was Byatt’s third collection of short stories to be published. It followed

(1987), the

(1993), the

(1994), and preceded the

which appeared in 2003.

Elementals contains six short stories and mixes the fantastic with the realistic in one volume, sometimes in the same story. “Crocodile Tears” starts the volume and features an apparently ordinary middle aged couple, Patricia and Tony Nimmo, who spend their weekends in art galleries. On the occasion recounted they have an unnecessary and unimportant argument over an installation, which inadvertently leads to Tony having a heart attack. Patricia, whose initial irritation had led her to abandon her husband in

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Citation: Miller, Emma Victoria. "Elementals: Stories of Fire and Ice". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 January 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=5393, accessed 25 November 2024.]