The Best American Short Stories 2007 (Edition 001)

The Best American Short Stories 2007 (Edition 001) | New collection - old story

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The Best American ...

	The Best American Short Stories 2007 (Edition 001) Houghton Mifflin, 2007 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 23 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

These are wonderful!

I am a fan of the "Best American" series and this hasn't let me down. This book collects excellent stories from many literary sources. It is wonderful to read great fiction and short stories are harder and harder to access.

New collection - old story

The Best American Short Stories 2007 (The Best American Series)
Have read this collection since it first appeared in print (and as a
paperback). This volume is not at all disapointing!!! A great selection, indeed.
As an old (very old) reader , whose favorite is the short story as a genre, these are most probably the best. Even if i have read some of them before, I am always ebcouraged anew. The American short story is very much alive, It is getting better. It is getting more modern, in the spirit of time, or as some want it, more "with it". Thanks and kudos to the editor and his readers.

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A solid but not quite kick-a** collection

In his introduction to the Best American Short Stories 2007, an anthology of short stories he selected, Stephen King writes that,

"I read plenty of kick-a** stories this year. There isn't a single one in this book....that didn't delight me, that didn't make me want to crow 'Oh man, you gotta read this!' to someone."

Hmmm.....while none of the stories in BASS 2007 are bad, a little less than half of them are average at best, stuffy at worst, and far from "kick-a**" - I get the feeling that King included many of these less-than-stellar stories due to the reputations of their authors and simply because they felt literary. Having said all that, there are several "kick-a**" stories here that are delightful (my favorite was The Bris by Eileen Pollack) and make reading this eclectic collection worthwhile. As well, BASS 2007 will likely introduce you to some excellent writers you might not otherwise have encountered. And isn't that the reason to read short story anthologies? Recommended.

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Some great stories, some so-so, still definitely worth the read

Every reader is going to have a different list of favorite and not-so-favorite stories from this year's BASS anthology. (It's inevitable with any anthology, I suppose.) But the great thing about this series is, if you're a serious short story reader -- or writer -- there's always something in it you'll love. My favorites from this year were TC Boyle's "Balto" -- the most beautiful, lyric exploration of parental alcoholism and adolescent fury that I've ever read. The amazing, tour de force of William Gay's "Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You" and "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised By Wolves," by the literary prodigy (she's only 25) Karen Russell. Russell's story begins with what seems to be an extended metaphor (can you *really* write a story of any length about girls raised by wolves?) but turns into a fully realized, poignant and funny story. Roy Kesey's "Wait" made me wonder why I'd never heard of this writer before. If you've ever spent time waiting in an airport (and thought you might never get to leave) this story's for you. The above stories are worth the price of admission alone, in my opinion, but there are many other great ones. I also love that the writers comment on their stories in the back, often revealing where their inspiration came from. Oddly, I found the first story by Louis Auchingloss to be stilted and over-written. I kept waiting for the real story to start. After it was over, I was a little worried that this collection overall was going to disappoint. I'm very glad I kept reading.

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Overhyped

In the introduction to this book Stephen King writes that every story makes him want to crow: "Oh man, you've got to read this." He sets the bar too high. I only found four stories that I would describe as "Oh man you've got to read this." In addition there were nine worth reading (some barely so), and six that just wasted my time. All of the writing was good though I discovered questionable punctuation, overused similes, similes that didn't make a bit of sense, and even some bad grammar. Reportedly, editors of literary magazines are super picky and use the slightest excuse to reject a manuscript. Obviously, established well known writers get a pass.

Here's my report card for every single story in the book rated from best to worst. The A's can be described as "Oh man, you've got to read this." The B's are worth reading. The C's and below were a waste of my time.

"L. Debard and Aliette: A Love Story" by Lauren Groff. Grade-A A bizarre love story circa the flu epidemic of 1918. It's enjoyably twisted and includes a castration scene.

"The Bris" by Eileen Pollack Grade-A A dying man wants to be circumcised on his death bed so he can be buried next to his wife. A realistic look at how anal some orthodox rabbis can be. Also, the story has some depth.

"Findings and Impressions" by Stellar Kim Grade-A Strong story about a dying woman and a radiologist who can't endure losing another loved one.

"Balto" by T.C. Boyle Grade-A A drunk fails as a parent. The final courtroom scene is the perfect ending.

"Sans Farin" by Jim Shepherd Grade-A An executioner during the French Revolution can't escape his profession.

"Allegiance" by Aryn Kyle Grade-B+ An interesting tale about a child choosing sides both on the playground and between parents suffering marital difficulties.

"The Boy in Zaquitos" by Bruce McCallister Grade-B+ This is all about the moral dilemma of collateral damage. Should be a must read for strategic bomber pilots.

"Where Will You Go When Your Skin Can Not Contain You" by William Gay Grade-B Interesting writing style used to reveal a man's feelings over the tragic murder of a loved one.

"Riding the Doghouse" by Randy Devita Grade-B A boy recounts dealing with his father's mortality.

"St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" by Karen Russell Grade-B As the title indicates, it's a convent where werewolves are trained to be human.

"Toga Party" by John Barth Grade-B- Imagine a toga party in a retirement community. The ending fit the story but I still didn't like it.

"Pa's Darling" by Louis Auchingloss Grade-B- A woman hated her dead overbearing father. Big deal.

"Do Something" by Kate Walbert Grade-B- I liked the story and the message, but it was too vague and was plagued with poorly constructed sentences.

"Horseman" by Richard Russo Grade-B- Good character development but I don't think the emotional handwringing of an academic over whether her work is inspired enough makes for a compelling story.

"Eleanor's Music" by Mary Gordon Grade-C The reader could skip long passages of this story and not miss anything.

"Wake" by Beverly Jensen Grade-C A brother and sister lose their father's coffin on a train in a blizzard. It's good honest writing but a bore nonetheless.

"Dimension" by Alice Munro Grade-C A woman copes with life after her husband murders their children. I don't understand why Alice Munro is so popular with literary magazine editors. She's long-winded, rambling, predictable, and has a penchant for too much telling rather than showing. She's wildly overrated.

"My Brother Eli" by Joseph Eptstein Grade-F The story is nothing more than a character sketch and everything the reader knows about Eli is evident after five pages. Unfortunately, the sketch drones on for twenty-eight pages.

"Solid Wood" by Anne Beattie Grade-F A pointless vignette. I wouldn't even classify it as a story.

"Wait" by Roy Kesey Grade F I'll just say it wasn't my cup of tea.

This year's best probably didn't include the best short stories published, but it is representative of what a reader will find in the average literary magazine these days: the excellent, the good, and the terrible meandering drivel.

For readers who buy anything with Stephen King's name slapped on the cover there are stories here that clearly have his fingerprints on the selection: "Riding the Doghouse," "L. Debard and Aliette," "Sans Farin," "The Boy in Zaquitos,"and "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves."

I am Mark Gelbart, author of Talk Radio, the book feared by radio talk show hosts, and author of the amazon short, "The Executioner's Store."

Both available here.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5

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