The Longman Anthology of Short Fiction: Stories and Authors in Context (Paperback)

by Dana Gioia (Author), R. S. Gwynn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Longman Anthology of Short Fiction provides a comprehensive survey of the short story encompassing a rich global and historical mix in a way readers find accessible, engaging, and relevant. The selections present a diverse mix of classic, contemporary, and new voices. A unique feature, "Fact into Fiction" presents the factual account that inspired selected authors to write a particular work. For anyone interested in fiction.

From the Back Cover
*JN707, 0-321-08326-1, Gioia, Dana; Gwynn, R.S., The Longman Anthology of Short Fiction: Stories and Authors in Context, Compact Edition*/ The Longman Anthology of Short Fiction provides a comprehensive survey of the short story encompassing a rich global and historical mix in a way readers find accessible, engaging, and relevant. The selections present a diverse mix of classic, contemporary, and new voices. A unique feature, "Fact into Fiction" presents the factual account that inspired selected authors to write a particular work. For anyone interested in fiction.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1952 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 1st edition (December 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801331595
• ISBN-13: 978-0801331596
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.9 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,137,831 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, May 7, 2004

By	Greta Rudolph (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This thick volume contains stories from the last century. Each entry begins with a profile of the author, including his or her major works and a short biography, then has between 1 and 3 short stories. Afterwards, many entries have an essay by the author about the work, or have extensive information about the historical context of the story.
This book strives to be complete, with selections of different styles of writing, various themes, and non-western as well as Western authors. It suceeds in this to a certain extant, but the majority of the stories are written by white American men. However, many other stories are included.
Because of the size of this tome, it may be difficult for the reader to discover the very good stories buried admist the mediocre. Even a dedicated reader might get bogged down in the dozens mediocre stories about rape and lust, never finding the great stories that are also present.