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A review by paulataua
The Doll's House by Katherine Mansfield
5.0
I thought I’d review this, partly because it is a story that rarely gets on people’s favorite Katherine Mansfield short story lists, and partly because it was the first of her stories I ever read, and the one that led me to her genius. It is one that I read often and am surprised how something new surfaces on each reading.
It was so easy for me, on my first read, to focus on the actions of the children and miss the importance of the doll’s house itself, and how it is not allowed in the house (like others including Aunt Beryl’s secret boyfriend) and yet when the doll’s house is opened, it allows the amazed children to see every room at the same time. Equally, my first read focused on the marginalization of the poor and how the Burnell and other children are really voicing the prejudice of their mothers. In subsequent reads, I have become aware of how the Kelsey children mirror their mother’s actions, and how much is to be gained by considering each set of children in relation to their own siblings. It is an amazing read, and that I will return to time after time. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
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It was so easy for me, on my first read, to focus on the actions of the children and miss the importance of the doll’s house itself, and how it is not allowed in the house (like others including Aunt Beryl’s secret boyfriend) and yet when the doll’s house is opened, it allows the amazed children to see every room at the same time. Equally, my first read focused on the marginalization of the poor and how the Burnell and other children are really voicing the prejudice of their mothers. In subsequent reads, I have become aware of how the Kelsey children mirror their mother’s actions, and how much is to be gained by considering each set of children in relation to their own siblings. It is an amazing read, and that I will return to time after time. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.