Crafting the Very Short Story: An Anthology of 100 Masterpieces

Customer Reviews:

Echoing first reviewer.......2005-12-02

For starters, it's a mix of "very short stories" and "very short excerpts" from longer works (such as "Winesburg, Ohio"). Personally I find that when you get samplings of long works served to you in this way, you lose the larger context that surrounds the piece.

The exercises are disappointing - it's just a list of single sentences prompts for writing about common life events. "Write about an argument," "write about going to college, either deciding to go or not go."

Most of the stories feature commentary at the end of each one, but it's not doled out evenly for each story. It's a mixed bag of literary cricism and/or author insight that may be a little or a lot, depending on the story.

The stories themselves are laid out alphabetically by author with a second table of contents where they're grouped by things like voice, point of view, etc.

I was looking for very short stories with more discussion on techniques and concepts specific to short-shorts. It's more like a literary sampler with a side of literary criticism and a dash of instruction.

A pleasant surprise........2005-07-24

This was a required text for a college course. It has been like visiting old friends. The "classic" authors and others I'd never heard of provide a very good read, and the insights into writing by some of the authors is helpful.

More than Expected.......2004-11-11

While looking for an anthology of short stories, I came across this "textbook" and the most diverse assortment of short story writers I have ever seen. For those who appreciate the poetry of judicious prose this is a find.

Also liked the sections categorizing voice, point-of-view, and setting. Great technical examples that show rather than tell you the differences. Bought it, kept it, still using it, and now even recommending it. Respectful creative writing that will help keep the genre thriving.

Save your money.......2004-10-17

If you are looking for tips to improve your writing, look elsewhere.

The 'instructions' could all fit on one page and consist of such helpful hints as "choose your voice, point of view, and setting...the choice is entirely up to you". "Write a rough draft..." "Edit your draft for logic, clarity, and plausibility." "Continually read excellent fiction."

The section of exercises is simply a list of 20 topics with this instruction: "Write a very short story about one of the following:"

The glossary is less than two pages long and has no examples.

I was expecting each story to have an introduction that told me why it is a masterpiece and what to look for. There is an index of stories by voice, point of view and setting. Those are fairly obvious.

Another sad lesson in not judging a book by its cover.

Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Fiction (11th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Fiction (11th Edition)
James Pickering
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Analyzing Short Stories
Contexts for Criticism
Poetic Meter and Poetic Form
America Past and Present, Volume I (Chapters 1-16) (7th Edition)
Medea and Other Plays (Penguin Classics)

ASIN: 0131731343

Book Description

A collection of carefully chosen, interesting stories, the best-selling Fiction 100 ignites readers' curiosity, imagination, and intelligence. This outstanding selection of 131 stories is presented in an attractive format, and is available for an excellent price. These selections represent a wide variety of subject matter, theme, literary technique, and style. International in scope, it contains fiction from the early 19th century to the present day, and features 131 traditional and contemporary works. This collection is suitable for any reader who enjoys short works of fiction with literary merit.

Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories/Book and Reader's Guide, 5th Edition

Average customer rating:

Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories/Book and Reader's Guide, 5th Edition
James H. Pickering
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0023954922

A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Women

Average customer rating:

Great
Fantastic book
An Awesome Collection
This Excellent Collection is an Absolute Delight
terrific deference to the ladies of crime

A Moment on the Edge: 100 Years of Crime Stories by Women
Elizabeth George
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

I, Richard
Masterpieces in Miniature: The Detectives: Stories by Agatha Christie
The Best British Mysteries 2005 (Best British Mysteries)
The Accomplice (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries)
A Place of Hiding

ASIN: 0060588217
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Book Description

Whether the story is a murder mystery, a tale of suspense, a psychological study of the characters affected by a devastating event, a courtroom drama, a police procedural ... the question remains the same. Why crime? Why exists this fascination with crime and why, above all, exists this fascination with crime on the part of female writers?
-- Elizabeth George

In A MOMENT ON THE EDGE, bestselling author Elizabeth George has selected a stunning collection of twenty-six crime stories from some of the best practitioners of the genre, who also happen to be some of the most successful women writers of our time.

These shocking and compulsively readable stories are arranged chronologically, starting with the classic "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell (1917). Also included are stories by Golden Age mystery writers Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh, and New Golden Age author Sara Paretsky, as well as selections by writers outside the genre, such as Shirley Jackson, Nadine Gordimer, Antonia Fraser, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Collectively these stories illustrate how crimefiction -- especially that written by women about women -- has changed in the last hundred years. As Elizabeth George notes in her introduction, "All of these authors share in common a desire to explore mankind in a moment on the edge. The edge equates to the crime committed. How the characters deal with the edge is the story."

This is a must-have anthology for aficionados of crime fiction.

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2005-09-28

I was very satisfied with the books, and I got them very fast, within couple days.

