Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Mariner Books (2007), Paperback, 448 pages
Description
In his introduction to this volume, Stephen King writes, "Talent does more than come out; it bursts out, again and again, doing exuberant cartwheels while the band plays 'Stars and Stripes Forever' . . . Talent can't help itself; it roars along in fair weather or foul, not sparing the fireworks. It gets emotional. It struts its stuff. In fact, that's its job." Wonderfully eclectic, The Best American Short Stories 2007 collects stories by writers of undeniable talent, both newcomers and favorites. These stories examine the turning points in life when we, as children or parents, lovers or friends or colleagues, must break certain rules in order to remain true to ourselves. In T. C. Boyle's heartbreaking "Balto," a thirteen-year-old girl provides devastating courtroom testimony in her father's trial. Aryn Kyle's charming story "Allegiance" shows a young girl caught between her despairing British mother and motherly American father. In "The Bris," Eileen Pollack brilliantly writes of a son struggling to fulfill his filial obligations, even when they require a breach of morality and religion. Kate Walbert's stunning "Do Something" portrays one mother's impassioned and revolutionary refusal to accept her son's death. And in Richard Russo's graceful "Horseman," an English professor comes to understand that plagiarism reveals more about a student than original work can. New series editor Heidi Pitlor writes, "[Stephen King's] dedication, unflagging hard work, and enthusiasm for excellent writing shone through on nearly a daily basis this past year . . . We agreed, disagreed, and in the end very much concurred on the merit of the twenty stories chosen." The result is a vibrant assortment of stories and voices brimming with attitude, deep wisdom, and rare compassion.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member cefeick
Don't be fooled. This book isn't authored, but edited, by Stephen King. I picked it up on whim at the library, thinking, "Wow, it's been a long time since I read a short story collection."
Some of these stories are great. Others, a little too deep for me. I'd still recommend it if you haven't read
Some of these stories are great. Others, a little too deep for me. I'd still recommend it if you haven't read
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any short fiction lately. It can move you just as much as a novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member sturlington
I have never been a big fan of the short story. I like to immerse myself in a world, really get to know and love the characters of a story, and read a complete narrative–beginning, middle and end. For me, this can only happen satisfactorily in novel form. In fact, I prefer longer novels, and I am
I wanted the collection Best American Short Stories 2007 to add to my Stephen King collection (King was the guest editor). But since it represents the best of contemporary short story writing, I thought I’d challenge myself and see if I could find something to like about the short story in reading it.
A short story is only really long enough to do one of two things well: explore a single character or detail a single incident. In doing so, a good story will reveal a truth about the human condition. Both types of stories are presented in this collection. I prefer the incident stories, which seem to be more about something than the character-driven ones.
But even though I recognized that the writing overall was very good and all the stories were engaging, I still failed to connect with many of them on any more than an appreciative level. At the end of the story, I usually found myself asking, “So what?” These stories seem so fraught with meaning, so important, and yet so little happens. The meaning is subtle and hidden, requiring a more patient or insightful reader than me to dig it out.
I realize this is not necessarily the fault of the writer, but I am not going to blame the reader either. The short story is just not a form of literary conversation that engages me. My husband, an avid reader of short stories, would disagree with me, but isn’t it wonderful that there are all sorts of books and stories available to us, and both of us can find something to satisfy?
I will note the exception that proves the rule. One story out of the entire selection of the year’s best spoke to me very strongly. It’s also the story with the best title: “Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?” by William Gay. I responded to it because it made vivid an emotional state I have never personally felt but that I could understand and experience just by experiencing this story. I also liked it because it is one of the darkest stories in the book. Runners-up were “Balto” by T.C. Boyle and “Allegiance” by Aryn Kyle.
But overall, reading this collection only served to convince me that the short story is just not for me. And that’s okay.
