Penguin Books, 160 pages, paperback, $14.00

Remembering Laughter, originally published in 1937, is Wallace Stegner’s debut: a short, compact, novella that, while lacking in surprises or unexpected twists, compels the reader to read on, just to see how it will play out.

Odd that I read this just after finishing A Streetcar Named Desire, another tale about the tensions that arise when a younger sister moves in with her older sister and brother-in-law — only this story plays out far differently.

A critique of the story I’ve seen is that it “tells” a lot, rather than “showing,” and it is true — at times (especially later in the story), many years are covered in surprisingly few words. But it is reminiscent of Jim Harrison‘s novellas, and it works. Sometimes, a quick, well-told story is just what you need. To focus on the minutia of the lives of the Elspeth, Margaret, and Alec would be dull. Stegner develops their characters as much as is needed, and it makes for a memorable, tragic tale.