Changeling, and Other StoriesDonn ByrneOmniClassics · Literature
Changeling, and Other Stories
Donn ByrneThirteen stories test familiar judgments of character through trials, homecomings, sporting lives, and remembered loyalties.
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About the book
In the title story, Anna Janssen stands trial for murder, yet her present appearance and composure seem strangely at odds with the disreputable history described in court. The gap between an official account and a person's changed life opens a collection interested in the inadequacy of quick judgments. 'The Barnacle Goose' moves to a different kind of return, following an emigrant who revisits Ulster after twelve years in America and finds his childhood surroundings unexpectedly powerful. Other pieces range through Irish settings and imaginative excursions signaled by titles such as 'The Parliament at Thebes' and 'A Quatrain of Ling Tai Fu's.' Byrne's dedication addresses the stories to friends, establishing an intimate storytelling manner that accompanies the volume's varied scenes and voices.
- Identity and judgment
- Homecoming and memory
- Friendship and storytelling
Why read it
The contrast between the courtroom opening and the emigrant's homecoming shows the collection's range without losing its concern for personal identity.
English text of the 1923 Century collection of thirteen stories
Contents and reading sections
- Section 1
- Section 2
- Section 3
- Section 4
- Section 5
- Section 6
- Section 7
- Section 8
- Section 9
- Section 10
- Section 11
- Section 12
- Section 13
- Section 14
- Section 15
- Section 16
- Section 17
- Section 18
- Section 19
- Section 20
- Section 21
- Section 22
- Section 23
- Section 24
- Section 25
- Section 26
- Section 27
- Section 28
- Section 29
- Section 30
- Section 31
- Section 32
- Section 33
- Section 34
- Section 35
- Section 36
- Section 37
- Section 38
- Section 39
- Section 40
- Section 41
- Section 42
- Section 43
- Section 44