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Three brilliantly crafted longish short stories, each dealing with death and memory in some way. Made me long to read more Porter.

I know how much folks love these three novellas, however it was just one big meh for me.

The last of the three novels ‘Pale Horse, Pale Rider‘ is the best in the collection. It is a fever dream of a novel about one woman‘s experience with the 1918 flu. It recounts the horror of a deadly pandemic coming on the heels of a major war. The other two novels are also tragedies reflecting life in the American southwest in late 1800s-early 1900s. 3.5 ⭐️ overall

I read “Pale Horse, Pale Rider” in one of my high school English classes, and I found myself wanting to read it again. The writing was absolutely phenomenal, even better than I remembered. I felt like I was placed right in the middle of the protagonist‘s fever dream. Knowing the story was based on the author‘s own experiences while recovering from Spanish flu in 1918 made it all the more relevant. The other 2 stories were also quite good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Three novels, the cover says. More like novellas, or even extended short stories. Not easily categorized at any rate. The last story an exploration of having the “Spanish flu” from the point of view of the patient, and it gets a little trippy. (Be careful if you‘re easily suggestible- it will make you dizzy!) I loved the three fictions, whatever category they are in. But equally I loved the blandly titled “Chronology” which 👇🏻

From the title story, about a woman just recovering from a month‘s long bout with the 1918 influenza.

Pardon me, while I spam your feed with a few quotes from this book. Review to come. This is from the first story, and so clearly mirrors what it‘s like to live in a family where stories are paramount.

Started this on my lunch hour. I usually love Porter‘s prose, and I think this will be another winner.

A friend suggested I read this recently, as one of the novellas takes place during the great pandemic of 1918-1919. I‘d forgotten what a great writer Porter was. She deserves much more recognition as a truly American voice.

Isn‘t this a lovely description of the joy we feel as readers? 🥰

I loved the three short novels found in Pale Horse, Pale Rider. All three of them packed a punch and were very different, but so well-written. I would recommend Porter‘s stories to almost everyone.

While Katherine Anne Porter's photo scan on her passport application isn't very detailed, I love the physical description of her: 5 feet, 3 inches tall (about); medium-high forehead; blue-grey eyes with a short retrousee (upturned) nose and a faint scar on her left eyebrow. The 1920 passport recommends that she avoid Vera Cruz "because of the existence of the bubonic plague..."

#WritersOnVacation