Vivid and Repulsive as the Truth

A great resource for getting started with Barnes' work or for fans already to get a further taste

This book is a fascinating look at Djuna Barnes early work. It includes vignettes of various people, many simple working folk, at the turn of the century when Barnes lived in Greenwich Village in New York City. There are also accounts of meetings with Alfred Stieglitz, the photographer, and James Joyce. These portraits are interesting for their view into a very different time and a different city than the one we know today. They are, however, sometimes dated and difficult to read.

The poetry was interesting to me primarily for its imagery. The title of the collection, Vivid and Repulsive as the Truth comes from one of these poems In style and form the poems seem rather ordinary but, as always with Barnes, the images are striking and resonant.

My favorite part of the collection were the short stories. It was here that I heard the echoes of Barnes later, distinctive voice. The stories are full of a lively despair: despite the awfulness of lives depicted, the writing raises the tone to something full of life.

This is definitely a collection for Barnes' fans to savor. I would recommend that newcomers to Barnes begin with her famous Nightwood and having appreciated her at her best then look back to this early work, full of promise and interesting in its own right.

My thanks to NetGalley and Dover Publications for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.

Djuna Barnes is perhaps not as well known today as she merits, so this collection of her early work is a welcome publication, particular in view of its very useful introduction, essential for Barnes novices. Best remembered now for her novel Nightwood, she also wrote poetry, short stories, articles, interviews and essays and many of them are gathered together here. This is perhaps more a volume for the Barnes aficionado or literary scholar, but for the general reader who just wants to get a taste of her writing, it’s an excellent compilation and although I certainly didn’t enjoy all the writing, some of it, particularly the articles I found compelling. The poetry not so much, I have to admit. However, this is a useful and sometimes enjoyable collection of her work.