The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford [Paperback]

Jean Stafford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2005

These Pulitzer Prize-winning stories represent the major short works of fiction by one of the most distinctively American stylists of her day. Jean Stafford communicates the small details of loneliness and connection, the search for freedom and the desire to belong, that not only illuminate whole lives but also convey with an elegant economy of words the sense of the place and time in which her protagonists find themselves. This volume also includes the acclaimed story "An Influx of Poets," which has never before appeared in book form.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The appearance of these stories in one volume is an event in our literature. To have built up so distinguished a collection, each story excellent in its own way and each an original departure in relation to the others, is a triumph. " --Guy Davenport, New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Jean Stafford (1915-79) was the author of three novels as well as several children's and nonfiction books. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1970.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Revised edition (August 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374529930
• ISBN-13: 978-0374529932
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Forgotten Genius, November 2, 2006

By 

Kyle P. Wagner (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford (Paperback)

I encountered Stafford's story "In the Zoo" in a collection, and was mesmerized immediately. These are easily some of the best stories I've ever read, and I dare say among the best ever produced by a writer of the United States. (via The New Yorker) Each story is a complete work; almost like a full-length novel. I was surprised I'd never heard of her, but then, not really. So many writers of this generation have gone the way of so many neighborhoods of this time, and so many old houses. Some people know they're there, but the greater population is looking elsewhere. If you care to peek in, you will find a glimpse of who may have inhabited those houses in Jean Staffords writing.

I urge you to get this book and read "In the Zoo", after which you are free to skip around, or start at the beginning, but get the book!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford, May 10, 2009

By 

scott89119 "scott89119" (Whittier, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford (Paperback)

This is a generous, staggering collection that exhibits over and over again the power of the short story when in the hands of a master of the craft. Stafford's emphasis here is on the outsider, the lonely one, and in dozens of stories she portrays them in different guises, forced to face difficult situations with a cold eye on reality. The writing is pitch-perfect for short stories; each character is fleshed out in Stafford's beautifully expressive language, each story is an original departure from the others, and each is tied up with bittersweet, haunting resolution. On a side note, Stafford is a maser of choosing the just-right final sentence, which adds new layers of depth to each story. Each one is enjoyable, with personal highlights for me being "Caveat Emptor," "A Reading Problem," and "Children are Bored on Sundays," the last of which I will be returning to time and time again. While this volume is not as well-known as Katherine Anne Porter or John Cheever's collections, the quality is all the same. A must for those who love to read and/or write short stories.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone, September 20, 2011

By 

Bobby G (Doylestown, PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford (Paperback)

I am reading every Pulitzer Prize winning novel since the award was created so since this was on
the list, I read it. The stories vary from really good to what did I just read. The author has an
outstanding vocabulary and uses it. She is a sophisticated writer and that may put the average reader off
but she is interesting and each story is unique.