"The Face and the Mask" is a short story collection by Canadian-Scottish novelist Robert Barr. Through a succession of engaging vignettes, the book provides a riveting view into late-nineteenth-century society and human nature. Barr's ability of narrative shines through as he delves into the dualities of human character and the masks humans wear in various social contexts. Each narrative explores the complexity of identity and the disparity between one's public character and their inner aspirations, secrets, and intentions. Barr deftly exposes people's public personas while revealing the underlying truths that lurk beneath. From Scotland to America, and from artists to journalists, the collection offers a complex tapestry of human experiences and difficulties. Barr digs into subjects like love, ambition, duplicity, and social expectations with wit and great insight. "The Face and the Mask" is an engrossing examination of human psychology and the complex interplay between appearance and truth. Barr's timeless stories continue to captivate readers, providing significant insights into the complexity of human nature and the masks we all wear on a daily basis.
Robert Barr (September 16, 1849 – October 21, 1912) was a Scottish-Canadian novelist and short story writer who also worked as a newspaper and magazine editor. Barr was born to Robert Barr and Jane Watson in Glasgow, Scotland. He moved to Upper Canada with his parents in 1854. His family eventually settled on a farm near Muirkirk. Barr served his father as a carpenter and builder, taught in Kent County, and then enrolled in the Toronto Normal School in 1873. Following graduation, he taught in Walkerville before becoming principal of the Central School in Windsor in 1874. During the 1870s, he wrote for a variety of newspapers, notably the Toronto Grip, under the pen name "Luke Sharp," which he derived from an undertaker's sign. After the Detroit Free Press printed his story of a boating expedition on Lake Erie, he changed careers and became a reporter and columnist there in 1876. He was followed to the newspaper by two of his brothers. Barr chose to "vamoose the ranch" in 1881, when he was exchange editor of the Free Press, and traveled to London to resume his fiction writing career while developing a weekly English edition of the newspaper. The magazine was a huge success.
