The Rose Garden: Short Stories

Rating:
Summary: And a beautiful garden it is
Review: I'd never heard of Maeve Brennan before I picked up this book, and I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to find her. This was a wonderful surprise, filled with astute observations, sly humor, and delightful prose. The stories in this collection bring to mind Raymond Carver and J.D. Salinger in their recording of the subtle moments in life, when nothing seems to outwardly happen but profound shifts in power and status occur behind the visages of the complacent and bemused characters she so brilliantly sketches. If you're looking for a steady stream of action, you'd do better elsewhere, but if you prefer incisive characterizations and a more gentle touch, please give this a try. Make no mistake, though, in believing her to be some imitator. Stories like "A Snowy Night on West Forty-ninth Street" and "The Door on West Tenth Street" showcase a writer with her own distinct and wonderful voice, someone who probably deserves more attention than she's received thus far. Once I finished these stories I immediately bought her other collections, eager to read more.

Rating:
Summary: And a beautiful garden it is
Review: I'd never heard of Maeve Brennan before I picked up this book, and I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to find her. This was a wonderful surprise, filled with astute observations, sly humor, and delightful prose. The stories in this collection bring to mind Raymond Carver and J.D. Salinger in their recording of the subtle moments in life, when nothing seems to outwardly happen but profound shifts in power and status occur behind the visages of the complacent and bemused characters she so brilliantly sketches. If you're looking for a steady stream of action, you'd do better elsewhere, but if you prefer incisive characterizations and a more gentle touch, please give this a try. Make no mistake, though, in believing her to be some imitator. Stories like "A Snowy Night on West Forty-ninth Street" and "The Door on West Tenth Street" showcase a writer with her own distinct and wonderful voice, someone who probably deserves more attention than she's received thus far. Once I finished these stories I immediately bought her other collections, eager to read more.

Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: Ms. Maeve Brennan wrote for and about, "The New Yorker", magazine for over four decades. The New Yorker is many things including a publication known for excellence. To have been a part of such an institution for so long is enough to place this woman in a very small group if not alone for her tenure there. "The Rose Garden", is one of two books that collect short stories Ms. Brennan created, and they are without exception excellent.

Of the twenty stories there are a few that are stand-alone tales. The book opens and then closes with a series of stories that share place and characters but also could stand by themselves as well. The first grouping is a brilliant and savage attack on a small community north of Manhattan, which is based upon a community the writer, lived in. She has a rapier wit and she uses it to dismember the people and their pretensions that occupy this community. She does it with such style that some of the targets would probably lack the insight to see just how badly she savaged them and their affected lifestyle. There are two stories that on their own are worth owning the book, one is, "The Servant's Dance", and the other begins with, "The Holy Terror". Writing such as this is a rare event.

The cover of the book is a picture of the writer from 1949. If those Irish Eyes of hers ever focused on a person and identified them as a target, it would be akin to being told Mike Wallace of 60 minutes was waiting to speak with you.

A wonderful writer and a woman that must have been a daunting presence to be in the midst of. Fantastic reading!

Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: Ms. Maeve Brennan wrote for and about, "The New Yorker", magazine for over four decades. The New Yorker is many things including a publication known for excellence. To have been a part of such an institution for so long is enough to place this woman in a very small group if not alone for her tenure there. "The Rose Garden", is one of two books that collect short stories Ms. Brennan created, and they are without exception excellent.

Of the twenty stories there are a few that are stand-alone tales. The book opens and then closes with a series of stories that share place and characters but also could stand by themselves as well. The first grouping is a brilliant and savage attack on a small community north of Manhattan, which is based upon a community the writer, lived in. She has a rapier wit and she uses it to dismember the people and their pretensions that occupy this community. She does it with such style that some of the targets would probably lack the insight to see just how badly she savaged them and their affected lifestyle. There are two stories that on their own are worth owning the book, one is, "The Servant's Dance", and the other begins with, "The Holy Terror". Writing such as this is a rare event.

The cover of the book is a picture of the writer from 1949. If those Irish Eyes of hers ever focused on a person and identified them as a target, it would be akin to being told Mike Wallace of 60 minutes was waiting to speak with you.

A wonderful writer and a woman that must have been a daunting presence to be in the midst of. Fantastic reading!

Rating:
Summary: a great addition for a library of New York books
Review: The Rose Garden is a collection of short stories by the late New Yorker writer Maeve Brennan. The book feels split into two collections. The first half of the book is a collection of stories about the fictional "Herbert's Retreat" an exclusive enclave of a few dozen houses 30 or so miles up the Hudson from New York City. Brennan captures the minor social adventures of the wealthy denizens through some of the sharpest humored dialogue and descriptions I have ever read. At the same time as the homeowners vie to capture for the best river view and to throw successful parties with the most desirable guests - in short, to be the envy of their neighbors - their Irish maids ruefully observe - and occasionally subvert - their antics.

Unfortunately, the Herbert's Retreat stories only constitute half of this book. The second half of the book is less enjoyable. The remaining stories rely heavier on description rather than dialogue, and the characters - which range from cafe regulars to a dog named Bluebell - are far less entertaining or memorable. Nonetheless, Brennan is an expert in capturing New York, and this book is must have in a library of books describing 20th century New York, to be placed in the vicinity of fellow New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell's great social observations. The Herbert's Retreat stories alone make the book essential reading.

Rating:
Summary: a great addition for a library of New York books
Review: The Rose Garden is a collection of short stories by the late New Yorker writer Maeve Brennan. The book feels split into two collections. The first half of the book is a collection of stories about the fictional "Herbert's Retreat" an exclusive enclave of a few dozen houses 30 or so miles up the Hudson from New York City. Brennan captures the minor social adventures of the wealthy denizens through some of the sharpest humored dialogue and descriptions I have ever read. At the same time as the homeowners vie to capture for the best river view and to throw successful parties with the most desirable guests - in short, to be the envy of their neighbors - their Irish maids ruefully observe - and occasionally subvert - their antics.

Unfortunately, the Herbert's Retreat stories only constitute half of this book. The second half of the book is less enjoyable. The remaining stories rely heavier on description rather than dialogue, and the characters - which range from cafe regulars to a dog named Bluebell - are far less entertaining or memorable. Nonetheless, Brennan is an expert in capturing New York, and this book is must have in a library of books describing 20th century New York, to be placed in the vicinity of fellow New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell's great social observations. The Herbert's Retreat stories alone make the book essential reading.