Mrs. Ballinger is one of the ladies who pursue Culture in bands, as though it were dangerous to meet alone. To this end she had founded the Lunch Club, an association composed of herself and several other indomitable huntresses of erudition.

(cf. Wharton, Edith. Xingu.)

I continue to balance out my reading of Noir, Hardboiled, and Western stories with Edith Wharton short stories. These include stories from collections in the Public Domain that I have downloaded to my Kindle from Gutenberg.

As I have said here before, I have struggled to finish any of Wharton’s long novels, but greatly appreciate her short stories. They display what makes her a great writer without taxing my stamina.

“Xingu” is a satirical short story that revolves around a group of pseudo-intellectual women in the “Lunch Club.” These women, dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, invite renowned novelist Osric Dane to their next meeting to discuss Dane’s latest novel, “The Wings of Death.”

When the haughty writer, Dane, arrives and meets her equally haughty hosts, the humor begins in earnest. To say much more would be to spoil the story.

“Xingu” by Edith Wharton is one of the most humorous short stories I have read in a long time. I highly recommend it.