Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories [Hardcover]

Doris Betts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1973

Back in print at last, the nine beautifully crafted tales in Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories display Doris Betts at the top of her form: compassionate, witty, and unforgettable.

"The Ugliest Pilgrim" takes you into the adventures and into the heart of a disfigured young woman who has run away from her life in search of a better one. This award-winning story is the basis for the musical Violet, which won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. In "Hitchhiker," a wary secretary hitches a ride in a boat with a man hell-bent on saving fish; instead he saves her from the river -- and herself. And in the title story, Betts brilliantly captures the inner life of a teacher and writer struggling to control her classroom, her household, and her life.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Robert Tallant The New York Times A master of the short story form.

Clyde Edgerton Doris Betts is the only writer I know of, besides James Agee, who can make me feel as though I am touching what she is describing. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Doris Betts has published eight works of fiction, including Heading West, Souls Raised from the Dead, and The Sharp Teeth of Love. The recipient of numerous awards for her writing, she is Alumni Distinguished Professor of English at the University of North Carolina and lives with her husband on a farm near Chapel Hill. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row; 1st edition (1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060103213
• ISBN-13: 978-0060103217
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,373,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Surprise, October 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories (Paperback)

I bought this book on a whim and it ranks right at the top of my favorite book of short stories. I was so moved by her observations of life, that can be so hard and cruel. I found the characters well formed and incredibly engaging. I have read her novel Heading West and found moments in it very rich, but I prefer her short stories, she can really pack it in to a few short pages. She takes you where ever she wants you to go and you feel and see it through her eyes which are not nesecesarily 20-20.

5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable, thoughtful stories, December 27, 2011

By 

CR - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories (Paperback)

It's fun to read well developed short stories. Doris Betts opens readers to ponderables without being ponderous. She gently coaxes readers to think beyond her words and plots.

2.0 out of 5 stars Dreamlike & I don't mean dreamy, I mean weird!, June 11, 2010

By 

V. Lichac "Virginia Dell" (Unavailable) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories (Paperback)

The cover on this book certainly is indicative of the weirdness of its written contents. At first glance the cover image seemed to be some sort of creepy beast glaring out at its audience. Possibly that was the intent, hence the title? Then it became apparent the subject was a very unfocused woman with wind blowing her hair. For me, this image was somehow disturbing and repelling. Finishing the first story "The Ugliest Pilgrim", I felt less than enchanted, but tried to read the next one. It was so confusing and cryptic, I left it and tried for a third. By this time I was fed up and decided I would not waste my time any further. Betts' writing style may excite some as being oh-so-hip. Personally, though, I found it much too weird, not to mention unfocused (like the book cover), for my tastes. I love to read many kinds of writings, but this author left me more than unsatisfied! Oh well!