The Troll Garden And Other Stories

<p>With seven short stories <i>The Troll Garden </i> is a comprehensive exploration of American artists and the trials they face. In <i>Flavia and Her Artists </i> a young woman named Imogen goes to visit her friend Flavia who is a patron of artists. Joining Flavia's group of artists Imogen becomes immersed in the drama and gossip of the group. As Imogen witnesses the animosity of the group steadily grow she realizes that it stems from Flavia's own insecurities and arrogance. <i>The Sculptor's Funeral </i> depicts the funeral of a successful sculptor Harvey Marrick. When his body is returned to his hometown for his burial there is a mix of emotions from his family and old acquaintances. Only Jim Lavid Harvey's old friend truly mourns the death. However Jim must wrestle with both grief and jealousy when he considers that Harvey was able to leave their small town something Jim himself never could. With a similar tone <i>A Death in the Desert</i> follows a man as he wrestles with his identity. Sharing a strong physical resemblance to his prodigy brother Everett Hilgarde feels haunted by his brother's shadow robbing him of his sense of self. As the last story in the collection <i>Paul's Case </i> creates an echo that stays in the reader's mind long after the tale is finished. When Paul a young boy who has trouble fitting in steals money from his father he decides to run away to New York pretending to be rich and fulfilling the life he'd always wanted. </p><p><i>The Troll Garden </i> by Willa Cather explores the melancholy tales of tortured artists without dwelling on the sorrow instead focusing on the relatable instances and decisions that lead to such predicaments. Though first published one-hundred and fifteen years ago in 1905 Cather explores ever-present issues of identity failure and dreams that have remained to be relevant to a current audience. As her debut work of fiction <i>The Troll Garden</i> marks a capstone in Willa Cather's prolific career. </p><p>Now presented in an easy-to-read font and with a striking new cover design this edition of Willa Cather's <i>The Troll Garden</i> is modern and relevant to a contemporary audience. </p>