In this captivating collection, Katherine Mansfield explores the complex tapestry of human emotions and relationships. A critic once noted that while these stories are far from cheerful, they lack the pervasive trivial discomfort found in much of modern fiction. With a diverse array of forms and themes, Mansfields work serves as a bold precursor to the literary territory later claimed by her contemporary Virginia Woolf. The male characters often come across as frustratingly rigid, while the central female figures teeter between moments of ecstatic joy and stark neurosis. Throughout, children appear in the background, their experiences portrayed with a tender and sympathetic touch. (Summary by Peter Dann)