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21 Essential American Short Stories

by Leslie M. Pockell (Editor), Ambrose Bierce (Contributor), Ellis Parker Butler (Contributor), Stephen Crane (Contributor), Richard Harding Davis (Contributor)17 more, William Faulkner (Contributor), F. Scott Fitzgerald (Contributor), Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Contributor), Joel Chandler Harris (Contributor), Ernest Hemingway (Contributor), Washington Irving (Contributor), Shirley Jackson (Contributor), Jack London (Contributor), H. P. Lovecraft (Contributor), Herman Melville (Contributor), O. Henry (Contributor), Edgar Allan Poe (Contributor), Carl Stephenson (Contributor), Frank Stockton (Contributor), James Thurber (Contributor), Mark Twain (Contributor), Edith Wharton (Contributor)

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261897,391 (3.5)None
This book is a collection of beloved stories that have comprised an important part of the fabric of our culture, from the earliest days of our nation to the twentieth century. Some of the stories, such as Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," and James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," have been long regarded as literary classics, while others, such as Frank Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger?" and Ellis Parker Butler's "Pigs Is Pigs," are lesser known but well worth discovering. The carefully selected stories, each preceded by an illuminating headnote, powerfully illustrate the varied richness of our national literature and history. This beautifully packaged volume, containing the unforgettable classic short stories that evoke our shared American tradition and national identity, makes the perfect gift for the short story aficionado and novice alike. --From publisher description.… (more)
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I sought out this collection after reading a discussion thread not long ago about the most memorable/traumatizing short stories assigned by high school English teachers. Only 21 stories are included here, and they are limited to those of only American origin, but I thought it was a reasonably well-rounded collection. They range from the humorous and the delightfully disturbing to the incomprehensible ("The Call of Cthulhu") and the weirdly twisted, and I limited my reading to no more than a single story each day to allow more time to ruminate. ( )
  ryner | May 10, 2023 |
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Pockell, Leslie M.Editorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Bierce, AmbroseContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Butler, Ellis ParkerContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Crane, StephenContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Davis, Richard HardingContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Faulkner, WilliamContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Fitzgerald, F. ScottContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Gilman, Charlotte PerkinsContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Harris, Joel ChandlerContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Hemingway, ErnestContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Irving, WashingtonContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Jackson, ShirleyContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
London, JackContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Lovecraft, H. P.Contributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Melville, HermanContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
O. HenryContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Poe, Edgar AllanContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Stephenson, CarlContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Stockton, FrankContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Thurber, JamesContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Twain, MarkContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
Wharton, EdithContributormain authorall editionsconfirmed
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This book is a collection of beloved stories that have comprised an important part of the fabric of our culture, from the earliest days of our nation to the twentieth century. Some of the stories, such as Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," and James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," have been long regarded as literary classics, while others, such as Frank Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger?" and Ellis Parker Butler's "Pigs Is Pigs," are lesser known but well worth discovering. The carefully selected stories, each preceded by an illuminating headnote, powerfully illustrate the varied richness of our national literature and history. This beautifully packaged volume, containing the unforgettable classic short stories that evoke our shared American tradition and national identity, makes the perfect gift for the short story aficionado and novice alike. --From publisher description.

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