Edith Wharton Short Stories
A Journey | 4,400 words
A married couple are taking a train back home to New York. They have been away for the husband’s health, but he hasn’t improved. His wife still loves him, but she feels constrained by the situation. She wants her old life back. (Summary)
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The Muse’s Tragedy | 5,800 words
Danyers is a young man who greatly admires the work of the late poet Vincent Rendle, and Rendle’s muse, Mary Anerton. A social acquaintance, Mrs. Memorall, knows Mary and passes along an essay that Danyers wrote. Eventually, they meet to discuss Rendle’s work.
The Pelican | 7,450 words
Mrs. Amyot, a widow, gives lectures to support herself and her child. She comes from a family of intellectuals, though isn’t one herself. Her lectures are of dubious quality—she has a huge store of inaccurate information—and her audience is more interested in them as social events. The narrator recounts his interactions with her over the years and what he knows of her.
A Bottle of Perrier | 8,950 words
Medford, from the American School of Archaeology at Athens, goes to visit his friend, Henry, an amateur archaeologist living in the desert. When he arrives, Henry isn’t home. The servant, Gosling, says he was invited to some unexplored ruins. Medford waits for his friend’s return.
Bunner Sisters | 30,500 words
Two middle-aged sisters, Ann Eliza and Evelina, run a small shop and live modestly. They’re proud of their little shop and it keeps them solvent. They start having a few dealings with a local clock seller, which changes their usual routine. (Novelette)
The Rembrandt | 6,000 words
The narrator is persuaded by his cousin Eleanor to visit a distressed gentlewoman and appraise a painting, which, if valuable, could ease her difficulties. He is able to determine the painting’s value, but he struggles to tell the lady directly.
Roman Fever | 5,000 words
While on vacation together in Rome, two middle-aged women, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley, talk about their past and their daughters. They had met in Rome when they were younger than their daughters are now.
The Verdict | 3,800 words
At the height of his career as a painter, Jack Gisburn married a rich widow, moved to the Riviera and quit painting. The women whom he painted mourned his sudden departure—men and his fellow artists less so. On a trip to the Riviera three years later, it occurs to the narrator that he could check in on Gisburn and perhaps find out what happened.
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As I read more Edith Wharton short stories they will be added to this page.