Elizabeth Bowen Society Reading Group - The Cat Jumps

Our next reading group is on Wednesday 30th July at 7pm (BST). Join the Bowen Society as we explore the stories in The Cat Jumps (1934), Bowen’s fourth short story collection, whose first edition of 1500 copies sold out almost immedaitly. Writing to her publisher, Victor Gollancz, Bowen remarks that these stories "had an 'escape from life' theme" (Glendinning, 1977). In this collection, Keri Walsh (2020) observes, "Bowen emerges as a deft practitioner of Surrealist style, an authority on the ideas in Breton’s manifestoes, and a sympathetic as well as sophisticated critic of the movement." It is a fascinating collection that shows Bowen embracing a more experimental tone. As always, everyone’s welcome!

The stories in this collection are:

• The Tommy Crans
• The Good Girl
• The Cat Jumps
• The Last Night in the Old Home
• The Disinherited
• Maria
• Her Table Spread
• The Little Girl’s Room
• Firelight in the Flat
• The Man of the Family
• The Needlecase
• The Apple Tree