"The Train Now Departing" is the stronger (and longer) of the two; both the woman and her companion, a travel writer, are richly imagined and imbued with puzzling traits which humanizes them. While I cannot conceive of how the woman and the travel writer would have met and why they have established such an obviously painful routine, their exchanges illuminate the novella with touching realism. The contrast between the meals the two main characters share and the meals the protagonist consumes alone is a brilliant device that lends emotional force to the ending.
"When the Mousetrap Closes" is much more lively than the first novella, and the protagonist Edith's interest in Archie Marchbanks, a famous actor, is much more believable. However, the end of the novella suffers from gimmickry, cheapening everything that precedes it. I wished that Grimes had left the ends of the story unraveled rather than tying them up as she did. Despite this flaw, this novella has an almost irresistible charm.
These novellas are quiet and studied, with the emphasis on the inner lives of their protagonists. Readers who expect Grimes's genre fiction will be disappointed, but fans eager to explore another side of this author will be impressed by her range. I recommend this book only to those who understand - and embrace - the kind of departure Grimes has made.
