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- H. C. (Henry Cuyler) Bunner
- Stories by American Authors (Volume 4)
audiobook
Stories by American Authors (Volume 4)
by H. C. (Henry Cuyler) Bunner, John William De Forest, Mary Hallock Foote, Nathaniel Parker Willis, Constance Fenimore Woolson
Chapters
Description
A confident, well‑to‑do young writer enjoys the glittering social life of Rome, where invitations flow as freely as conversation. He basks in his modest fame, savoring evenings with expatriate friends and the easy rhythm of his artistic routine. One day a mysterious lady leaves a note signed only “Miss Grief,” and the name lingers in his mind like a quiet song. Her repeated, unannounced visits spark a curious mix of irritation and fascination.
As the days pass, Miss Grief appears at odd hours, always alone, always without explanation. The narrator begins to wonder whether she is a clever merchant of curiosities, an eccentric stranger drawn to his taste for oddities, or something altogether more enigmatic. His thoughts turn into elaborate theories, each more elaborate than the last, as he watches the thin line between polite society and the unsettling unknown.
Details
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (246K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2007-08-25
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
About the authors
H. C. (Henry Cuyler) Bunner
1855–1896
A sharp, witty voice from late 19th-century New York, this poet, journalist, and storyteller helped shape the tone of the humor magazine Puck. His work moves easily between light verse, satire, and warm, observant sketches of city life.
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John William De Forest
1826–1906
A sharp-eyed chronicler of the Civil War and its aftermath, he helped push American fiction toward a more realistic, unsentimental style. His best-known novel, Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty, is often remembered for bringing the war onto the page with unusual immediacy.
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Mary Hallock Foote
1847–1938
Known for bringing the American West to life, this 19th-century writer and illustrator turned mining camps, frontier households, and everyday struggles into vivid fiction. Her work blends careful observation with a warm, human sense of place.
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Nathaniel Parker Willis
1806–1867
A bestselling man of letters in 19th-century America, he helped shape the era’s magazine culture as both a poet and an editor. His work mixed travel writing, society sketches, and verse, making him one of the most recognizable literary figures of his day.
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Constance Fenimore Woolson
1840–1894
An American novelist and short-story writer with a keen eye for place and character, she wrote memorable fiction shaped by life in the Great Lakes region, the post–Civil War South, and later Europe. Her work earned respect from major literary figures of her time and is still admired for its intelligence and emotional depth.
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