The Garden Party

Katherine Mansfield was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 14 October 1888, and died at Fontainebleau on 9 January 1923, at the age of 34. Her first book "In a German Pension", was published in 1911; it was a collection of stories which had appeared in The New Age. In 1912 she began to write for "Rhythm", edited by John Middleton Murry, whom she married. For the next few years her writing was mainly experimental. In 1916 she wrote "Prelude", a long and famous story in which her originality was first fully apparent. From that time onward she was master of her own style. She contracted tuberculosis in 1917, and thenceforward led a wandering life in search of health, and wrote under difficulties. Her second book of collected stories, "Bliss", was not published until 1921. It was well received. Her third collection, "The Garden Party", appeared a year later. It was her last book to be published in her life-time. After her death two more collections of her stories were published; also her Letters and her Journal. These were the foundation of her great reputation in France, where her fame stands higher than in England. It was French appreciation rather than English which established her as a European classic, for her tender humanity, her clarity, her wit, and her courageous gaiety. These qualities are evident in "The Garden Party".