The Oxford Book of American Short Stories - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195070658 ISBN 13: 9780195070651

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1992

Synopsis

The history of the American short story provides a faithful record of the nation's literary and cultural development from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Every important author of American fiction has worked in the short story, so that it has some claim to be called an American art form.

Combining classic favourites with many unexpected gems, this superb collection of fifty-six short stories celebrates the richness and diversity of the American literary imagination from Nathaniel Hawthorne to John Updike.

In addition to many rarely anthologized tales, this sweeping survey of over 170 years of American short fiction includes numerous important works by women and minority writers. Joyce Carol Oates provides fascinating notes on each writer, blending biographical information with her own trenchant observations on their work, as well as a perceptive Introduction in which she offers the fruit of many years of reflection on a genre of which she herself is a master.

About this title

Review:

`To a short story lover it is hard to think of a book that could give more pleasure.'Scotland on Sunday

`This is a splendid volume of short stories which reflect the wealth of brilliance built up over the years by a wide ranging field of American writers. Joyce Carol Oates has done an outstanding job in making this selection ... She does not always go for the well known stories but delights us with some that have remained somewhat obscure.'Yorkshire Gazette & Herald

'consistently good collection ... Joyce Carol Oates, has put together a powerful anthology spanning 173 years'Martyn Bedford, The Oxford Times

'A pleasant surprise awaits. About half are entirely readable and some are very affecting.'Carla McKay, The Daily Mail

'instead of settling for widely anthologised work, she has chosen rarer pieces that she feels are more representative of their authors ... They form a broad spectrum of idiosyncratic voices that together reflect 56 different perspectives of the American experience.'Christie Hickman, Midweek

'anthologies continue to thrive and this is an excellent example, chosen by one of the leading living practitioners'Observer

'this is a meaty, widespreading anthology and good value at the price'Brian Fallon, Irish Times

Synopsis:

Combining classic favourites with many unexpected gems, this anthology of 56 short stories celebrates the richness and diversity of the American literary imagination, from Hawthorne to Updike.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0195070658
• ISBN 13: 9780195070651
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 786
• Editor: Oates Joyce Carol