First published in 1962, a year after Revolutionary Road, this sublime collection of stories seems even more powerful today. Out of the lives of Manhattan office workers, a cab driver seeking immortality, frustrated would-be novelists, suburban men and their yearning, neglected women, Richard Yates creates a haunting mosaic of the 1950s, the era when the American dream was finally coming true - and just beginning to ring a little hollow.
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More About the Author
Richard Yates was born in 1926 in New York and lived in California. His prize-winning stories began to appear in 1953 and his first novel, Revolutionary Road, was nominated for the National Book Award in 1961. He is the author of eight other works, including the novels A Good School, The Easter Parade, and Disturbing the Peace, and two collections of short stories, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness and Liars in Love. He died in 1992.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Only the Lonely,
By A Customer
This review is from: Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (Paperback)
To put it simply: you must read this book. It is the most depressing, uplifting, poignant, ironic book I've read. That may seem like a contradiction in terms, but if you've read the book you know what I'm talking about.Richard Yates writes about ordinary men, women and children -- "loners" leading solitary existences. A few stories, such as "Doctor Jack-O'-Lantern" and "Jody Rolled the Bones", are filled with bittersweet humor; others, such as "Fun With a Stranger" are downright sad. But don't think Yates is some depressed, manic-depressive writer, because he's not. Rather, his words, his characters strike you in a way you never thought possible, making you want to read them over and over again.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sad Stories Say So Much,
By
This review is from: Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (Paperback)
A collection of short stories each portraying a different kind of loneliness. Yates' writing is nothing short of hyponotic. Every character let me into their little part of the world and showed their rawest and deepest emotion. As a writer, Yates honors his craft and I would suggest an aspiring writer to pick this up and learn from his work. Two of his stories had a profound effect me. The first one is about a young boy who starts at a new school and lies about everything. His situation was unique but reminescent of the feelings many of us had during those turbulent middle school years. The other story was about a guy writing stories for a cabbie. Eventually, the writer recognizes their "friendship" has no real foundation and the cabbie is a friend in name only. This slice from the scence of life is worth the read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eleven Kinds of Loneliness,
This review is from: Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (Paperback)
When you read a lot of books, whether they be good or bad, when something extremely well written comes along it stands out immediately. Whether it be a certain quality of writing, or the ability to connect emotionally, or cutting to the heart of the matter as simply as possible or an amalgamation of these, it is very special when they come along. `Eleven Kinds of Loneliness' is one of these books and by the time I had read the first short story on offer, I was held enthralled until I had reached the end. This has eleven short stories that are mainly based in and around New York and have a slight melancholy feel to them, the delicious kind that makes you feel nostalgic without the depression that can come after. The theme of loneliness, in all it's forms, runs through this book and many stories are immensely poignant. Yates has the ability to draw you in and to help you connect with the characters in the stories until you feel their sadness', triumphs and notice their positive traits and flaws within yourself. This is perfect to dip into when you need that hit of top class literature, but is just as good to sit and read from cover to cover in one sitting. It is American literature at it's best and highly recommended reading.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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