Fantastic book.......2005-03-11

I'm not normally a fan of short stories, but I decided that I couldn't pass up a book edited by one of my favorite writers, Elizabeth George. And I'm certainly glad that I gave this book a chance! It is filled with deliciously chilling stories that will haunt you long after you finish them.

An Awesome Collection.......2004-08-22

This is an anthology of the best short stories by some of the best female writers in the English language. Awesome. The stories by Susan Glaspel, Ruth Rendell, and Sharyn McCrumb make it worth it alone!! Highly recommend!

This Excellent Collection is an Absolute Delight.......2004-07-25

I'm sometimes commitment phobic --- not at all in a relationship sense (my husband's saying, "Uh, that's GOOD!") but when it comes to reading. Occasionally, I just don't feel like investing the energy in a novel. No, I'd rather dally. A short story collection is the perfect solution at these times, much like sampling dim sum rather than sitting down to a seven-course feast. I've been on a short story binge lately, and it's been so delicious that my love affair with short fiction has been rekindled.

A MOMENT ON THE EDGE is a massive (over 500 pages) compilation of luscious tidbits. The editor, much-loved mystery novelist Elizabeth George, starts us out with a fascinating introduction discussing our simultaneous fascination with crime stories and the low value many people place on it. She briefly sums up the history of female mystery writers. About the authors of this anthology, George says: "All of them share in common a desire to explore mankind in a moment on the edge. The edge equates to the crime committed. How the characters deal with the edge is the story."

The collection begins with "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell (1917) and ends with "English Autumn--American Fall" by Minette Walters (2001). The variety of crime stories is immense, including cozies, murder mysteries, suspense tales, horror stories, psychological studies, and more. Reading the older tales and then moving on to the more modern works is a subtle education in how crime stories have changed over the years.

Some of the authors' contributions are completely unlike their novels (for example, Nancy Pickard's dark "Afraid All the Time.") In other cases, characters from an author's novels appear in her short story (such as Sara Paretsky's "The Case of the Pietro Andromache.") I joyfully became reacquainted with authors I've loved (and nearly forgotten) for years, such as Charlotte Armstrong and Shirley Jackson. I also discovered many writers whose novels I will now find and devour, having sampled their wares.

I must admit to sometimes skimming and/or skipping stories in an anthology if they don't catch my interest. However, I was never tempted to skim or skip a word in this fine collection. In such a group of stellar tales, I discovered a few personal standouts:

· A ghost appears in Agnes and Oscar's RV as they winter in Arizona ("Death of a Snowbird" by J. A. Jance), setting the plot spinning and giving me goose bumps.

· A picnicking couple discusses their relationship in "The River Mouth" by Lia Matera. They're approached by someone who puts the STRANGE in the word "stranger" --- and completely creeped me out.

· Joyce Carol Oates's "Murder-Two" is gut-churningly disturbing. My first inclination is to say I hated this piece about a murdered mother, yet I'll never forget the plot or my strong reaction to it.

· "Afraid All the Time" by Nancy Pickard, in which a woman's move to the plains sends her over the edge into depression and fear, impressed me with its darkness and unpredictable twists.

· One man suggests to another that he has the means to murder anyone in Dorothy Sayers's "The Man Who Knew How," a fine exercise in obsession, psychological suspense and blackest irony

. · A dirt-poor woman discovers how to step up to finer living in "A Nice Place to Stay" by Nedra Tyre, a story with sociological implications that ring true today.

A MOMENT ON THE EDGE is an absolute delight. Don't wait for commitment phobia to strike before treating yourself to this excellent collection.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

terrific deference to the ladies of crime.......2004-07-04

This twenty-six short story collection pays homage to some of the great female mystery-thriller writers of the past century and showcases how brilliant women are at authoring crime tales. The anthology is set up in chronological order starting with the 1917 "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell and ending with a pair of works published in 2001. Most of the works occur in the second fifty years with most of those in the final quarter. Only two entries are pre WWII and in addition only two others comprise the first fifty years. Either Editor Elizabeth George is not familiar with the pioneers or women have come a long way in a quantity sense as the number of distaff authors has exponentially grown since the World War I-Great depression eras.

The quality of the compilation is top notch as Ms. George has provided a virtual who's who with some of their best shorts included in this book. Fans of stories that run the gamut of the mystery-thriller genres but share in common taking the reader to "A Moment on the Edge" (and in some cases over the edge) will appreciate this terrific deference to the ladies of crime.

Book Description

A collection of carefully chosen, interesting stories, the best-selling Fiction 100 ignites readers' curiosity, imagination, and intelligence. This outstanding selection of 130 stories is presented in an attractive format, and is available for an excellent price. These selections represent a wide variety of subject matter, theme, literary technique, and style. International in scope, it contains fiction from the early 19th century to the present day, and features 130 traditional and contemporary works. This collection is suitable for any reader who enjoys short works of fiction with literary merit.

