[EDIT: Now 11!]
Inspired by LK’s list of her ten favorite short stories, I’ve sought out ten of my current favorites. I say “current” because I know I’m forgetting some real doozies; I just can’t find them now to recall what they were. The list is in alphabetical order, because I can’t seem to play favorites beyond putting together this list:
- “The Bloody Chamber” by Angela Carter
- “Call My Name” by Aimee Bender
- “Civilwarland in Bad Decline” by George Saunders
- “Dirty Wedding” by Denis Johnson
- “Disentangling” by Peter Rock
- “Floating Bridge” by Alice Munro
- “The Hotel Capital” by Olga Tokarczuk
- “Planetisimal” by Keri Hulme
- “The Toughest Indian in the World” by Sherman Alexie
- “White Angel” by Michael Cunningham
- And, thanks to Susan, I remembered how much I absolutely love “Hunger” by Lan Samantha Chang—I won’t delete any of the favorites above, but “Hunger” would have surely made it on there, so this list has now hit 11 😉
LK also has a short story challenge. I’m up for it. I really want to read “The Babysitter” by Robert Coover.
distraction no.99 
15 responses to “10 Favorite Short Stories”
I’m so… not versed in short stories that it makes me sad. I am bookmarking this entry!
[…] , TV , Books , inspiration I suppose this isn’t really a meme, but after seeing it on Distraction No. 99, it made me think of stories that really touched me. Plus, since I might not be able to stay up […]
This is such a great idea, and makes me want to think about my 10 favorites, too. Also, makes me want to read yours, since I don’t think I have read, ahem, any of these, with the possible exception of the Denis Johnson one. The problem is that I am horrible at remembering short story titles…I just think “that one with the character who…” or something vague like that. Which could make it hard to come up with my 10 faves, huh?
Seriously, I’m pasting these into my reading list. Thanks!
[…] Nova listed her 10 favorite short stories, which I think is a fantastic idea–short stories get short shrift, even though they are brilliant literary nuggets. People don’t read enough of them, people underestimate them, and publishing houses scowl at them (it really is harder to publish a collection of short stories than a novel–mostly because said people don’t buy short story collections). […]
Oh Nova–terrific! I’ve jumped in and participated in LK’s short story challenge, too. 🙂
[…] Respite: Ten Favorite Short Stories Posted by Susan under Reading , Writing I have Nova and Jade to thank for this: listing my ten favorite short stories. Everyone has their favorite […]
Me, too, Nova. Great inspiration. I share many on your list.
Most excellent! I haven’t read several, so I look forward to discovering some new material. Yay on Alexie, Saunders!
Nova, I had to add “Floating Bridge” when I saw your list, so I ended up with 11 too. 🙂
I put my 10 favorite short stories on my blog at
http://wishythewriter.blogspot.com/2007/04/great-short-story-meme-and-challenge.html
and I’ve taken up the challenge to read “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin! Thanks for posting about LK’s challenge!
I also have some links to some short stories on line if folks would rather read one of those!
There was a time when I was utterly obsessed with short stories, but for some time now they’ve taken a backseat to novels in my reading. This challenge has made me think about them again (my list is posted on my blog). I like your choices, Nova — several of these (Peter Rock, Olga Tokarczuk?) are completely new to me.
[…] second time. (Apparently, it is considered a “short novel,” so it could not have made my list.) I am trying to figure out why it struck me so, the first time. Was it the voice? Yes. Was it the […]
Tai, I found the “Hotel Capital” story in an issue of Granta: http://www.granta.com/authors/760
That story is the only one of hers I’ve read. And I’ve thought of it ever since. The Peter Rock story was first published in Zoetrope, but it’s now in his short-story collection The Unsettling: http://www.peterrockproject.com/
Disentangling and some more of Peter Rock’s stories can be found at this link:
http://www.peterrockproject.com/rock/page4.html
[…] and totally obsessed with short stories—yes, the most impractical of fictions. Not just reading them (though put me in a room with a good selection of literary journals *ah, periodicals room at Butler […]