Reading Mavis Gallant

This book examines the nature and scope of the work of Mavis Gallant, the noted Canadian short story writer and novelist, who delights readers with the elegance and authority of her prose while disconcerting them with the sharp edge of her vision. Examining her fiction, journalism, and work in the theatre, Keefer explores her preoccupation with "the prison of childhood," and the constricted world of women, as well as her continual concern with the function of memory. Keefer also focuses closely on both the rewards and the problems that readers encounter in any sustained engagement with Gallant's work, raising important questions about the nature of contemporary fiction and Gallant's unique Canadian perspective.