About this title: An anthology of Sedaris' favorite stories, this volume includes the work of some of the most influential and talented short story writers such as Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, Lorrie Moore, and Joyce Carol Oates, as well as the author's explanation of why readers should love them as much as he does.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 2005-03-29
ISBN-13:9780743273947ISBN:074327394X
Description: Good. Clean unmarked pages. Creased cover corner and first few pages. A few light indentations on the back cover. Fast Ship! 100% Guaranteed Purchase! read more
Edition: First Thus
Binding: Trade Paperback/Paper Wraps
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, NY, USA
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780743273947ISBN:074327394X
Description: VG, Owner's Note End Page. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York, NY
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780743273947ISBN:074327394X
Description: Very Good+ 5.5" x 8.375" 344 pp. Pages are very lightly tanned, unmarked inside, binding is very tight. Covers have just a touch of shelf wear. "Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories-some classic, others impending-selected and introduced by David Sedaris. Within these covers a careful reader can discover the truth about loneliness, hope, love betrayal, and certain, but not all, monkeys. Writers include: Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, Richard ... read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 2005-03-29
ISBN-13:9780743273947ISBN:074327394X
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780743273947. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780743273947ISBN:074327394X
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
"This wonderful collection of favorite short fiction chosen by Sedaris is like working one's way through a recommended reading list of short stories, especially helpful for novice short story readers. It's a great mix of styles and eras and authors. After reading this, I now know I want to read more by Joyce Carol Oates, Jincy Willet (never heard of her before), Lorrie Moore (I didn't know she teaches at Wisconsin: look for Wisconsin places in the included story!), Tobias Wolfe and of course, Charles Baxter. I received this as a gift from a writing peer. Thank you, Marjorie."
"This anthology, edited by David Sedaris, contains in a nutshell everything I love and hate about short stories, as well as several fine examples of why I dislike most contemporary fiction. Here are the authors, and what I thought of their stories: Richard Yates: good, depressing Charles Baxter: great Jhumpa Lahiri: good, depressing Katharine Mansfield: great Alice Munro: good Jean Thompson: okay Frank Garson: good Patricia Highsmith: great Jincy Willett: great at first, bad ending Dorothy Parker: great Joyce Carol Oates: great, yet feh Lorrie Moore: well-written, yet feh Flannery O'Connor: great Amy Hempel: fine, but feh Akhil Sharma: good Tim Johnston: good at first, feh ending Tobias Wolff: great
As for the "feh" ranking, why does everything have to be so grim? My usual complaint about modern fiction is that everyone gets raped, or molested, or becomes a junkie. Or nothing happens, just miserable, middle-aged white people and their sad, unfulfilled lives. The Lorrie Moore story, which is supposedly based on the author's own experience, is about an infant with cancer. Why do I want to flagellate myself by reading this? If I want kids dying in my books, I'll read Jude the Obscure (sorry, spoiler). The Joyce Carol Oates story is really good, but it's about an abducted girl.
It must be a fine line, the ability to write about miserable people and their sad lives and have it be really good (Flannery O'Connor) or just depressing (Richard Yates, author of Revolutionary Road, one of the Bibles of white people with problems). I really need to read some more Patricia Highsmith, because she has that Shirley Jackson quality, and that's my kind of short story."
"This book was awesome. David Sedaris is one of my favorite authors and can do no wrong in my eyes. This was actually a quirky compilation of snippets of stories from his favorite authors with a great introduction as to why he chose them and how they helped shape him as an author. I can't wait to search these authors out and read more by them."
"This was a great book, filled with classic short stories chosen by David Sedaris. Most of the short stories involve death, but each story is powerful in its own way. One stood out in my mind by Lorrie Moore entitled, "People like that are the only people here." The story is about a couple's baby, diagnosed with cancer. It was heart-wrenching to read and hard to get through emotionally, but it was a story I've never read before. Another stand-out was the "Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield. The story takes place in a fascinating time period and the characters are illustrated with careful detail.
My problem with short stories is that there's such a build up, then the ending falls flat because it has to be depicted in a few short pages. This is evident in some of the short stories chosen here, but most of the stories in this collection are well written and meaningful."
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