The Puzzle-headed Girl: Four Novellas is the ninth book by Australian author, Christina Stead. This edition is published under the Text Classics banner and sports a gorgeous colourful Picasso-esque cover by the talented W H Chong, as well as an introduction by author Fiona Wright. It was first published in 1967. The novellas are thematically linked.

The Puzzleheaded Girl: Honor Lawrence applies for a job at the Farmers’ United Corporation, and Augustus Debrett employs her as a filing clerk. She is obviously poor, but refuses promotion to better pay, stating “I hate and despise business and anything to do with making money….It is the enemy of art”. Eventually, this enigmatic girl leaves his employ, only to reappear at irregular intervals in his life (or does she?). The story spans many years and several countries.

The Dianas: Lydia is living in a hotel Paris, supposedly looking for a French husband, with several potential relationships on the go. Her friends and family are described in potted histories and anecdotes. Lydia comes across as silly, shallow, selfish and thoroughly unlikeable. She illustrates just how nasty she can be when taking apparent revenge on one of the mother’s admirers.

The Rightangled Creek: Writer Laban Davies and his wife Ruth have forsaken city life for a poor country Pennsylvania existence, where Laban can work without the distracting influence of drink and drinking friends. They raise and educate their son Frankie to succeed. Sam Parsons comes to visit and eventually, he and his nature-loving wife, Clare take over the let of the farmhouse. From the agent Sam hears the intriguing story of the owner’s daughter, and tragedies that have befallen other residents.

Girl from the Beach: International journalist George (Pyotr) complains to his friends, Martin and Louisa Dean, about his troubles with ex-wives and the girl he wants to marry. Months later, in Paris, the Deans encounter Linda Hill, the daughter of their friend Arthur, who is meant to be at the Sorbonne, but instead is stealing hotel cutlery and towels; George too, is there, and falls for Linda. Do these two bizarre characters deserve each other?

Stead effortlessly captures the feel of the era she is describing, with spare and beautiful prose, but her some of main characters are difficult to relate to, each of them being a misfit, sometimes naïve, sometimes sly, often irritating. These stories may resonate with readers of a certain era. A collection of modern classic fiction from an award-winning Australian author.