Rating: 
Summary: These stories move me and touch my soul.
Review: "The Grave," a story about a woman whose past is as close to her as her present, is an incredible story. Like Faulkner's brilliance, she understands that men and women cannot escape their pasts, and the actions and events of youth play an indelible role in adulthood. Sometimes that past is forgotten, but small items, such as the shape of a particular hard candy, trigger emotional and poignant memories in the protagontist. This story blows me away every time I read it, and triggers fond and sad, emotional and trivial - memories - of my own childhood.
Rating:
Summary: A buffet of words
Review: Have you ever gone to an all-you-can-eat buffet and overdone it? Then left feeling stuffed but satisfied? This collection of the works of KAP is sort of like that-- you can really binge because there are so many stories, and they're all of high quality. You just want to fill your plate and "eat too much." But you should really slow down, read some again and again. Maria Concepcion is a great tale of revenge and betrayal; "Virgin Violeta" a coming of age type story... "The Martyr" story about a famous painter (Diego Rivera type) who is in love..."Magic," "Rope," "He," "Theft"-- all of these are powerful looks into human relationships and are so well done that you really feel that you know the people that Porter describes. Read it slowly, go back and savor the spices & intricate details of every story.
Rating:
Summary: A buffet of words
Review: Have you ever gone to an all-you-can-eat buffet and overdone it? Then left feeling stuffed but satisfied? This collection of the works of KAP is sort of like that-- you can really binge because there are so many stories, and they're all of high quality. You just want to fill your plate and "eat too much." But you should really slow down, read some again and again. Maria Concepcion is a great tale of revenge and betrayal; "Virgin Violeta" a coming of age type story... "The Martyr" story about a famous painter (Diego Rivera type) who is in love..."Magic," "Rope," "He," "Theft"-- all of these are powerful looks into human relationships and are so well done that you really feel that you know the people that Porter describes. Read it slowly, go back and savor the spices & intricate details of every story.
Rating: 
Summary: AN EXAMPLE OF POOR LITERARY KNOLEDGE
Review: Katherine Ann Porter seems to me to combine the strengths of Hemingway and Faulkner. I haven't read enough Faulkner, but that seems like it might be right. This book is definitely a worthwhile read. The language is rich and engaging and at times humourous. My favorite story was Noon Wine. There is a beautiful section where Mr. Hatch, the bounty hunter comes looking for Mr. Helton, and he tells Mr. Thompson the words to the song that Mr. Helton had been playing on his harmonica. That moment is really well written, and it stayed in mind because what happens next knocked me breathless.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Modernist
Review: Katherine Ann Porter seems to me to combine the strengths of Hemingway and Faulkner. I haven't read enough Faulkner, but that seems like it might be right. This book is definitely a worthwhile read. The language is rich and engaging and at times humourous. My favorite story was Noon Wine. There is a beautiful section where Mr. Hatch, the bounty hunter comes looking for Mr. Helton, and he tells Mr. Thompson the words to the song that Mr. Helton had been playing on his harmonica. That moment is really well written, and it stayed in mind because what happens next knocked me breathless.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome collection of literary gems
Review: Katherine Anne Porter is one of America's greatest -- and most overlooked -- literary talents, and this book is a compilation of her superb short stories. Porter writes with the precision of a master jeweler; every sentence is polished like a gem, every word is perfect. From the haunting beauty of "María Concepción" and "Virgin Violeta" to the semi-autobiographical "Pale Horse, Pale Rider", Porter writes with an understated, almost stark, precision and elegance. This is a book to be read and savored slowly, a story at a time, to appreciate the awesome talent of a literary genius.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome collection of literary gems
Review: Katherine Anne Porter is one of America's greatest -- and most overlooked -- literary talents, and this book is a compilation of her superb short stories. Porter writes with the precision of a master jeweler; every sentence is polished like a gem, every word is perfect. From the haunting beauty of "María Concepción" and "Virgin Violeta" to the semi-autobiographical "Pale Horse, Pale Rider", Porter writes with an understated, almost stark, precision and elegance. This is a book to be read and savored slowly, a story at a time, to appreciate the awesome talent of a literary genius.
Rating:
Summary: An overlooked masterpiece!
Review: Katherine Anne Porter should be required reading for any aspiring writer. She has the power and mastery of understatement of Hemingway along with the subtle depth readers rave about in Munro and she is often overlooked. This collection of short stories is dense, yet you cannot put it down until you have read every story. Her tales reveal complex lives and the darker sides of human nature flavored with abundant Mexican sights and sounds. The reader travels back in time without sepia tones! Required reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting view into the mind of a writer
Review: One of the most interesting aspects of this collection of Katherine Anne Porter's works is that it allows the reader to witness the matureation of her writing style. The small and often personal actions and thoughts of her characters drive these stories (instead of plot). The intimacy, and insight she writes with oftens reminds me of Emily Dickenson. They both have the ability to show how individual events, or moments can profoundly effect a person. Porter's word play is often sharp, and very carefully chosen. A reader who isn't paying close attention to what she's saying can miss important themes within the stories. The Pale Horse, pale rider section was my favorite part of the book. Porter's style comes to life in the extended format of these stories. If your not up to going through this whole book, then I'd recomend picking up Pale Horse, Pale Rider by itself. overall I would definitely recomend this book though.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting view into the mind of a writer
Review: One of the most interesting aspects of this collection of Katherine Anne Porter's works is that it allows the reader to witness the matureation of her writing style. The small and often personal actions and thoughts of her characters drive these stories (instead of plot). The intimacy, and insight she writes with oftens reminds me of Emily Dickenson. They both have the ability to show how individual events, or moments can profoundly effect a person. Porter's word play is often sharp, and very carefully chosen. A reader who isn't paying close attention to what she's saying can miss important themes within the stories. The Pale Horse, pale rider section was my favorite part of the book. Porter's style comes to life in the extended format of these stories. If your not up to going through this whole book, then I'd recomend picking up Pale Horse, Pale Rider by itself. overall I would definitely recomend this book though.
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