The Garden Party »

Katherine Mansfield (1888-19230 was a New Zealand modernist writer of short fiction stories. Katherine moved to London where she attended Queen's College. She followed a bohemian lifestyle. After her brother's death in World War I her work took on a nostalgic theme. After a near-fatal attack of pleurisy she contracted TB. It was at this point that she began writing her best works. The Garden Party and Other Stories contains the following stories. At the bay -- The garden party -- The daughters of the late colonel -- Mr. and Mrs. Dove -- The young girl -- Life of Ma Parker -- Marriage a la mode -- The voyage -- Miss Brill -- Her first ball -- The singing lesson -- The stranger -- Bank holiday -- An ideal family and The lady's maid.

Children's Literature

Laura is the daughter of a privileged family whose worldview is limited to that of their own social class. As her family prepares to host a lavish garden party, she and her siblings are drawn into the festivities as they discuss the choice of flowers, the placement of the tent, the types of sandwiches, and, of course, their expensive costumes. The activity is not even interrupted by the news of the death of a poor young worker who lives nearby. When the party is over, however, Laura's mother suggests that she take the leftover food to the deceased's family. Laura meets the dead man's family, and, in an unwelcome surprise, sees the corpse of the dead man himself. As she returns to her frivolous life, the reader is left to decide whether the confrontation will change Laura's outlook on life. This short story, first published in 1922, is as relevant today as it was then, when it sought to expose the callousness of the upper class. This edition includes a critical essay on the story and a short biography of the author by Kate Riggs, both of which are excellent. There is also a photograph of a garden party from the 1920s that vividly illustrates the milieu of the time. The layout and presentation of this story, which is part of the "Creative Short Stories" series by the publisher, is quite good, and the book should be a welcome addition to any school library. The only questionable aspect is the decision by the publisher to put some of the passages in colored type. This could be viewed as a type of study guide, as it certainly draws the reader's attention, but it is probably not necessary, since it tends to interfere with the flow of the work. Reviewer: Leona Illig