Product Description
Graham Greene, a long-standing admirer of Walter de la Mare, once produced a list of his 17 favorite de la Mare short stories as "...one man's choice of what he could not, under any circumstances, spare....Prose unequalled in its richness since the death of James, or, dare one say...Robert Louis Stevenson." For many, Walter de la Mare is as great a writer of fiction as of poetry. Sadly, the majority of his short stories have been unavailable for some time. Now this welcome volume, the first of three, brings together more than 40 stories written between 1895 and 1926, including "The Riddle and Other Stories," "Ding Dong Bell," "The Connoisseur and Other Stories," "Kismet," and 14 previously uncollected pieces. A literary event of major significance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent collection
This volume collects a few volumes of de la Mare's short stories, as well as gathering together previously uncollected stories.If you're at all interested in de la Mare's gloomy, poetic prose, there's much material here to sink your teeth into.

A great storyteller and stylist
I'm very high on this book and its companion volume, because it gives us something that for many years has been difficult to come by: a feast of De la Mare's elegant fictional prose in the short story form.

De la Mare's fiction has been available in mere piecemeal form for decades now, despite his considerable distinction as a writer of stories. In part, I think, it's because he was bucking the prevalent trends of his time in the writing of prose, as well as approach. He seems almost to come from an earlier generation.

That's not to say he's outmoded. His thinking and construction are every bit as sophisticated as his use of language; but the angle of attack is more poetic than realistic or naturalistic. He has something of a reputation as a writer of supernatural fiction, but that's a bit misleading. He wrote distinguished supernatural fiction, of course, but it might be more accurate to call him the poet of the unseen. There are dramatic scenes in his work, but it's interesting to consider how much happens offstage, and how much is implied rather than shown. It's a highly nuanced method, and understandably adaptable to the story of the supernatural, when it suited the author's purposes.

This particular volume contains several of his best stories. I'll single out for particular praise "Miss Duveen," "Seaton's Aunt" (one of the most harrowing stories of its length in English), and an especial favorite, the long story "The Almond Tree."

The rest of the book is worth one's time, too. The companion volume is every bit as high in quality. With two large volumes of stories in this series, all I can say is I regret there aren't any more. (There's a book of stories for children to follow, but that's a different category, with different rules.)

If you like de la Mare, you might find A. E. Coppard to your taste, also. ... Read more

Product Description
Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) is a writer due for reappraisal. Well-known in his own lifetime, with a wide circle of friends - Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, Katherine Mansfield and Thomas Hardy - he has been largely ignored by recent critics. Few know of his personal life, of his loving but difficult marriage, and the passionate and platonic affair with Naomi Royde-Smith which was so crucial to his poetry. This biography examines all aspects of de la Mare's life and art. ... Read more

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One of the few critical works of the de la Mare, this volume focuses on the stories and two selected novels. ... Read more

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An appreciative study by a friend and intimate of the poet. Illus

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY:Books for College Libraries. ... Read more

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This monograph covers Walter de la Mare's poetry and prose works, revealing his complex and serious side. It concentrates on his master images: "The Cage"; "The Traveller";"The House"; "Paradise"; and the "Visionary Face". It also examines the writer's personality, technique, and influences. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

This Kindle version is UNREADABLE!
"Memoirs of a Midget" is a beautiful masterpiece by Walter de la Mare (free pdf versions are available online, check it out). I wanted to get the Kindle version and was glad to find it at Amazon. However it is an ILLEGIBLE version, completely destroying de la Mare's poetic style, and impossible to follow. The title of the book pops up randomly throughout, and punctuation is sketchy, lines are not justified and therefore you have to literally search for the next word. In short, there is no flow of sentences at all and therefore no flow of thought. Very painful experience. I gave up after a few pages.
VERY DISAPPOINTING! And whoever is charging money for it should be skewered. I would highly recommend that Amazon remove this item altogether. It is not a valid book.

Much ado about very little
I so wanted to enjoy this book, Walter de la Mare is truly a great poet and author of some gems in the short story genre.But I felt the steam went out of this novel approximately 100 pages into it, there was simply not enough plot development to sustain an entire novel.This is a character study that simply got out of hand.There is great poetry in the prose but I found that once the heroine of the title moves to the boarding house from her family home the book becomes a muddled mess with little rhyme or reason.The sense of whimsy and pathos that enriches the beginning quickly becomes a plodding dose of endless pathos without sympathy or motivation to attract the reader.I see that there is an appeal to this work according to other reviewers, but I simply offer my assessment as a counter-point.

Well, I'll take my time to do this...
...though few enough people will ever read it, because this book languishes in undeserved obscurity.This novelis a fascinating look into a life which is unimaginable to most of us--this life of a tiny, delicate midget,
whose heart and soul are as large as she is small.This is not a book to be picked up for an idle afternoon's
reading (though it is not difficult to read), because it is truly like entering...well, a fairyland.If you are a
reader of high fiction, you will love it.

And, though I'm evidently the only person in the world who knows this, it would make a world-beating
animated film.

The most enchanting and bizarre tale you'll ever encounter
De La Mare's little gem, Memoirs of a Midget has to be one of my favourite novels of all time; an uncanny situation, richly developed personalities and the ever present philisophical questions of identity, place and sexuality are all addressed in the most quizzical and charming ways. A must have for those who consider themselves lovers of fairytales as well as philosophers.

short peoples unite!
I thought that this book was excellent! As a fellow short person, I could relate to the story wonderfully! I have felt the same feelings that she felt, it was almost like a mirror was held up to my life. Well except for the when the book took place I can't believe how awesome this book was! Now perhaps people will look at the midgets and think that they are real people too, not just disformed humans. you should read this book. It was the best book I ever read. I hope that everyone reads this book so that people everywhere can get to know the hardships that we face in our day to day lives. This book really educated my friends on how hard life can be. I can only hope that others will do the same thing. ... Read more