Enormous Changes at the Last Minute [Library Binding]

Grace Paley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1439512892 | ISBN-13: 978-1439512890 | Publication Date: July 10, 2008 | Edition: Reprint

In this collection of short stories, originally published in 1974, Grace Paley "makes the novel as a form seem virtually redundant" (Angela Carter, London Review of Books). Her stories here capture "the itch of the city, love between parents and children" and "the cutting edge of combat" (Lis Harris, The New York Times Book Review). In this collection of seventeen stories, she creates a "solid and vital fictional world, cross-referenced and dense with life" (Walter Clemons, Newsweek).

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Grace Paley makes me weep and laugh-and admire. She is that rare kind of writer, a natural, with a voice like no one else's: funny, sad, lean, modest, energetic, acute."—Susan Sontag

"Grace Paley is a wonderful writer and troublemaker. We are fortunate to have her in our country."—Donald Barthelme

"I can't think of another writer who captures the itch of the city, love between parents and children, or the cutting edge of combat, as well."—Lis Harris, The New York Times Book Review

"Technically, Grace Paley's work makes the novel as a form seem virtually redundant. Each one of her stories has more abundant inner life than most other people's novels . . . Her prose presents a series of miracles of poetic compression."—Angela Carter, London Review of Books

"A solid and vital fictional world, cross-referenced and dense with life."—Walter Clemons, Newsweek

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Grace Paley remains one of America's most revered short story writers. Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1922, Paley established a reputation as a bard of Jewish New York with highly acclaimed collections like "The Little Disturbances of Man" (1959), "Enormous Changes at the Last Minute" (1974), and "Later the Same Day" (1985). Her most recent work, "The Collected Stories," was published in 1994 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439512892
• ISBN-13: 978-1439512890
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,071,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary, March 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Enormous Changes at the Last Minute: Stories (Paperback)

This is one of the best books of American short stories, period. Whether you sympathize with Paley's politics or social concerns, it's irrelevant. Her stories beautifully capture the minutiae of everyday life and expose it for it's life-changing import. A simple sentence of Paley's can say as much as another author's entire novel. If you're at all interested in the short-story form or good writing in general, don't pass this book up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read, laugh, cry, rush onward, June 27, 2009

By 

T. Harris "http://talkaboutquality.wordpress.com" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enormous Changes at the Last Minute: Stories (Paperback)

Good writing is a book that you just can't put down. Crazy fantastic writing is a book that you close, bookmark in place, because you want to save more for later. And meanwhile go out and tell a friend, who asks the obvious question: why wasn't Paley much more well-known?

Not every one of these short stories is great, but all explode with amazingly evocative lines. Conversations sizzle, metaphors shimmer. Characters are immediately realistic, and whole. No, actually, many are broken, but that's what real people are like. Read, laugh, cry, rush onward.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful book, August 27, 2007

By 

molly (san francisco, california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enormous Changes at the Last Minute: Stories (Paperback)

Grace Paley is one of my favorite writers in the world, and this is my favorite of all her books. Every story here is funny and original and gorgeously written. She's one of the wisest and most generous writers I've ever read, and I'd recommend this book to anyone.