-
In total there are 2 users online :: 0 registered, 0 hidden and 2 guests (based on users active over the past 60 minutes)
Most users ever online was 1086 on Mon Jul 01, 2024 9:03 am
We've read a few Short Stories books...
Forum rules
Do not promote books in this forum. Instead, promote your books in either Authors: Tell us about your FICTION book! or Authors: Tell us about your NON-FICTION book!.
All other Community Rules apply in this and all other forums.
Do not promote books in this forum. Instead, promote your books in either Authors: Tell us about your FICTION book! or Authors: Tell us about your NON-FICTION book!.
All other Community Rules apply in this and all other forums.
-
-
Official Newbie!
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:27 pm
- 14
- Location: California
-
-
Almost Comfortable
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:01 pm
- 14
- Location: Norwest Alabama
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
William Trevor (Irish) is one of the best contemporary writers of short stories in English. I have been reading his "The Collected Short Stories" published in 1993. The book contains 90 stories in close to 1300 pages. My favorite story, so far, in this collection is "The Ballroom of Romance", which tells about a woman in her mid thirties that rides a bicycle for several hours every Saturday evening to go to a ballroom dance. She does it religiously every weekend because she knows that those dances are her only chance to find a man to share her life with.
Guy de Maupassant (French, early XX century) also has several excellent collections of short stories. One of my favorite short stories by Maupassant is named "The Convert". It's about an atheist carpenter that is forced by the local priest to go to mass every Sunday. If the carpenter does not follow the priest's indications, the priest will give a gigantic contract that includes the chorus renovation and the church benches replacement to a devout carpenter from the neighbor town.
justareader
Guy de Maupassant (French, early XX century) also has several excellent collections of short stories. One of my favorite short stories by Maupassant is named "The Convert". It's about an atheist carpenter that is forced by the local priest to go to mass every Sunday. If the carpenter does not follow the priest's indications, the priest will give a gigantic contract that includes the chorus renovation and the church benches replacement to a devout carpenter from the neighbor town.
justareader
- Rancher1
-
Permanent Ink Finger
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:18 pm
- 14
- Location: On this planet
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 3 times
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
I am a short story nut also but it depends on what they are about.
I am more apt to pick up a collection of stories from someone I have never heard of before then per say a movie star or someone famous like that.
I love short stories about lives I may never get a glimpse into otherwise.
Ok, someone please tell me if that is odd. LOL
I am more apt to pick up a collection of stories from someone I have never heard of before then per say a movie star or someone famous like that.
I love short stories about lives I may never get a glimpse into otherwise.
Ok, someone please tell me if that is odd. LOL
- DWill
-
- BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
- Posts: 6966
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:05 am
- 16
- Location: Luray, Virginia
- Has thanked: 2262 times
- Been thanked: 2470 times
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
Hi, justareader. I completly agree with you about William Trevor as a short story writer. Also good as a novelist, though I didn't think his latest, The Story of Lucy Gault was his best. Unfortunately, I don't own any of the two or three collections of his that I've read and can't recall the title of a favorite story right now.justareader wrote:William Trevor (Irish) is one of the best contemporary writers of short stories in English. I have been reading his "The Collected Short Stories" published in 1993. The book contains 90 stories in close to 1300 pages. My favorite story, so far, in this collection is "The Ballroom of Romance", which tells about a woman in her mid thirties that rides a bicycle for several hours every Saturday evening to go to a ballroom dance. She does it religiously every weekend because she knows that those dances are her only chance to find a man to share her life with.
- Suzanne
-
- Book General
- Posts: 2513
- Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:51 pm
- 15
- Location: New Jersey
- Has thanked: 518 times
- Been thanked: 399 times
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
We will be starting a discussion on a book of short stories for March and April.
Nikolai Gogol's "The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories"
I hope you will all check it out!
Nikolai Gogol's "The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories"
I hope you will all check it out!
I have never read anything by this author, thanks for the tip justareader and DWillDWill wrote:Hi, justareader. I completly agree with you about William Trevor as a short story writer.
- DWill
-
- BookTalk.org Hall of Fame
- Posts: 6966
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:05 am
- 16
- Location: Luray, Virginia
- Has thanked: 2262 times
- Been thanked: 2470 times
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
Susanne, the Gogol discussion sounds good, but I'm too apt to over-commit so I don't know if I'll be there. However, since you are honchoing the short story franchise (good job!) are you open to deal-making? If we read a William Trevor collection at some point, I promise to be there and to lead the discussion.Suzanne wrote:We will be starting a discussion on a book of short stories for March and April.
Nikolai Gogol's "The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories"
I hope you will all check it out!
I have never read anything by this author, thanks for the tip justareader and DWillDWill wrote:Hi, justareader. I completly agree with you about William Trevor as a short story writer.
- oblivion
-
- Likes the book better than the movie
- Posts: 826
- Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:10 am
- 14
- Location: Germany
- Has thanked: 188 times
- Been thanked: 172 times
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
There is a magazine that comes out twice a month and is called One Story--containing.....yes, you've guessed it, one short story. So far they have all been quite good.
Gods and spirits are parasitic--Pascal Boyer
Religion is the only force in the world that lets a person have his prejudice or hatred and feel good about it --S C Hitchcock
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it. --André Gide
Reading is a majority skill but a minority art. --Julian Barnes
Religion is the only force in the world that lets a person have his prejudice or hatred and feel good about it --S C Hitchcock
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it. --André Gide
Reading is a majority skill but a minority art. --Julian Barnes
-
-
Almost Comfortable
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:01 pm
- 14
- Location: Norwest Alabama
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
Rancher: That's what Trevor's short stories are about. The characters are ordinary people from the most diverse occupations and socioeconomic conditions. But so far I haven't found a rancher in his numerous stories!. Probably ranches are not common in Ireland and England where most of his stories take place.
Justareader
Justareader
-
-
Almost Comfortable
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:01 pm
- 14
- Location: Norwest Alabama
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
Rancher1 wrote:I am a short story nut also but it depends on what they are about.
I am more apt to pick up a collection of stories from someone I have never heard of before then per say a movie star or someone famous like that.
I love short stories about lives I may never get a glimpse into otherwise.
Ok, someone please tell me if that is odd. LOL
Rancher: That's what Trevor's short stories are about. The characters are ordinary people from the most diverse occupations and socioeconomic conditions. But so far I haven't found a rancher in his numerous stories!. Probably ranches are not common in Ireland and England where most of his stories take place.
Justareader
-
-
Almost Comfortable
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:01 pm
- 14
- Location: Norwest Alabama
- Been thanked: 1 time
Re: We've read a few Short Stories books...
[quote="Suzanne"]We will be starting a discussion on a book of short stories for March and April.
Nikolai Gogol's "The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories"
I hope you will all check it out!
I am going to suggest this book in our reading club in the local public library. I am curious to see the reaction of the ladies (I am the only man in the group, and most of them are close to my mother's age). Their favorite books deal with stories not too far from home, no farther than Georgia to the east or Tennessee to the north.
Nikolai Gogol's "The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories"
I hope you will all check it out!
I am going to suggest this book in our reading club in the local public library. I am curious to see the reaction of the ladies (I am the only man in the group, and most of them are close to my mother's age). Their favorite books deal with stories not too far from home, no farther than Georgia to the east or Tennessee to the north.
Last edited by justareader on Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.