Flowering Judas and Other Stories

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Flowering Judas and Other Stories (title of the German edition: Blooming Judas Tree and Other Stories ) is a volume of short stories by the American writer Katherine Anne Porter (1890–1980), which was first published in 1930 .

The first anthology of short stories, which was published in 1930, comprised 6 short stories. In the 1935 edition it was expanded to include 10 stories:

  • Maria Concepcion
  • hacienda
  • The rope
  • Under a tree
  • Let sit
  • The broken mirror
  • Blooming Judas
  • sorcery
  • He
  • Theft

In 1964 the anthology finally had 12 stories. With him, the author created a reputation for being one of the best stylists in American literature of the 20th century.

content

Maria Concepcion . The young Mexican Indian Maria Concepcion married the reckless Juan Villegas. Since she is very attached to him, she even got married in church and not outside, as was cheaper and generally accepted. She is a down to earth and hardworking woman. But her husband leaves her because of the even younger Maria Rosa, with whom he goes to the soldiers. Maria Concepcion, who was pregnant, loses her child. After a year, when the two have had enough of the war, they return to their village, where Maria Concepcion has now bravely carried on with her life. At the intercession of an American archaeologist, for whom Juan Villegas had previously worked, he is not condemned as a deserter, but can return to his old position. He returns to Maria Concepcion's house as if nothing had happened. But when Maria Rosa gives birth to a boy from Juan, Maria Concepcion stabs her to death. She is immediately suspected, but all the villagers protect her and give the police false information. Maria Concepcion now accepts her husband's child as her own and finds her calm again, which she had lost because of her rival.

Grandma Weatherall, who was left sitting . In this story the last hours of an old woman are portrayed. She lies in bed, perceiving her surroundings less and less and in an inner monologue remembers an event from her youth when she was left sitting by a man. At the end of the often humorous description is the death of the old woman.

Blooming Judas tree . The American Laura teaches children in Mexico and is naively and idealistically enthusiastic about the left-wing revolutionary movement. Since she does not suspect anyone, she can freely exchange messages between the revolutionaries. There she met the leading revolutionary Braggioni, who fascinated her but also repelled her. He strives for power, uses dirty means to achieve his goals and is fatally similar to those he fights. Reluctantly, Laura realizes that only men like Braggioni can manage to act effectively. Disturbed and out of pity for the revolutionary Eugenio, who was abandoned by Braggioni, she smuggles pills into prison for him. Eugenio thereby commits suicide. In the end, Laura has a dream in which she accuses her Christian conscience as a traitor to the good cause. The dead Eugenio appears to her and calls her murderess. He hands her the blood-red flowers of the Judas tree, which she devours greedily and thus quenches her hunger and thirst.

expenditure

  • Flowering Judas . New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1930
  • Flowering Judas and other stories . New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1935
  • Flowering Judas and other stories . New York: The Modern Library, 1940
  • Flowering Judas and other stories . New York: The Modern Library, 1953
  • Collected stories . London 1964
  • Flowering Judas and other stories . San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990
  • Flowering Judas . New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1993

Translations

  • Under hot skies . Bad Wörishofen: Kindler and Schiemeyer, 1951 (translation: Hansi Bochow-Blüthgen )
  • Blooming Judas tree. Zurich: Diogenes, 1964 (translation: Joachim Uhlmann )
  • Blooming Judas Tree and other stories . Paperback edition. Reinbek: Rowohlt, 1966 (translation: Joachim Uhlmann)
  • Judas flowers and other stories . Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta, 1984 (translation: Helga Huisgen)

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