Contemporary American Short Stories

 Book 13 of my 2024 Reading Challenge

read from January 28 - February 14

Contemporary American Short Stories

My Opinion

2 stars

Before Reading:

I bought this book used and had no idea it came out in 1967 so the stories are not contemporary to me.  It will be interesting to see how the stories stand up many years later.  I'm also guessing there will be themes and/or language that would be offensive or outdated today.

Overall Thoughts After Reading:

As expected, there was language casually used that would not be used today.  There was only one story that had black characters and didn't use the n-word.

I felt meh about the book as a whole.  I'm guessing this will always be an issue with anthologies; the stories may have been fine at the time but I don't think they're worth preserving and reading decades later.

I like the little author bios at the beginning of each story instead of a full list at the beginning or end of the book.

As always when reading multiple authors, I'll put thoughts about individual stories below.

Greenleaf

It was fine.  I'm sure there was symbolism somewhere but it just felt like a judgmental unhappy woman meddling with other people.

Why I Live at the P.O.

I'm glad she was able to get away from her family.  Her sister was horrid and it would be incredibly frustrating to see her get away with everything.

The Fancy Woman

Even among other stories that used it, this one stood for a million n-words.  Even if it hadn't been that word I still would've noticed and said the author needed more variety in describing people because it was one single word over and over and over.

As for the story, I didn't really understand what was happening.  I think part of my confusion is the unfamiliarity with the customs of the time; things she was getting upset about or being judged for seemed trivial and minor.

Battle Royal

The story was emotionally charged with strong descriptions of the room, first with a sexual energy and then with violence.  It was disturbing to read because I could picture it being written from experience.

Come Out the Wilderness

The story was absorbing.  It was about scenarios and lives I don't have any experience with but I could still feel everything.

The Crime

The story was well-written but so so sad.

The Last Mohican

This was a story that could fit in any time or place.  I could feel the character's obsessiveness and wasn't sure how it was going to end.

A Woman of Her Age

I would've liked the story more if it had been half as long.

The Conversion of the Jews

A very odd story.  I was worried because of the title but there wasn't anything overtly offensive about the story itself.

A & P

I was with him until the end and then it didn't make sense.

Cruel and Barbarous Treatment

It was boring because it was well-written.  The main character was a self-absorbed woman who droned on and on and she was so realistic I wasn't interested and was angry at her as though she was real.

The Country Husband

I hated this story.  It's written as though the man is supposed to be the victim with no choice but to blow up his life because his wife was giving too much attention to the kids.  That would be bad enough but the GIRL he starts obsessing over is their teenage babysitter - gross and predictable.

In Dreams Begin Responsibilities

Abrupt ending.  I could've liked the concept with a little more finesse and timing.

Sex Education

That must've been very progressive for the time it was written because I could've believed it was a newly published story with no changes.

Holiday

It's not a good sign when I have to put a bookmark in a short story because I don't read it all at once.  It took me 5 sittings to get through this 34 page story.  Nope.

The Ram in the Thicket

I didn't really understand what was going on and have no idea how the title factors in but I did feel sad for the loneliness of the two main characters.

Among the Dangs

It was a fully fleshed-out story but didn't hold my interest.  I was uneasy reading it because the author did a good job blurring the line between what was actually happening and what the narrator was imagining.

The Gonzaga Manuscripts

Just as it was starting to feel like a farce there was a definitive ending.  I'm glad there was a clear answer even though it wasn't the answer he wanted.

Prince of Darkness

The story wound through many different scenes and narratives.  It held my interest while I was reading it but as I reflect on it now, there were a whole lot of words but not a lot of substance.

Encore

It was fine.  This was a story that I wouldn't have known was written years ago, the themes of family and disappointing an overbearing mother still apply today.

Tell Me a Riddle

Incredibly raw.  I felt so much empathy for the mom.

I Look Out for Ed Wolfe

That had the awkwardness of watching someone completely melt down.  It worked in a short story because it would've been too much if it had lasted longer.

A Shower of Gold

I couldn't find the grounding.  It felt like the kind of story someone would read after dropping acid to find "the meaning of life".