A collection of "slice of life" stories that do not take long to read at all, making it hard to lose your spot or interest.
Heavily feature themes that are easy to spot in his most popular works. The writing is brilliant as always but I do think the selection can feel a bit repetitive.

I was given a copy of Early Stories by Tennessee Williams from Goodreads and the University of Iowa Press in exchange for an honest review.
I feel disingenuous in requesting these short stories as I am not a short story aficionado. Stories that last the length of a song or two will never stay in the head; in some ways, it's akin to reading a features piece in a newspaper. However, Williams' only novel, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, remains a powerful, haunting read, so I was intrigued by what material emanated from this collection.

Like Tennessee's later characters, these fringe characters feel too much and lack social cohesion and hunger for connection. Corduroy Pants (or a Pack of Cigarettes) is probably the most pressing example of this, although Dago Hill nicely characterises the broader neighborhood setup so wonderfully utilized in Streetcar. Some stories list like Grenada to West Plains, but all I read are authentically in Williams' voice.

Coupled with my struggles with short stories and the opaque qualities of Williams' writing, I will continue to read these stories bit by bit, but the writing is at a medium level.

This is a treat for Williams fans, especially after such a big gap in time. As a Mississippian, this will get some press and attention.

These are classic stories that I really enjoyed. Williams was a great writer, writing about a country with dreams and hopes... Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Early Stories by Tennessee Williams offered a fascinating a diverse collection of tales which are interesting to read in their own right as well as from the point of view of foreshadowing his later, major writings. Most are slice-of-life vignettes and character studies that offer an intriguing glimpse of a wide range of characters and situations. As always with such collections, certain stories will appeal more to different readers, but it is such a wide mix, there is sure to be something here for every reader to enjoy. If you like short stories, I recommend this collection even if you are not already familiar with Tennessee Williams' plays, as you do not need to know those to appreciate these tales, though for those who do, the short stories will offer an additional layer of interest. I am giving this book 4.5 stars.