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not daunted by books weighing in at 500 pages or more.I wanted the collection Best American Short Stories 2007 to add to my Stephen King collection (King was the guest editor). But since it represents the best of contemporary short story writing, I thought I’d challenge myself and see if I could find something to like about the short story in reading it.
A short story is only really long enough to do one of two things well: explore a single character or detail a single incident. In doing so, a good story will reveal a truth about the human condition. Both types of stories are presented in this collection. I prefer the incident stories, which seem to be more about something than the character-driven ones.
But even though I recognized that the writing overall was very good and all the stories were engaging, I still failed to connect with many of them on any more than an appreciative level. At the end of the story, I usually found myself asking, “So what?” These stories seem so fraught with meaning, so important, and yet so little happens. The meaning is subtle and hidden, requiring a more patient or insightful reader than me to dig it out.
I realize this is not necessarily the fault of the writer, but I am not going to blame the reader either. The short story is just not a form of literary conversation that engages me. My husband, an avid reader of short stories, would disagree with me, but isn’t it wonderful that there are all sorts of books and stories available to us, and both of us can find something to satisfy?
I will note the exception that proves the rule. One story out of the entire selection of the year’s best spoke to me very strongly. It’s also the story with the best title: “Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?” by William Gay. I responded to it because it made vivid an emotional state I have never personally felt but that I could understand and experience just by experiencing this story. I also liked it because it is one of the darkest stories in the book. Runners-up were “Balto” by T.C. Boyle and “Allegiance” by Aryn Kyle.
But overall, reading this collection only served to convince me that the short story is just not for me. And that’s okay.
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LibraryThing member crk-slc
What's great about an anthology of short stories is if you don't like one of the stories, you just read the next one. For the most part, I enjoyed this book; if I like more than 75% of the stories, then it rates as a good collection of literature.
LibraryThing member JFBallenger
I have to admit I was more than a little surprised to see Stephen King as the guest editor of this edition of the august Best American Short Stories series. Both the short story form and the high artistic ambitions of the stories typically included seem to be at odds with the sort of
All of the stories in this collection were commendable in some way, and most of them were very dark in tone -- reflecting Mr. King's tastes no doubt. Every reader will have their own personal favorites. Here are the ones that stand out for me as particularly excellent:
"Toga Party," John Barth -- this story just perfectly captures the feeling of declining empire in contemporary American culture.
"Balto", T.C. Boyle -- one of the most unique and engaging treatments of the problem of courage and personal integrity I've read.
"Riding the Doghouse", Randy DeVita -- one of the creepiest stories I've ever read.
"Wait", Roy Kesey -- terrific evocation of the surreal nature of the modern world
"Findings & Impressions," Stellar Kim -- absolutely wrenching exploration of grief and the fear of illness, but so beautifully and sensitively done that you cannot turn away.
"Dimension," Alice Munro -- another great story from Munro -- this one almost impossible healing and redemption from the worst kind of violence and violation. astonishing.
"The Bris," Eileen Pollack -- absorbing and entertaining exploration of honesty, deceit and filial obligation. Closest thing to light in this collection.
"Do Something," Kate Walbert -- this story deals with the sense of helplessness and futility in contemporary culture and politics. As with Barth's "Toga Party," a surprising willingness by King to choose stories w/ overt if complex and subtle political themes.
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mega-popularity of Stephen King's genre-bound novels. I'm happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised by the very high quality of the stories chosen. This I think is one of the best editions of the series to appear in recent years. All of the stories in this collection were commendable in some way, and most of them were very dark in tone -- reflecting Mr. King's tastes no doubt. Every reader will have their own personal favorites. Here are the ones that stand out for me as particularly excellent:
"Toga Party," John Barth -- this story just perfectly captures the feeling of declining empire in contemporary American culture.
"Balto", T.C. Boyle -- one of the most unique and engaging treatments of the problem of courage and personal integrity I've read.
"Riding the Doghouse", Randy DeVita -- one of the creepiest stories I've ever read.
