Customer Reviews

American Short Story Masterpieces

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps I am biased by nostalgia since this was the text used way back in my high school creative writing class, but this sublime anthology is pound for pound the best collection of short fiction around. There are other excellent collections -- Scribner's Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction comes to mind -- but ASS masterpieces (as we called it back then) has a splendid mix of short story classics in addition to an absurd number of gems. On the all-time classic side, there is "Sonny's Blues," "Rock Springs," "Where are you Going, Where Have you Been?", "A Good Man is Hard to Find," "The Conversion of the Jews," and "The Liar" just to name a few. It's already a terrific list; how many other collections have all these under one roof? But then there are a whole host of lesser-known stories that push this sucker over the top. "1/3, 1/3, 1/3," "A Poetics for Bullies," "The Ledge," "The Heavenly Animal" ... all first-rate stories. And it's only $8.00! Forget Best American Short Stories of the Century. Forget the Norton Anthology. If you can only have one fiction anthology on your shelf, this should be the one.

There are so many short story collections, many of which contain some of the same selections represented here. What sets this small paperback volume apart is that it is truly portable and can be carried in a jacket pocket when traveling or commuting. It has remarkable stories by a wide selection of American writers. My favorite is Flannery O'Conner's A Good Man Is Hard To FInd but there are many more. This is a risk free purchase if ever there was one. Eight bucks for some of the best samples of short fiction ever written.

I read "Midair" standing up in the bookstore. This book contains some true classics in short story writing.

This book contains a collections of good stories that are well-written without having to sink to common language and unnessary vulgarity. Good contemporary storytelling should be modeled after the tone and flavor of these gifted writers. Within the relatively few pages of each story, you are drawn into a compelling narrative through the artful handling of language, locale, and the perception of humanity's many foibles. The gift of so many good storytellers is their ability to buttress a compelling narrative with the expeditious and selective use of words without compromising its visceral literay style. It is a delightful way to enjoy a slice of time in lieu of the totalitarian despot & intellectual drain, which is television.

A nice little collection to read on the patio on a Saturday while soaking up the sun.

A couple of duds but far more gems make this anthology worth humting down! The collection includes a broad range of riding, and in doing so provides a comprehensive overview of the modern American short story. Would that it might have been entitled, "Short Story Masterpieces," instead of "American Short Story Masterpieces," the few missing giants of the genre might also have been included. But quibbles aside, this collection is a real treat!

I just love the stories in this collection. It has some of my favorite short stories of all time, including Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"

This book will boggle your mind. The words used to describe the situations in the short stories. There are more that many excellent stories in this book. I find it more enjoyable that a single novel. Advanced school programs use this as a learning experience. It is a 4 star book.

The item was just what I ordered. And it came in reasonable time. I'm am happy with this purchase.