The Collected Stories of Mavis Gallant

the long version

In 1950, Mavis Gallant was a twenty-seven-year-old journalist with literary aspirations. She sent a short story to The New Yorker; it was politely returned. She promised herself that three refusals in a row would call an end to her attempt. When a second story was submitted - and accepted - the career of one of the most distinguished writers in the English language was launched. Mavis Gallant subsequently wrote more than one hundred stories that were published in The New Yorker, and she has become one of the most widely read short-story writers of our time. In this rich and varied collection, Mavis Gallant brings together stories from eight of her previous books, written over four decades. With subtle execution and quicksilver insight, Gallant captures lives at moments of change, when people's illusions are irrevocably shattered and lives break open into new myths, as people accommodate themselves to the realities of this world or remain estranged.