The Luft Bad by Katherine Mansfield

Set in a German bathhouse, the story follows a group of women—some proper, some eccentric—as they interact in a space that blurs the boundaries between public and private. Through overheard conversations and casual gestures, the narrator captures the strangeness of communal life. The plot is slight but richly observational, revealing tensions between class, vanity, and cultural difference. Mansfield’s wit and detail create a vivid, immersive atmosphere. It’s a subtle, satirical glimpse into early 20th-century leisure culture.