Affinities, and Other Stories

"Affinities, and Other Stories" by Mary Roberts Rinehart is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The opening story, titled "Affinities," introduces a group of friends discussing the complexities of marriage and friendships with the opposite sex while engaging in a seemingly light-hearted affair. The main character, Fanny, finds herself embroiled in the dynamics of a unique picnic that may challenge the boundaries of her marriage and social reputation. The beginning of "Affinities" sets the stage for a social gathering at a country club where Fanny and her friends entertain the idea of having romantic encounters outside their marriages. The story quickly evolves from casual banter to the planning of a risky moonlit picnic with other couples, where old friendships and new affections intertwine. The interactions reveal a mix of humor, tension, and underlying complexities as Fanny navigates her feelings toward her husband, Day, and her friend, Ferd, ultimately leading the reader into an exploration of fidelity and desire. This opening effectively hooks readers into the mix of romance and social commentary that will likely pervade the collection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Roberts Rinehart was an American writer, often called the American Agatha Christie. Rinehart published her first mystery novel The Circular Staircase in 1908, which introduced the "had I but known" narrative style. Rinehart is also considered the earliest known source of the phrase "the butler did it", in her novel The Door (1930), although the exact phrase does not appear in her work and the plot device had been used prior to that time. She also worked to tell the stories and experiences of front line soldiers during World War I, one of the first women to travel to the Belgian front lines.