Customer Reviews:

Bought it for class..........2007-01-24

This was for my english class. I hate english classes. I'm just not an essay person. Anyways, I did have to read this book, and I found it pretty interesting. The stories and poems were very good. I gave it 3 stars because I just don't like english class....

Review of Short Stories Anthology.......2006-02-25

Great book! Each story is unique and gives hopeful story writers a vast array of different ways to develop successful stories.

ripoff.......2005-10-07

...shuffles mostly public domain works in and out of editions for your english class. find out what your instructor wants, then check the web.

New Dubliners: Celebrating 100 Years of Joyce's Dubliners

Average customer rating:

Strange new Dublin

New Dubliners: Celebrating 100 Years of Joyce's Dubliners

Manufacturer: Pegasus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1933648090

Book Description

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the year in which Joyce penned his famous -collection, New Dubliners presents eleven deeply human, evocative stories set in the Irish capital, by such award-winning and leading Irish authors as Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann, Joseph O'Connor, Bernard MacLaverty, and Frank McGuinness.

Customer Reviews:

Strange new Dublin.......2007-03-30

"New Dubliners" is a collection of short stories by Irish writers. It was put together to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Joyce's "Dubliners." When Joyce was alive, Dublin was the armpit of Europe. Poor and dirty and strewn with tenements, Joyce captures this world perfectly.

One hundred years later and Dublin has the fastest growing economy in Europe and for the first time in its history has to deal with immigrants--people actually want to come to the small island. Like "Dubliners," "New Dubliners" is a series of snapshots of the city. Rich with new money, poor, riding horses and fighting for jobs or wives who just want to get out. "New Dubliners" is a must read for any lover of short stories. It's also essential to learning about this strange and vibrant city.

Blood Thirst: 100 Years of Vampire Fiction

Average customer rating:

Great for the Vampire within
A must for horror/vampire fans
Excellent Collection of Stories

Blood Thirst: 100 Years of Vampire Fiction
Richard Matheson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories
Three Vampire Tales: Dracula, Carmilla, and The Vampyre (New Riverside Editions)
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women
The Science of Vampires
Vampire Stories

ASIN: 0195115937

Book Description

In the past hundred years, since the publication of Bram Stoker's infamous book, no literary figure has enjoyed a more horrific resiliency than Count Dracula. In film, television, novels, and short stories, he keeps coming back to life, fed by the vital imaginative energies of a world-wide audience that cannot seem to resist his abominable charms. Aristocratic and urbane, deeply erotic and profoundly evil, Dracula's bloodsucking savagery has cast a mesmerizing fascination not only over his victims but over his readers as well. And, as Leonard Wolf suggests, "Vampire fiction...exerts an amazing pull on readers for a reason that we may find disturbing. The blood exchange--the taking of blood by the vampire from his or her victim is, all by itself, felt to be a singularly symbolic event. Symbolic and attractive!" Now, in Blood Thirst: One Hundred Years of Vampire Fiction, Leonard Wolf brings together thirty tales in which vampires of all varieties make their ghastly presence felt--male and female, human and non-human, humorous and heroic--all of them kin to the dreadful bat. From Lafcadio Hearn, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman, Edith Wharton, August Derleth, and Ray Bradbury to such contemporary masters as Anne Rice, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, John Cheever, and Woody Allen, and in settings as diverse as rural New England and outer space, this collection offers readers a dazzling compendium of vampire stories. Wolf organizes the collection into six categories--The Classic Adventure Tale, The Psychic Vampire, The Science Fiction Vampire, The Non-Human Vampire, The Comic Vampire, and The Heroic Vampire--which allows readers to see the many guises Dracula's descendants have assumed and the many ways they can be interpreted. In his penetrating introduction, Wolf argues that such an arrangement enables us to see the evolution of the vampire from an unmitigated evil to a creature we are more likely to identify with. "In a century in which God and Satan have become increasingly irrelevant in the popular arts, there has been an accompanying secularization of the vampire idea. And, as the stories in Blood Thirst will show, sympathy for the vampire has grown as we have become increasingly interested in the workings of the mind." Indeed, the vampire's ability to change over time, to draw into itself such a richness of symbolic meanings, to conjure itself into so many diabolical shapes, may account for the enduring appeal of the literature written about it. Here, then, is a definitive collection for aficionados and novices alike, and whether readers find the vampires who inhabit these pages sympathetic or horrific, psychologically intriguing or spiritually repellent, morbidly seductive or comically absurd, Blood Thirst gives us all something to sink our teeth into.

