Par Lagerkvist’s “The Marriage Feast” is a short story collection. The stories range from quaint to magical realism to fantasy. I will always hold Lagerkvist in high esteem given the brilliance of his novels, but I found this collection to be somewhat lacking, perhaps boring.

Some of the stories are simple slice-of-life vignettes about the sanctity of marriage and the joy of family. The theme of life-long love is present, as it is in several of Lagerkvist’s novels, such as “The Sybil.” Many of the stories emphasize the importance of simple morality. “The Lift That Went Down to Hell” shows the divine punishment given to people who break their promises, another theme of “The Sybil.” In the short story “The Children’s Campaign,” Lagerkvist appears to lament the empty gains of war, probably a reflection of his feelings on the World Wars. In another story, he defends the dignity of a poor beggar.

Like his novels, the short stories are uncomplicated and easy to read. ( )

Years ago I had read Par Lagerkvist's "The Dwarf" and "Barabbas." A few months ago I had reread both. I enjoyed them so much I looked through my bookcases and found the paperback of "The Marriage Feast," a collection of Par Lagerkvist's short stories. I had read this book long ago and decided to read it again. It's a book of treats. One of the treats is "Love and Death," a story that takes up about a half-page. It is quite dynamic. I'm so glad I returned to this book. ( )