The Penguin Book of Gay Short Stories (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this provocative, wonderfully varied anthology, a formidable array of talents--gay and straight, men and women--investigate the experience of love between men, the individualistic complexity of gay male identity and gay men's relationships with lovers, friends and family. Highlights include Graham Greene's story about a newly wed but secretly gay man on a Mediterranean honeymoon with his wife, William Trevor's tale of hypocrisy at an English boys' school and works by Larry Kramer, Edmund White, Christopher Coe, Allan Gurganus, Ann Beattie, Edna O'Brien, D. H. Lawrence, Noel Coward, Sherwood Anderson and E. M. Forster. A third of the 39 selections appear here for the first time, alongside familiar pieces such as J. R. Ackerley's unsparingly candid account of his sex life and John Cheever's portrayal of love in prison from the novel Falconer . Several pieces may startle or provoke, such as Stephen Greco's raw, defiant dream-memory of the gay scene before AIDS; A. M. Holmes's graphically explicit romp involving two schoolmates in a bathtub; and James Kirkup's story of an American college teacher in Japan who goes to bed with one of his students. The tragedy of AIDS and its emotional and social impact are movingly depicted in stories by Peter Wells, Michael Cunningham, co-editor Leavitt and, one of its victims, the late Allen Barnett.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

One would be hard put to assemble a collection of fiction to more dreary effect than this anthology of the gay male experience. That is surprising, however, because the editors allow themselves wide parameters for selection, including short stories as well as excerpts from novels and memoirs, by authors male and female, gay as well as straight. The 39 pieces, all from the 20th century, include classics like Christopher Isherwood's "Sally Bowles," an excerpt from John Cheever's Falconer , as well as short stories from contemporaries Ann Beattie, Allan Gurganus, and Edna O'Brien. The problem is not any single work but the cumulative result. Too many of the tales sound the same elegiac note; nearly each is a story of loss, regret, and often bitterness. Humor rarely makes an appearance, and camp is carefully avoided. Despite its inclusiveness, this book serves up a narrow selection of gay short stories. A far better choice--livelier, more diverse--is The Faber Book of Gay Short Fiction ( LJ 11/1/91).
- Brian Kenney, Brooklyn P.L.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014024249X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140242492
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #385,202 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 39 Inteligent pieces of litrature - source of pride!, January 7, 1998

By A Customer

The anthology is an excellent book. The stories were not written exclusively by gay authors, and surprises are waiting for the readers (e.g. Noel Coward's beautiful story). The 39 stories are offered by well-known authors (e.g. Forster, Isherwood), known young authors (Leavitt, Kramer) and by those less known. In so introducing new and promising authors to the readers, Leavitt and Mitchell prove yet again that the distinguished house of Penguin made the right choice in selecting them as editors. RUN TO BUY!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice anthology, August 31, 2005

By	Rock Montgomery - See all my reviews

This anthology offers a cornucopia of gay writers--some notorious and others undiscovered. We are offered different perspectives on the gay experience, and the stories transgress not only time periods, but age groups as well. The writers are gifted in their writing techniques, creating characters that are identifiable yet anomalous. I would recommend this anthology for those who are new to gay literature.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource!, July 1, 2001

By	toothygrin "toothygrin" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent collection of gay short fiction, many from the pre-Stonewall period of obscurity. With the current explosion of GLTB literature, a sequel is in order:)