"Holiday" by Katherine Anne Porter 8/1/2023 1:49:47 PM
I have reread—for the third time—“Holiday” by Katherine Anne Porter. To my mind it is just about perfect from beginning to end—one of the best short stories I’ve read. It may be at the top of my list but I would have to think long and hard about that placement. The truth is I’ve read a number of fine stories and it is rather difficult to rank them or choose favorites. Only for fun do I devise a list. From my perspective there is plenty of room for greatness of all kinds and styles, and ample space in my heart to cherish it all.
Altogether raw and real, the little-known “Holiday” is a treasure for readers who appreciate serious first-rate fiction. It has everything going for it: the storytelling, the writing, the structure, the language, the descriptions, the mechanics, the overall vision. It is time for me to make reading it a yearly tradition.
“Holiday” always provides the same substance and fulfillment I get from reading an absorbing novel. That alone is no small feat. The collection of Porter’s that featured it had no blurb, no academic or literary endorsement, no special backing, no reviews plastered anywhere. Good! A writer can have fame, fortune, popularity online, be in demand for signings and appearances and so forth, but, as a reader, I am drawn to the performance on the page. That’s it. The above-mentioned details are of no interest to me. Let the quality of the work speak for itself, I say, and let the reader be the judge.
Anyone who is looking for inspiration to write, or to keep writing, would benefit from taking an hour or less and turning the pages of “Holiday.” Read it without interruptions, free of distractions. I doubt you will regret the journey. Happy reading!
