• IntroductionFrank Sargeson (1903-1982): “Gold and Quick Silver in the Hollows”Maurice Duggan (1922-1974): “Exegesis to His Cryptic Utterance”Janet Frame (1924-2004) “You Don’t Really Believe in Categories Like That, Do You?”Patricia Grace (1937-): “It’s High and Holy Work”Owen Marshall (1941-): “There’s No Distinction Between Fact and Fiction in the Land of Living Death”ConclusionBibliographyIndex

”Written with flair and clarity, Joel Gwynne’s book makes an important contribution to scholarship on the New Zealand short story by revealing the limitations of the polarised critical categories that have been used in the past. It constitutes the most substantial extended consideration to date of New Zealand short fiction, and, by offering fresh and nuanced readings of the stories of five major writers, should prove an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike.” - Alistair Fox, Professor of English, University of Otago