Clouds and eclipses : the collected short stories / Gore Vidal

Three Stratagems -- The Robin -- A Moment of Green Laural -- The Zenner Trophy -- Erlinda and Mr. Coffin -- Pages from an Abandoned Journal -- The Ladies in the Library -- Clouds and Eclipses.

This volume collects the short fiction of Vidal, including the recently rediscovered story from which the book takes its title. All eight pieces date to the author's early career and, with the exception of the title story, were previously published in 1956. Diverse, engaging, and full of surprising twists and turns, the stories take the general theme of homosexual encounter from various points of view. The writing is crisp; the images, crystal clear and often breathtaking. In "The Zenner Trophy," two young men are expelled from their boarding school when caught in a homosexual act. In "Ladies in the Library," three ladies (or are they Macbeth's three witches?) appear to cause the death of a previous owner of the house in which they are taking tea. In "A Moment of Green Laurel," the protagonist meets his earlier self in the park. The final story, "Clouds and Eclipses," remained unknown because it was based on a true story involving the family of Tennessee Williams. Williams had requested that the story not be published until all the family members involved were deceased. Vidal is best known for his novels and essays, but his short stories are of equal excellence.