The Garden Party and Other Stories

Well, I am in two minds over this. On the one hand, for many of these short stories, almost nothing happens, and for many the stories seem fragments rather than a formed short story (with a beginning or instigation, and occurrence and a wrap up, or ending). Usually for me this would leave me to consider the short story to be unsuccessful. However subtle some of the plots and events of the stories are, they are nicely written in an interesting (and somehow captured in time) way.

I was probably more taken with the New Zealand stories, and where there was a NZ flavour to the story. Many of the stories are themed around disappointment, and there is a flavour of the class system, and are probably a reflection of the era. The various stories are set in varied locations - NZ, England, Monte Carlo (Monaco), France.

Like others, I enjoyed At The Bay, and also the titular The Garden Party the others were brief entertainments, but I probably flagged towards the last 3 or 4 stories.

Overall, not really my genre, but I can appreciate the writing.

4 stars.