simtara's review
3.0
Very mixed collection of stories. Did not fall in love with any of them, though I did learn a lot about various writing styles.
babettevdw's review against another edition
4.0
An anthology filled with a great variation of short stories. I had to purchase and read this book for my writing semester and I enjoyed flipping through it a lot. The stories jump from themes, none of them are the same and that also makes this anthology an incredibly good deal.
I really enjoyed reading Silver Water by Amy Bloom, Tiny, Smiling Daddy by Mary Gaitskill, Territory by David Leavitt, The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas by Reginald McKnight, The Secret Goldfish by David Means and Female Trouble by Antonya Nelson.
I definitely think this anthology has something for every reader, you probably won't like every single story but you'll find little nuggets that will stick with you for a long time.
I really enjoyed reading Silver Water by Amy Bloom, Tiny, Smiling Daddy by Mary Gaitskill, Territory by David Leavitt, The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas by Reginald McKnight, The Secret Goldfish by David Means and Female Trouble by Antonya Nelson.
I definitely think this anthology has something for every reader, you probably won't like every single story but you'll find little nuggets that will stick with you for a long time.
mraible18's review against another edition
5.0
This was my anthology for my Fiction Writing class and the collection of authors was amazing!
meganmilks's review against another edition
i'm considering using this for my intro to fiction writing class -- has anyone had a go?
astrowags's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
arcuysnn's review against another edition
3.0
I read most of the stories in here. Many are not exactly my thing, but I appreciate the effort to collect stories that often left me thinking, rather than ones that were just there because they exemplify an element of craft used well. Also, I thought that having a wider array of genre stories (not just weird/paranormal urban fantasy) would make the collection better.
Some favorites: Sea Oak, Stone Animals, Orientation
Some favorites: Sea Oak, Stone Animals, Orientation
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
5.0
Need I write anything at all? Simply look at the authors collected here - the variety and quality is astounding. Tbe best of what the English language had to offer in literary short fiction from 1970 to 1999.
Are all the stories life-changing works of art that will stay with you forever?
No, but I guarantee that there is no better anthology out there coming close to this one - there is truly something for everyone here and undoubted proof of the power of the short story.
Are all the stories life-changing works of art that will stay with you forever?
No, but I guarantee that there is no better anthology out there coming close to this one - there is truly something for everyone here and undoubted proof of the power of the short story.
maevecorr1104's review against another edition
read this for a class so I wasn't gonna mark this on here but it's almost 700 pages and I read the whole thing so I'm gonna give this to myself
lydiam's review against another edition
5.0
A good book of short stories showing a myriad of literary techniques. Some are better than others of course.