Tales of Yesteryear

by Louis Auchincloss

Spanning most of the decades of the twentieth century, this entertaining new collection of stories reveals the inner lives of America's upper classes in the polished, elegant prose that is Louis Auchincloss's signature. The intricate balance of power in a marriage, the artist's hunger for inspiration, the responsibilities of privileged youth on the eve of war - Auchincloss casts a knowing yet sympathetic eye on such dilemmas as they play themselves out in the salons, clubs, boarding schools, Park Avenue drawing rooms, and summer hideaways of the moneyed classes.In "The Man of Good Will," an aging Seth Middletown finds himself unable to save a beloved grandson torn apart by the sixties - a boy carefully protected from a family secret. Dick and Joyce Emmons, in "The Lotos Eaters," are surprised to find their new marriage subtly undermined by their own enchanted existence on a paradisal Florida island. A theatrical grande dame and an admiring young actor are "Priestess and Acolyte" - until they realize that the passions that rule them are irreconcilable.Evident on every page of the eight stories contained here are Auchincloss's superb ear for dialogue and his ability to suggest what lies beneath the surface of human relationships. Tales of Yesteryear will give Auchincloss's loyal readers cause to rejoice, and newcomers a delightful introduction to one of America's most distinguished authors.

Genres: Short Stories

324 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Louis Stanton Auchincloss was an American novelist, historian, and essayist.

Among Auchincloss's best-known books are the multi-generational sagas The House of Five Talents, Portrait in Brownstone, and East Side Story. Other well-known novels include The Rector of Justin, the tale of a renowned headmaster of a school like Groton trying to deal with changing times, and The Embezzler, a look at white-collar crime. Auchincloss is known for his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auchincloss was a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction; his fiction usually centers on the lives of the wealthy--the class he himself knew personally. While my life is light years from the kind of socioeconomic circles he wrote about, many stories have universal themes. And his writing is elegant, sophisticated, and urbane, a combination I enjoy.

In this volume, the story "The Man of Good Will" tries to save a college-aged grandson whose emotional balance is slipping and whose own parents have failed to demonstrate adequate love. "Preistess and Acolyte" is a brief memoir of a man who had insinuated himself into more successful professional circles, hoping their success would rub off on him. "To My Beloved Wife" will read as dated, because it deals with a very wealthy woman whose husband controls the purse strings and won't allow her to begin giving charitably to causes she has embraced but he disavows.

All in all, a satisfying, but not remarkable collection.

[Seth Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised that this book and author don't seem to have the acclaim of, e.g., John Updike, I thought this collection was great. A big part of it is that I am curious about the social norms/conventions/conversational habits of the not-too-distant past; so dialogue between rich people summering in Maine at the outset of World War II, or discussing a grandson's threat of suicide during Vietnam, is a pleasure. It's also interesting to see the main characters discuss bisexuality and homosexuality among men in frank terms that both convey general social disapproval and an upper class, tacit "look the other way" vibe.

I liked "the man of good will" and "the poetaster" best. the ending of the first was devastating.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of very well written short stories mostly about the regrets of upperclass people. I found none of the characters engaging.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auchincloss continues to delight with his elegant prose, trademark wit and insight into the foibles of the upper class.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louis Auchincloss has been chronicling the lives of the very rich for what seems to have been his entire lifetime. And you have to hand it to the man - he does it very well. Somehow he manages to cajole the reader into looking beyond the ridiculously insane degree of gilded privilege his chosen subjects enjoy, and to make the case that lives of pure entitlement can be interesting enough to merit our attention. The very rich, it turns out, have their problems too, even if it would be stretching things to say that they are just like you and me.

In the hands of a less subtle author, the protagonists of these stories would be insufferable. But Auchincloss manages to strike just the right note of unapologetic irony in his narration, and to create situations that hold the reader's interest. A certain elegance of style, combined with erudition that does not condescend, lend a definite charm to these tales of the obscenely wealthy.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - this is not a book to read if you are currently experiencing financial difficulties. Nor is it suitable trip reading for travel in any of the world's developing countries (not sure if that is the currently PC term for what used to be referred to as 'third world' countries). It's hard for me to recommend that you rush out and buy this book. But if you were to come across it in your friendly local second hand bookstore, you could do much worse than to bring it on home. For one thing, each of the eight stories actually tells a story. An old-fashioned virtue, but one not to be sneezed at.

I give it a solid 3.5 stars. My final rating will therefore be decided by a flip of my special goodreads 50-centavo coin.