Customer Reviews:

Great for the Vampire within .......2007-01-26

Thirty tales of vampire fiction, from the classical blood sucker to science fiction monster to the comic relief. From such great authors as Anne Rice and Stephen King, to interesting choices such as Woody Allen and Hanns Heinz Ewers, and authors I love such as Tanith Lee and Richard Matheson (who are also great), we get a ton of vampire literature. If there is a style of vampire story you like this is the book to get and the best part is if you discover a new author who pushes your buttons you can go find their works. And if they don't push your button you have 29 other stories to make you happy.
Read! Feast! Enjoy!

A must for horror/vampire fans.......2000-04-04

This novel brings together works of so many amazing talented writers: Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Anne Rice, Tanith Lee, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Algernon Blackwood, Joyce Carol Oates...just to name a few! Be on the lookout for "Count Dracula" by Woody Allen; whether you love him or hate him, this short story is a hoot!

This one lets you sink your teeth into some quick, sometimes chilling, sometimes humorous, sometimes just plain weird vampire stories. It will also introduce you to some incredible authors, and I bet you'll race to buy more of their works. Wolf breaks down this collection into categories: The Classic Adventure Tale; The Psychological Vampire; The Science Fiction Vampire; The Non-Human Vampire; The Comic Vampire; and The Heroic Vampire. Horror and vampire fans will recognize some of these stories (King's is an excerpt of SALEM'S LOT) from other novels or collections. But this one is a tasty treat (yes, all puns intended) that I found delightful!

Excellent Collection of Stories.......1998-07-15

I great collection of modern vampire stories. Several of the stories are actually chapters from longer novels, which only entices the reader to read those novels too. Wonderful read, but with the lights on!

100 Years of Cowboy Stories (Roundup Books)

Average customer rating:

A Must Have for Western Lovers

100 Years of Cowboy Stories (Roundup Books)

Manufacturer: Red Deer Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have for Western Lovers.......2000-05-12

My dad loved this so much for father's day that he's forcing me to read it. He told me about how he got kinda misty when he read the stories and thought about the days when everyone wanted to be a cowboy or an astronaut. Thanks amazon.com for bringing back those memories. Happy Trails

Average customer rating:

Some good, some bad, most good
Creepy witch stories!
A wonderful collection !

100 Wicked Little Witch Stories
Stefan R. Dziemianowicz , Robert H. Weinberg , and Martin H. Greenberg
Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

100 Creepy Little Creature Stories
100 Fiendish Little Frightmares
100 Vicious Little Vampire Stories
100 Astounding Little Alien Stories

ASIN: 1566197627

Book Description

The witches who populate these 100 delightfully scary stories include practitioners of white witchcraft and devotees of black magic. Most are female, some are male, and a few are thoroughly unclassifiable. They can be born witches or made witches, and may mix simple love potions or volatile concoctions that threaten all we hold dear. Some resent not receiving the treatment they feel they deserve from lesser mortals; yet other witches don't even realize that they wield any special influence at all. The many writers who take on this ever-fascinating character (so fundamentally human unlike her more paranormal, ghostly brethren) include Juleen Brantingham ("Burning in the Light"), Joe R. Landsdale ("By the Hair of the Head"), Simon McCaffery ("Blood Mary"), Terry Campbell ("Retrocurses"), Lawrence Shimel ("Coming Out of the Broom Closet"), and a coven of others.

Customer Reviews:

Some good, some bad, most good.......2005-11-26

I bought the book on sale and I'm very glad to own it. It does have A LOT of stories, so there's something for everyone. There are a few stories that I didn't like, but I enjoyed almost all of them, which is really something. I'm picky, and putting almost a hundred stories that I like in one book is quite a feat.

The stories are all very different from each other. Some a funny, some are frightening, and some are very dramatic.

Creepy witch stories!.......2005-05-19

This book sounds like it is going to be really cheesy, but it is really great! This book is so good, that I almost bought this book at well known books store, and (I never buy books!). But, I was lucky enough to find this at the library. A lot of the stories are creepy, and almost seem believable! The stories are so well written that you can picture things clearly as you read them. I have read a few stories, and they don't all seem to deal with black magic or the devil. They are just creepy like I stated above. This is a fun book to read around Halloween! The cover alone seems creepy and "Halloweenish". If you have ever wished that you could know a real life witch, like I have then this book is def. for you! Grandma Grunt is defiantely one of the creepies stories that I have ever read! This book is probably ok for kids twelve and over, but I think it would really scare younger kids. If you like good Horror stories, don't pass this one up!

A wonderful collection !.......2000-04-02

100 Wicked Little Witch Stories is a wonderful collection of short stories covering every kind of witch. I love this book and have gone back to it many times because it has such variety. Within this book you will find stories that are funny, loveable, charming, and ones that are downright scary. (The kind that keep you up at night!) All in all, this book is a must have for anyone who enjoys witchcraft folklore.

Fiction 100: An anthology of short stories

Average customer rating:

Fiction 100: An anthology of short stories

Manufacturer: Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0023955414

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books