Anyone here read short stories(fiction)??

[aliceinwonderland]

Do you have any collection/author/anthology you recommend? I'm almost done with Bel Canto, and am avoiding reading some non-fiction I really should be reading, so help me out :)

The last short stories I read was that little book (her debut, I think) by Jhumpa Lahiri. I liked it ok.

thanks so much in advance:)

e.

[jbowman]

I read it a long time ago, but I LOVED "Come to Me" by Amy Bloom.

ETA: LOL, I answered too quickly. "Use Me" by Elissa Schappell is also excellent (she writes the Hot Type for Vanity Fair and used to be with Spy Magazine--I believe). It is composed of 10 different stories that suggest a novel, but they are all independent.

And I saw the movie "Personal Velocity" last night--it was written and directed by Rebecca Miller (daughter of Arthur) and based on her short stories of the same name. The movie was quite good, so I imagine the stories would be good as well.

[murpheyblue]

There are, of course, the classics:
The Dubliners - James Joyce
Nine Stories - J.D. Salinger
Many collections by Hemingway

I also liked The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson.

Have you read Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman? It's probably not technically considered short stories but each chapter is like an independent tale. They are Einstein's dreams in the year before he discovers the theory of relativity. Trust me, better than it sounds.

[alkagift]

Eudora Welty wrote some of the most beautiful, complex and challenging short stories ever. "Thirteen Stories" is available in paperback. Some are funny, some are mystical, some are hard to read. I love Eudora.

"Trust Me" by John Updike is a nice collection as well. I don't like his novels much (depressing, to my mind) but these little tastes in short form are great.

Allison
Mommy to Matthew Clayton, who is TWO!

[Marisa6826]

Laurie Notaro's books are short story chapters. They're hysterical!

If you want something a little more serious, I loved "Accordian Crimes" by Annie Proulx. It's the story of an accordian as it goes through all different hands and owners. She also wrote "The Shipping News".

"Around the House and in the Garden" by Dominique Browning (editor of House and Garden) is beautifully written. It's not really fiction, but a nice read nonetheless.

Her writing takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of the cadence, it's really beautiful.

-m

[MelissaTC]

Have you ever read any of Flannery O'Connor's stories? She was an unbelievable writer. Her stories are very descriptive, sad, humorous, andinsightful. O'Connors writing is honest, sometimes brutally so. But wow! She has a way with words. She always seems to be overlooked so I thought I would throw her name out there...

[Mommy_Again]

Jeffrey Archer is the absolute best short story writer (and novels, too). He is so clever and tricky. I know he has several collections of short stories, the one I can remember off the top of my head is "One Red Herring." I highly recommend his novel "The Prodigal Daughter"

[wilelm]

I love David Sedaris, he's very clever and ironic, which I love. He writes stuff that will make you laugh out loud, though it may be a subject you never thought you'd laugh out loud about. I'm currently reading "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" by him, and have also read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and "Naked," both of which I really liked. He's also a contributor to Public Radio International's This American Life.

Sheila
Mother of Miriam, 03/10/03 and
Gabriel, 12/30/04

[alkagift]

And if you have extra time in the car and you want to snort hot latte on your way to work from laughing, "Me talk Pretty One Day" on CD is to die for.


Allison
Mommy to Matthew Clayton, who is TWO!

[Raidra]

Andre Dubus is great. He writes a lot about New England, and one of his stories was made into a movie, but I can't for the life of me remember which. :)

[cilantromapuche]

I have a book of short stories by Anton Chekov on my list. I really like his stuff. A great non-fiction (I know it is not what you are looking for) is from NPR's the National Story project "I Thought my Father was God". I loved it and couldn't put it down.

[C99]

Drinking, Smoking and Screwing is a good anthology of short stories by different authors. Guess what the theme is? It's edited by someone w/ the last name Nickles.

I like Paul Theroux's short story collections. He writes about travel, mostly from a diplomat's perspective. I also love Alice Munro's short stories. She has several collections out. I also love F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories. There are a couple of short story collections by Irish authors I like -- they're upstairs right now so I don't have the titles. And for truly mindless reading, there's an anthology of chic-lit stories out called "Girl's Night In."

[Phoebe]

I was just scrolling through here to see if anyone mentioned Flannery O'Connor. Love her stories. I know she has a collection called Three.

Haven't read those in years....

Mary
DD 4/01
DS 6/03

[bostonsmama]

I'm only familiar with classic short story fiction.

Loved Ernest Hemingway's "The Short and Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "Snows of Kilimanjaro"

Edgar A Poe has a great selection, but perhaps a little over-read, fav is "The Oval Portrait"

"Somnambulism" & "Death of Cicero" by Charles Brockden Brown (bit of a thriller) available at http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a1608.pdf

"Gift of the Maji" by O. Henry is a fantastic classic

"The Lottery"....but I couldn't stomach the read (my reading imagination is too visual)

Contemporary: Trudy Lewis's "Limestone Diner"...touches you deeply

That's all for now. Can you tell I was an English major?

[aliceinwonderland]

I looked up the description of several of your suggetsions on Amazon, and now have a long list :):)

Thanks again,

e.

[wilelm]

A novel that will keep your nasal passages clear from beginning to end :) is "Motherless Brooklyn" by Jonathan Lethem. I highly recommend it.

ETA: It's not just funny, it's also very well written, I think.

Sheila
Mother of Miriam, 03/10/03 and
Gabriel, 12/30/04

[aliceinwonderland]

It's the only show DH and I disagree on ( i like it, he doesn't). :)

e.

[anamika]

pak
just also wanted to suggest chitra banerjee divakaruni (since you said you read jhumpa lahiri). also anjana appachana.
happy reading

[aim]

Someone has already mentioned David Sedaris (who is amazing to see live, really funny to listen to on CD, and still amazing when you read the books - Holiday on Ice is one of my favorites) But anyway, he edited a collection of short stories that I am in the middle of reading called "Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules" It is a varied collection but has been an interesting read so far. I like being introduced to new writers and this collections is a great intro to a lot of people

Amy
Bennett 1-14-04

[Zana]

My favorites authors

Roald Dahls adult short stories are awesome (in a not so pleasant way :))

O Henry - for classic short stories

Arthur Conan Doyle - its a great re-read if you have forgotten them