'One cannot go about in a German pension without coming to the conclusion that life is very full of mysterious things.'
First published in 1911, In a German Pension is the first collection of short stories from one of the modernist masters of the form, Katherine Mansfield.
Written during Mansfield's stay in Bad Wörishofen after her unfortunate marriage and subsequent miscarriage, the stories in this emotionally acute collection offer sharp, satirical observations of German society, noting everything from proper etiquette to gender role expectations and the repression of women. Taking place within a boarding house, each story centres around a semi-autobiographical female figure. Mansfield expertly explores themes such as cultural misunderstandings and the absurdity of societal conventions, all told through what would become her trademark dry humour and nuanced critique. This audiobook edition is brilliantly brought to life by Eve Karpf.
Katherine Mansfield (1888 – 1923) was a New Zealand writer and critic. She was an important figurehead of the modernist movement, befriending the likes of Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence amongst others. Her works regularly explored themes such as sexuality, religion and existentialism, and have been translated into twenty-five different languages across the world.