I discovered this story accidentally when I ran across some short story collections by Katherine Mansfield on Amazon. I had not read anything else by Katherine Mansfield and I looked for one of her stories to try out online. This was the first one I found.
"Feuille D'Album"
The setting is Paris. The story was published first in The New Age in 1917, under the title of "An Album Leaf." A revised version later appeared in Bliss and Other Stories, a collection published in 1920.
A young man is noticed by several women. He looks sad and forlorn and seems very shy. Various women approach him, try to befriend him. He is civil but not really interested in them so they finally give up on him.
The story continues on to describe the young man and his life in a small studio at the top of a tall building. Eventually he notices a young woman about his age who lives in a small shabby house across the way from his small studio. From this distance he falls in love with her and imagines what her life is like. The story has a nice, ambiguous ending.
Mansfield's descriptive writing is lovely in this story. Here is an example:
He lived at the top of a tall mournful building overlooking the river. One of those buildings that look so romantic on rainy nights and moonlight nights, when the shutters are shut, and the heavy door, and the sign advertising "a little apartment to let immediately" gleams forlorn beyond words. One of those buildings that smell so unromantic all the year round, and where the concierge lives in a glass cage on the ground floor, wrapped up in a filthy shawl, stirring something in a saucepan and ladling out tit-bits to the swollen old dog lolling on a bead cushion. . . . Perched up in the air the studio had a wonderful view. The two big windows faced the water; he could see the boats and the barges swinging up and down, and the fringe of an island planted with trees, like a round bouquet.
The story was very short and simple and I liked it. At first I saw it as a slice of life story, but later decided it may be too romantic or imaginative to be categorized that way.
I found a copy of the story online here.
I later discovered that I already own a Kindle version of The Garden Party and Other Stories, with an introduction by Colm Toibin. I also recently purchased a Kindle copy of The Complete Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield, and I read an additional story from Bliss and Other Stories, titled "The Dill Pickle." That story was sadder, and more serious, than "Feuille D'Album." It was about a man and a woman who meet unexpectedly after not having seen each other for six years. Their memories of the time they spent together when they were younger are different. I enjoyed that story equally as well. I am motivated to read more stories by Mansfield and will look for a print copy of one of her short story collections soon.
That's an interesting premise for a story, Tracy. And I think you're right about Mansfield's writing style. That bit you shared really appealed to me. I'm glad you enjoyed this one.
ReplyDeleteMargot, I have read many good reviews of Mansfield's short stories, and I am glad I finally tried a couple of them.
DeleteThat's a beautiful excerpt you shared. So descriptive!
ReplyDeleteKelly, I found both of these stories to be easy reads, with the beautiful writing, although Feuille D'Album was a bit more of a challenge. But they were both very short, so nice stories to start with.
Delete