The timely relevance of Dorothy Parker’s Selected Works.

This lovely selection of Dorothy Parker’s short stories is a snapshot into the mundane everyday life in the early mid 20th Century. A timely read as we all refocus on our own mundane lives and disruption to our social connections. Parker takes the small aspects of lives, ones often taken for granted and celebrates them through her short stories.

This selection focuses primarily on inner lives and relationships of its characters; The life of a woman of fading attractiveness and the limits she faces in her choices. An unwanted pregnancy resulting from a work place affair; The story of the charitable woman roped into sewing hospital gowns she would prefer not to have to sew as another woman is in need of a position. This one I found particularly interesting because of the parallel I could draw between the demands of first world war and our current Corona virus situation.

I listened to this on audio book, and although it was well read I did not care for the accent or possibly voice of the narrator so I haven’t bothered to recommend that aspect. I believe it is worth knowing the work of female writers and Dorothy Parker shouldn’t be overlooked for the contribution she made to American writing of the 20th Century.