The Granta Book of the American Short Story - by Richard Ford (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Richard Ford, one of the finest American novelists and short-story writers, introduced the first Granta Book of the American Short Story, which Granta Books published in 1992.

It became the definitive anthology of American short fiction written in the last half of the twentieth century. In the fourteen years since, Ford has been reading new stories and rereading old ones and selecting new favorites. This new collection, again of more than forty writers, expands Ford's original choice to include stories that he regretted overlooking first time around as well as many by a new generation of writers, among them Sherman Alexie, Junot Diaz, Deborah Eisenberg, Nell Freudenberg, Matt Klam, Jhumpa Lahiri and Z. Z. Packer. None of the stories (though a few of the writers) was in the first volume. Published to critical acclaim in hardback in 2007, this book is an essential companion volume to the first collection.

Review Quotes

'There is no better introduction to the modern American short story on the market. Nor is there, I would argue, any better introduction to modern America. In story after story one is within touching distance of the real America, with its manifold dysfunctions, destructive disappointments and quotidian glamour ... What each offers is a compelling, convincing voice and a world freshly articulated. This is a collection to revel in and savour slowly, one story at a time' Alan Taylor, (28.10.07)"Sunday Herald " 'A marvellous collection ... a collection to be read, reckoned with and possibly loved' Tom Adair, "Scotsman "(03.11.07)'One of the chief pleasures of this extensive volume lies in rediscovering the old. I defy anyone not to reel with delight at John Cheever's heartbreaking but hilarious 'Reunion' ... Ranging back and forth across decades, expansive in its scope and ambition, this is a book far more capable of demonstrating the short story's variety and strangeness ... Ford's is the long view, seriously considered, full of nuance and detail and heritage' Alex Clark, "Observer"(11.11.07) 'The latest in a distinguished sequence of similar anthologies published in the past 15 years, beginning with "Granta"'s original "Book of the American Short Story" ... More original, and more invigorating, is Ford's focus on the younger authors. the new "Granta" book features seven writers under the age of 40, all of their stories worth reading, some of them unforgettable' Tobias Hill, "The Times"(10.11.07) 'Formidable ... the "New Granta Book" is quite a triumph' Tim Martin, "Independent on Sunday"(11.11.07) 'The stories that Ford picks are all about consequence. They're about moments, and places, outside the normal run of things - turning points in lives that occur, often rather casually, and sometimes unnoticed for years, when routines are broken ... Many of the volumes from which Ford assembled this collection are, shockingly, out of print. They are well worth seeking out'