A sense of life's disappointments is everywhere felt in [the Collected Stories of Jean Stafford], which often have autobiographical overtones.

Although they suffer kindred sorrows, Stafford's people do not excessively resemble either her or each other because every story, plotted with mischievous skill, differs in vivid details.

Stafford inflicts multiple indignities on characters she cherishes, and refuses sympathy to its most likely recipients…. But if the old, the infirm, the "helpless," are often as not the victimizers, Stafford is not wholly unforgiving. When the octogenarian remarks that "most people are dead by now," it is clear that the author pities her. And many of the best stories—"Bad Characters," "Caveat Emptor"—are quite high-spirited. It is fortunate to have these stories … available, for Stafford's wit, craftsmanship, and humanity are reminders of the worlds that this genre can create.

Phoebe-Lou Adams, "Life & Letters: 'Collected Stories of Jean Stafford'," in...