EdithWharton:Vol.2CollectedStories1911-1937

Overthecourseofalongandastonishinglyproductiveliterarycareerthatstretchedfromtheearly1890stojustbeforeWorldWarII，EdithWhartonpublishednearlyadozenstorycollections，leavingabodyofworkasvariousasitisenduring.Withthistwo-volumeset，TheLibraryofAmericapresentsthefinestofWharton'sachievementinshortfiction：67storiesdrawnfromtheentirespanofherwritinglife，includingthenovella-lengthworksTheTouchstone，Sanctuary，andBunnerSisters，eightshorterpiecesnevercollectedbyWharton，andmanystorieslongout-of-print.Herrangeofsettingandsubjectmatterisdazzling，andhermasteryofstyleconsistentlysure.HerearealltheaspectsofWharton'sart：hersatire，sometimesgentle，sometimesdarkanddespairing，ofupper-classmanners;herunblinkingrecognitionofthepowerofsocialconventionandthelimitsofpassion;hermercilessexposureofcommercialmotivations;hercandidexplorationofrelationsbetweenthesexes.ThestoriesrangewithcosmopolitaneasefromhernativeNewYorktothesalonsandsummerhotelsofNewport，Paris，andtheItalianlakes.ThedepthofherresponsetoWorldWarIisregisteredinsuchworksas"TheMarne".Ofparticularinterestaretheremarkablestorieswhichtreatoccultandsupernaturalthemesrarelyencounteredinhernovels，suchastheclassicghoststories"TheEyes"and"PomegranateSeed".