A review by seebrandyread
The Best American Short Stories 2005 by Katrina Kenison, Michael Chabon
3.0
I don't think I've read anything by Michael Chabon other than a short story or two, probably from BASS. I appreciated his brief intro about how he ultimately chose stories for their entertainment value. There have always been arguments about what's literary and what isn't and whether books that are pushed outside that prejudice-filled gate are worth our time. Chabon expresses his own feelings and definition of entertainment that sets a more noticeable tone than the editors who choose more theoretical routes.
I was absolutely entertained by this collection. A couple stories made me laugh like "Hart & Boot" by Tim Pratt. Many gave me a lump in my throat from sorrow or pity like "Old Boys, Old Girls" by Edward P. Jones and "The First Four Measures" by Nathaniel Bellows. There were even some action stories (one in the digital world of video games, the other in a warzone) by Cory Doctorow ("Anda's Game") and Tom Bissell ("Death Defier").
Maybe I link entertainment closely to emotion which would make sense, but there are certainly stories that lean more towards the subtle and moody rather than plot-driven. There are still stories here that continue to stand the test of time such as David Bezmozgis's "Natasha" and Kelly Link's "Stone Animals," two stories I have seen anthologized in other books.
I sometimes judge these collections based on how many stories I don't remember much about, and I think there's only one here that didn't stick at all, and I knew it wouldn't stick even as I read it. It's funny, because I was entertained by some of these stories by how outside my world and experience they were, and I was entertained by other by how recognizable they were. I imagine that the best literature is able to do both.
Occasionally an editor will choose their own order for the stories though most go by author's last name alphabetically. Chabon chose an order, but I honestly couldn't figure it out. Maybe he mentioned it in the intro and I missed it? This edition also scores pretty low on diversity. I think there are only two writers of color in the collection. Many stories deal with race and gender, but most of them are from the perspectives of white men.
I was absolutely entertained by this collection. A couple stories made me laugh like "Hart & Boot" by Tim Pratt. Many gave me a lump in my throat from sorrow or pity like "Old Boys, Old Girls" by Edward P. Jones and "The First Four Measures" by Nathaniel Bellows. There were even some action stories (one in the digital world of video games, the other in a warzone) by Cory Doctorow ("Anda's Game") and Tom Bissell ("Death Defier").
Maybe I link entertainment closely to emotion which would make sense, but there are certainly stories that lean more towards the subtle and moody rather than plot-driven. There are still stories here that continue to stand the test of time such as David Bezmozgis's "Natasha" and Kelly Link's "Stone Animals," two stories I have seen anthologized in other books.
I sometimes judge these collections based on how many stories I don't remember much about, and I think there's only one here that didn't stick at all, and I knew it wouldn't stick even as I read it. It's funny, because I was entertained by some of these stories by how outside my world and experience they were, and I was entertained by other by how recognizable they were. I imagine that the best literature is able to do both.
Occasionally an editor will choose their own order for the stories though most go by author's last name alphabetically. Chabon chose an order, but I honestly couldn't figure it out. Maybe he mentioned it in the intro and I missed it? This edition also scores pretty low on diversity. I think there are only two writers of color in the collection. Many stories deal with race and gender, but most of them are from the perspectives of white men.