Tennessee Williams
University of Iowa Press
15 April 2025
326
eBook - PDF
Short Stories
ARC via NetGalley
Early Stories by Tennessee Williams is an edited collection of thirty previously unpublished short stories written in the 1930s, when Tennessee Williams was living in the Midwest during a tumultuous period for the nation and himself.
The stories highlight aspects of the writer’s biography relative to his young adult years in St. Louis, Columbia, and the Missouri Ozarks, offering insight into the relationships between the author, his family, and close friends. The influence of proletarian fiction and leftist ideas are evident in Williams’s stories of the Great Depression, as are themes of sexual turmoil and inner passions inspired by authors like D. H. Lawrence.
Early Stories by Tennessee Williams offered a fascinating a diverse collection of tales which are interesting to read in their own right as well as from the point of view of foreshadowing his later, major writings. Most are slice-of-life vignettes and character studies that offer an intriguing glimpse of a wide range of characters and situations. As always with such collections, certain stories will appeal more to different readers, but it is such a wide mix, there is sure to be something here for every reader to enjoy. If you like short stories, I recommend this collection even if you are not already familiar with Tennessee Williams' plays, as you do not need to know those to appreciate these tales, though for those who do, the short stories will offer an additional layer of interest. I am giving this book 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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