"Wait", Roy Kesey -- terrific evocation of the surreal nature of the modern world
"Findings & Impressions," Stellar Kim -- absolutely wrenching exploration of grief and the fear of illness, but so beautifully and sensitively done that you cannot turn away.
"Dimension," Alice Munro -- another great story from Munro -- this one almost impossible healing and redemption from the worst kind of violence and violation. astonishing.
"The Bris," Eileen Pollack -- absorbing and entertaining exploration of honesty, deceit and filial obligation. Closest thing to light in this collection.
"Do Something," Kate Walbert -- this story deals with the sense of helplessness and futility in contemporary culture and politics. As with Barth's "Toga Party," a surprising willingness by King to choose stories w/ overt if complex and subtle political themes.
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LibraryThing member CarolynSchroeder
I absolutely loved this collection of stories. Except for Karen Russell's story St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised by Wolves (which I had to apply a Mini Pearl Rule too and jump ship at page 3 - just terrible - but I don't really "get" her stories, or the alien-esque people that inhabit them, despite
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some interesting writing/talent - but others love her, and the media/writing community clearly does - so don't mind me), these stories were all outstanding. Each one made me either think, laugh, wonder or just have moment of pause about life, in some capacity or another. Some are a little dark, some are quite funny, some are a mixture of those things. Also, having never before read a "best of" type short story collection, I truly enjoyed the process, how [Stephen King] picked the stories (with co-editor Heider Pitlor), the life and struggle of "the short story," where they first were published and mostly, the bios of the authors (all of whom describe their impetus for the story selected). So I learned about some new writers I never, ever would have known about otherwise. Some of the standouts, even among such a wonderful collection, I thought, were: "My Brother Eli" by Jospeh Epstein, "Balto" by T.C. Boyle, "Wake" by Beverly Jensen and "Findings & Impressions" by Kim Stellar. Highly recommended for any short fiction lover, or anyone wanting to explore new literary territory. Show Less
LibraryThing member Condorena
As a great reader of short stories I was anxious to try this volume edited by Stephen King. Since I don't tend to read a book such as this in one sitting I have been perusing it for a few years. There are stories from wonderful authors like T.C. Boyle, Louis Auchincloss, Ron Kesey and Alice
My favorite story was by Jim Shepard entitled Sans Farine which means with outflour. It chronicles the lives of the royal and later state executioners. These men and their families had a somewhat inherited occupation and were restricted in many the ways they could live their lives. They were in a way pariahs with no way to rise out of their caste.
During the Reign of Terror this job had many ramifications affecting their personal and professional lives. The history in this story was fascinating.
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Munro.My favorite story was by Jim Shepard entitled Sans Farine which means with outflour. It chronicles the lives of the royal and later state executioners. These men and their families had a somewhat inherited occupation and were restricted in many the ways they could live their lives. They were in a way pariahs with no way to rise out of their caste.
During the Reign of Terror this job had many ramifications affecting their personal and professional lives. The history in this story was fascinating.
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LibraryThing member librarybrandy
Stephen King is not the kind of guy who will do anything half-assed, and his selections for this year's BASS collection are no exceptions. Unlike most editors, he didn't just go through the pile the series editor forwarded him--he bought and read nearly every short-story periodical that exists, and
Each story is also marked by King's aversion to brevity, but there were only one or two I felt were running long. This is an improvement over some recent years' BASS collections.
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read far and wide from them. As a result, the anthology he put together includes an impressive variety of stories, from the French revolution to futuristic military plague-carriers to a road trip through a snowstorm toward a funeral. What the stories have in common, though, is the heart--each story has a voice and a point, an emotional impact that's been lacking in much of my other recent reading. Each story is also marked by King's aversion to brevity, but there were only one or two I felt were running long. This is an improvement over some recent years' BASS collections.
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Subjects
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
448 p.; 8.16 inches
ISBN
0618713484 / 9780618713486
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