The Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton — Part 1

The Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton — Part 1 brings together selected stories written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Across these narratives, Wharton examines human emotion and the complexities of social relationships, while also returning to the effects of memory, loss, and the lingering presence of the past. The collection highlights her sharp observation of the lives of the early modern American upper class and the atmospheres surrounding them. In the opening story, “Kerfol,” an unnamed narrator visits a mysterious, historically charged estate after a friend’s suggestion. As he moves through its striking landscape and uneasy quiet, he encounters a pack of dogs and the house’s pervasive, ghostlike feeling, setting a reflective tone about longing and emotional remnants.