WHEN MY GIRL COMES HOME

by V. S. Pritchett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 1961

The short stories of this British novelist-critic are collected from magazines here and abroad and again, as in his previous volume, The Sailor, Sense of Humor And Other Stories, (1956), display his talent for sharp detail and many faceted characters. Particularly British is the title story about a girl returning home to England after the war and the reactions of her friends since she is the widow of a Japanese, and also On The Scent in which a fantasy-loving museum curator has a chance meeting with a former German officer against whom he had fought during the war. There is an eccentric woman whose search for the right man ends happily and humorously; The Wheelbarrow uncovers a possible love affair between an older woman and a married evangelist-taxi driver. A father views his lovable but troublesome daughter; children deplored their burdensome, lonely grandfather; a pathetic neurotic accountant attends his company's annual dinner; Hitchcockian surprises appear in The Necklace and The Key to My Heart. Each story and character stands alone offering quick insights into human nature and its fallibilities. Local conversational idioms may sound strange to American ears but they do not interfere with the movement of the stories themselves and followers of the British short story will enjoy the inclusions.

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 1961

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1961

Categories: FICTION