The thirteen stories in Louis Auchincloss's Tales of Manhattan are divided into three groups: "Memories of an Auctioneer," "Arnold & Degener, One Chase Manhattan Plaza," and "The Matrons." All touch in one way or another the world of wealth, power, and social distinction that Auchincloss has made peculiarly his.

The first five stories are told in the first person by Roger Jordan, who works for and is later vice president of "the ancient auction gallery of Philip Hone & Sons, at the corner of Park Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street." One is the tale of a man who spent his fortune on a castle off the coast of Maine; another deals with an eminent professor and a young charlatan; a third portrays a painter who just misses fame. All the stories show how knowledgeable Auchincloss is, and the writing is urbane and often witty. (p. 205)

Each of the stories has a...