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Widely known for her extraordinary novels, including The Last September, The Death of the Heart and The Heat of the Day, Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) surpassed even herself as a writer of short fiction. 'The supreme genius of her time, writes John Banville in his introduction; 'There is not a story in this substantial volume ... that is not brought off beautifully.'
There are seventy-nine stories in all, amongst them of course such well-loved classics as 'Mysterious Kor', 'The Demon Lover', 'Summer Night', 'Ivy Gripped the Steps' and 'The Happy Autumn Fields'. Written over four decades, they range in setting from the County Cork of the author's Anglo-Irish childhood to bomb-ravaged London where she coolly sat out World War II, every scene evoked with vivid and impeccable artistry. Children, frustrated lovers and even ghosts inhabit her tales with an urgency and emotional complexity, which make it clear that the drama of human consciousness is her central subject. Rich in social comedy, penetrating in their psychological insight, perfect in their craft, these stories firmly stake Bowen's claim to be considered one of the greatest English writers of the twentieth century.