This series is one of my favorites. I've been collecting these short story compendiums since 1999. (Ten years, wow!) I used to buy them as soon as they came out, sometime in October of the year in question, but now I usually ask for them as a Christmas gift. In addition to the Short Stories collection, I also get the Mystery Stories and Non-Required Reading editions.
I read most of this book during the Read-a-Thon, and I found it to be ideal for that situation. Instead of trolling through a long tome in one voice, by one author, I had the ability to read several snippets in different voices, yet each telling a complete story.
These short stories really are the best of the best. The only one I didn't particularly care for was "Nawabdin Electrician" by Daniyal Mueenuddin. For some reason, Nawab didn't resonate with me. I didn't feel much when the story reached its climax, despite the action being intense! My favorite story was probably Steven Millhauser's "The Wizard of West Orange," a fictionalized (or is it?) telling of a Thomas Edison-esque (or maybe it was meant to be Edison? But he worked in Menlo Park...) inventor who came up with a machine, the haptograph, which could simulate touch, with astonishing results. Coming in second? "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell. Unusual story about...um, vampires...living in a lemon grove.
This collection of short stories was a great way to spend a good chunk of the Read-a-Thon. If you are in any way interested in adding really good quality short stories to your repertoire, by all means, check this book out! Five out of five Whatevers, as usual.
1 comment:
Oh! I just remembered I have a short story anthology from the library (You've Got to Read This!). I might grab it for some variety. :D
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