My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead - by Jeffrey Eugenides (Paperback)

About the Book

From classics such as Chekhov's The Lady with the Lapdog to such modern fare as Richard Ford's Fireworks, this anthology of great love stories captures the desire, obsession, power, and spirit of the emotion that drives and transforms lives.

Book Synopsis

"Beautifully crafted . . . eclectic and original . . . this collection makes us remember how powerful and essential the best short stories are." --Francine Prose, O magazine

My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead is a literary masterpiece of amorous tales selected by Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffrey Eugenides. From classics such as Chekhov's "The Lady with the Lapdog" to such modern fare as Richard Ford's "Fireworks," these outstanding works capture the desire, obsession, power, and spirit of the emotion that drives and transforms our lives. Writers featured include:

William Faulkner - James Joyce - Alice Munro - Milan Kundera - Grace Paley - Lorrie Moore - Eudora Welty - Denis Johnson - Vladimir Nabokov - Miranda July - Raymond Carver - George Saunders - Annie Proulx - And many, many more.

From the Back Cover

"When it comes to love, there are a million theories to explain it. But when it comes to love stories, things are simpler. A love story can never be about full possession. Love stories depend on disappointment, on unequal births and feuding families, on matrimonial boredom and at least one cold heart. Love stories, nearly without exception, give love a bad name . . . .

It is perhaps only in reading a love story (or in writing one) that we can simultaneously partake of the ecstasy and agony of being in love without paying a crippling emotional price. I offer this book, then, as a cure for lovesickness and an antidote to adultery. Read these love stories in the safety of your single bed. Let everybody else suffer."--Jeffrey Eugenides, from the introduction to My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead

All proceeds from My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead will go directly to fund the free youth writing programs offered by 826 Chicago. 826 Chicago is part of the network of seven writing centers across the United States affiliated with 826 National, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

Review Quotes

“The mix chosen by Eugenides is wonderful. . . . And it is a bigger thrill to realize that however painful the heartbreak, love offers real rewards--and these stories are among them.” -- Los Angeles Times

“Wonderful . . . Eugenides has chosen splendid work.” -- Washington Post Book World

“The 27 short stories in this collection provide healthy doses of longing and disappointment, but reading them is thoroughly enjoyable, like diving into a box of fine chocolates and savoring the bitter along with the sweet...the book makes a great Valentine's Day gift for spouses, friends or lovers.” -- Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

“The wonder of 'My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead' is that it manages to capture a deep as well as broad range of this funny thing called love... By focusing on literary merit, Eugenides has produced a treasury worth holding dear.” -- Christian Science Monitor

“Cupid is rarely kind in “Sparrow,” but his arrows are always razor-sharp.” -- San Antonio Express-News

“I can...recommend one very good gift for this Valentine's Day: My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead” -- Kansas City Star

“Eugenides has made wonderful choices from writers both classic and contemporary.” -- New Orleans Times-Picayune

"A perfect Valentine's Day gift for lovers of literary fiction." -- Kirkus Reviews