THE COLLECTED STORIES

by Calvert Casey ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1998

The first significant English translation of an accomplished American-born Cuban writer (1924-69) who wrote in Spanish, experienced first the embrace, then the scorn, of Fidel Castro's inner circle, and ended his sad, sexually ambivalent brief life a suicide. Highly praised by his contemporaries, Casey's droll, subtly nightmarish vignette-glimpses of Havana's mean streets and distracted citizens are portrayals of outsiders and solitaries, including such successes as a wry reimagining of Kafka's The Trial (""The Execution""); the achingly autobiographical ""Homecoming""; a fascinating (if inchoate) novella, ""The Master of Life and Death""; and a brilliant variant of Thomas Bailey Aldrich's famous ""trick"" story ""Marjorie Daw"" (""Goodbye. . . and Thanks for Everything""). Stavans's sympathetic ""Introduction"" argues persuasively that the neglected Casey is a worthy successor to, and compatriot of, Poe as well as Kafka. This superb collection makes us believe him.

Pub Date: May 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 216

Publisher: Duke Univ.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1998

Categories: FICTION