what to think about. It’s about a man who cheats on his girlfriend then goes off to war, but before it says what women are “supposed to do” and etc. it’s not something i expected to be written in this time. 3*
The Red Room, L.M. Montgomery.
It reminds me a little bit of Atonement as I have never watched the movie etc. I know enough about it to make a comparison. Very dramatic book, very different from the other books I have read from the author. 2.5*
The Parvenue, Mary Shelley.
I have absolutely no opinion of this book. I was just bored.. so bored. 1*
The Bliss, Katherine Mansfield. I liked the style of her writing it’s very much like hearing gossip from a friend, or a story I should say. I wouldn’t say it’s the most entertaining short story, but lovely writing. 3*
The Legacy, Virginia Woolf. I wanted to like it, simply because it was Woolf. It turns out that again, I was just soooo bored! I barely managed to find anything that made me invested. I honestly have no clue what I read. 2*
Total stars are calculated highest are added together (ex 3+3=6-2-2=total stars) then the lowest are subtracted from them.
2.5* total.
January 25, 2018
This was a delightful surprise, and I plan to re-read it and pay more attention. I was looking for other works by Elizabeth Gaskell when I found this, and it arrived from the library last week. It was short, so I thought I'd cram it in before I start a longer book soon. Oh my word, what a gem. The last piece by Virginia Wolfe was exquisite and unexpected. Each of these pieces made me really get excited about the short story genre--that you don't need a full novel to write an engaging piece with interesting characters, a strong sense of place, and something to say. It's a good winter read as well -- lots of good wintery stories. Excellent.
August 12, 2020
I don't like this cover as it was not the one I saw with my audiobook and it has nothing to do with the short stories! The best was Jane Austen's unfinished novel, The Watsons, which left me wanting more. I started reading this because of LM Montgomery's story, which was good. The rest were depressing and I think all ended up with the men in the stories cheating on their wives, and with unhappy marriages or deaths. It reminded me why I don't like reading short stories!! Not interested in reading the other volumes.
October 16, 2024
With the exception of the first story, The Watsons, the stories were very engaging and well written. I disliked The Watsons so much that I simply couldn’t finish it. However, as I said, the rest of the stories were very interesting, well written and couple were quite moving. I particularly liked the story, The Parvenue, by Shelley. Many of these stories are available free on the internet. I enjoyed reading this collection
January 25, 2019
I enjoyed listening to Harriet Walter read these stories although possibly not as much as the first volume. I think this was because, as other reviewers have said, we are presented with The Watsons as a short story which is beautifully written but is surely the beginning of a novel and therefore a very unsatisfying “short story”.
January 27, 2021
This was great. Even a L.M. Montgomery story I hadn’t read before! I have started 6 or 7 books this month and just couldn’t stick with them, so a collection of short stories was just the ticket. (I was definitely sad when Austen’s The Watson’s ended so abruptly, but it was fun to read about a few additional characters.)
January 18, 2021
Very well described, a wholesome story, with fine gorgeous details.. and deep - yet simple- character analysis.
August 22, 2021
I don’t particularly love short stories but this was entertaining to read a few from well known women.
February 16, 2022
Especially enjoyed Legacy.
June 20, 2023
This was pretty cool, not all of it was my style, but I loved the Kate Chopin and Virginia Wolfe. Read for Elizabeth Gaskell
Read
November 9, 2023Wow, if the narrator wouldn’t swallow so loudly and disgustingly I would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more. The gulps and swallowing was almost too much to handle.
December 29, 2023
I loved every one of these stories. Surprised me how much drama and suspense could be drummed up within a few pages. It has whet my appetite for further reading by these famous authors
November 7, 2017
I picked up all three volumes of this series at a used bookstore. Unfortunately, this one had a duplicate of disk 1 where disk 2 should have been. As disk 2 contains the last third of "The Watsons" by Jane Austen continuing from disk 1 (and two other stories), I was only able to really listen to half the stories. I listened to part of "The Watsons", but as it's an unfinished novel (the irony, missing the end of an unfinished novel) and early version of "Emma", I decided I'd rather read "Emma" instead. As for the stories I did listen to:
"The Wronged Woman" by Winifred Holtby - I can't remember this story at all now. I think I liked it.
"The Red Room" by L.M. Montgomery - a Gothic tale that feels like a departure from her Anne of Green Gables books. A bit contrived/melodramatic, but has a good twist.
"The Parvenue" by Mary Shelley - one of my favorites in this collection, great character study.
"Bliss" by Katherine Mansfield - good characters and twist in this one.
"The Legacy" by Virginia Woolf - though I figured out what happened before the protagonist, I still found this story entertaining.
"The Wronged Woman" by Winifred Holtby - I can't remember this story at all now. I think I liked it.
"The Red Room" by L.M. Montgomery - a Gothic tale that feels like a departure from her Anne of Green Gables books. A bit contrived/melodramatic, but has a good twist.
"The Parvenue" by Mary Shelley - one of my favorites in this collection, great character study.
"Bliss" by Katherine Mansfield - good characters and twist in this one.
"The Legacy" by Virginia Woolf - though I figured out what happened before the protagonist, I still found this story entertaining.
September 5, 2013
Rating these individually:
Austin: light/entertaining...loved it.
Gaskell: poignant, sad, beautiful.
Chopin: meh.
Holtby: ooh, the vile protagonist. juicy!
Montgomery: forgettable
Shelley: So sad! More money, more problems:(
Mansfield: eh'
Woolf: Yes. Awesome.
Austin: light/entertaining...loved it.
Gaskell: poignant, sad, beautiful.
Chopin: meh.
Holtby: ooh, the vile protagonist. juicy!
Montgomery: forgettable
Shelley: So sad! More money, more problems:(
Mansfield: eh'
Woolf: Yes. Awesome.
January 15, 2014
Fun to briefly revisit some of my favourite authors including Mary Shelley and Elizabeth Gaskell. Silk Stockings was the standout - a delicious piece of escapism that perhaps only another middle class woman could appreciate.
January 1, 2025
An interesting collection of stories—which, if I’m honest, left me with a bit of distaste for men and the patriarchy. ☺️
It’s nice to read short stories from time to time, tho. To feel so quickly drawn in, and then just as quickly released.
It’s nice to read short stories from time to time, tho. To feel so quickly drawn in, and then just as quickly released.
May 25, 2013
A collection of wonderful, surprising, lesser-known stories by classic female authors.
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