The William Saroyan Reader

by William Saroyan, Aram Saroyan (Editor)

Briefly outlines the life and career of William Saroyan, and gathers a selection of his short stories and essays

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Drama, Collections, American

516 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

William Saroyan was an Armenian-American writer, renowned for his novels, plays, and short stories. He gained widespread recognition for his unique literary style, often characterized by a deep appreciation for everyday life and human resilience. His works frequently explored themes of Armenian-American immigrant experiences, particularly in his native California, and were infused with optimism, humor, and sentimentality.
Saroyan's breakthrough came with The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), a short story that established him as a major literary voice during the Great Depression. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for The Time of Your Life, though he declined the award, and in 1943, he won an Academy Award for Best Story for The Human Comedy. His novel My Name Is Aram (1940), based on his childhood, became an international bestseller.
Though celebrated for his literary achievements, Saroyan had a tumultuous career, often struggling with financial instability due to his gambling habits and an unwillingness to compromise with Hollywood. His later works were less commercially successful, but he remained a prolific writer, publishing essays, memoirs, and plays throughout his life.
Saroyan's legacy endures through his influence on American literature, his contributions to Armenian cultural identity, and the honors bestowed upon him, including a posthumous induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame. His remains are divided between Fresno, California, and Armenia, reflecting his deep connection to both his birthplace and ancestral homeland.

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and overlooked author, American-Armenian, who writes in good, solid prose. Two of my fave novels of his are The Human Comedy (particularly brilliant) and My Name is Aram. The stories of our lives, really, no matter our ages. A great-uncle gave me The Human Comedy in hardcover when I was 13. Still have it. Set in the 1940s. Great writer.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't chance into Saroyan's writing until recently. Once, he was the one of the most popular writers in America. His plays made him fortunes, which he lost gambling. So then he would go back to writing again to make more money. Which lost again. And again. His life was dramatic, and his writing shows that. Everything I have read by Saroyan is perfectly balanced and great.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jun 5, 1140pm ~~ Used my quiet time this evening to finish The WS Reader.

I am still a bit astonished at how deeply I connect with Saroyan's work.

All I can think to say as a review is YES:

I understand your words in ways I can't explain.

I see the world much the same as you did.

You are someone who can make other people feel less alone.

Yes, yes, yes.

And thank you for this sense of discovering family.

You know what I mean.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saroyan has a very distinctive voice...........utterly interesting, hopeful yet quite melancholy. I would advise anyone not familiar with Saroyan to read his stories, plays, novels.........start with "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" and wander from there!

[Wilma Rebstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't so much remember what I read of William Saroyan, but just that I have and that he touched my heart and mind. His work is high on the list of things I mean to get into.

[Stosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

after a few drinks if you read the first bit of the trapeze story you will get goosebumps its so amazingly well written.

[Ann Agayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The honest, true, proud, alive writer writing about living people with intelligence, humour and love!!!

[Douglas Beagley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, spare bits of genius. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but Saroyan makes me feel like a nerdy wordy didactic 16 year old again.

[Joni Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Saroyan is genius. Pure Genius. I have this book in Hard Copy and refer to it regularly when I need to be transported from life to somewhere else. Excellent.

[James Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love his ability to make normal life and people entertaining.

[Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid book. I am slapping myself for having not read Saroyan earlier in my life.

Analogues (for this reader):
-Hemingway
-Bradbury
-Heinlein (minor)
-John Fante
-Dostoevsky
-Bukowski (minor, no surprise considering Fante is on the list)

The voice is closest to Bradbury, and the dialogue is absolutely believable. The breadth of his writing present in this Reader is wonderful. Like others, I say start with Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, and go from there, it's just beautiful. There is a lot of the Russian authors in his work, and I have no doubt those before Saroyan were an influence. Saroyan is Armenian, which means he seems to be innately familiar with straddling two more more worlds at once, a theme that comes out repeatedly in this reader. There is the immigrant-in-America of Fante, the tell-it-like-it-is-but-also-make-it-beautiful of Hemingway, and the critiques of modern society of Heinlein.

Not everything in this (or any) Reader is gold. It's not supposed to be a "best of," it's a representative collection of stories. Saroyan's voice is accessible and easily understood, and you *will* empathize with the characters, even the "bad guys" (you're supposed t0).

It is difficult to review what is, essentially, a collection, so I will simply say that if you enjoy the authors listed above, pick up the Reader. If you read Daring Young Man and enjoy it, pick up the Reader. I purchased a copy to keep.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saroyan is my favorite writer. And this is a decent collection. The only problem with it is that it only gives some chapters of novels, excerpts. The chapters are not even sequential. If you plan on reading Saroyan's novels, The Human Comedy and The Adventures of Wesley Jackson, then you're better off not reading bits and pieces of them first, even if Saroyan's longer works are sometimes episodic.

[Ben Holliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

The imagination in my favorite of Saroyan's pieces drew me to this collection where I explored many stories I previously hadn't heard of--and I'm damn glad I did. Because knowing of Saroyan probably means you're a Lit. enthusiast already, there's no point in a longer review, really, but if you're reading this without much knowledge of him, I'll just say: thus far he's one of the only authors whose short stories I truly enjoy.

[Leroy Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading two other books by Saroyan, "My Name Is Aram" and "The Human Comedy". I looked forward to reading this one, also. By the time I was finished, though, I had to agree with a friend of mine. I'm tired of Saroyan. While at times he can be witty and humorous, at other times he just drags. This book has some of each of those, but a little bit too much of the latter. While I enjoyed reading it, this might just be the last book by Saroyan that I'll bother with.

[Cara]

Who doesn't love Saroyan? Imagery that surely came out of my own mind.

[Zuzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Tracy's Tiger is still the best novel for a teenager in love there is

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took out this book to read "Finlandia." I always liked Saroyan's writing style.. you can just sit in his paragraphs.

[Jack Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the greats

His forte is the observation of life - people, places, and the times. While cynical and biting at times, he can also expertly describe hidden depths of feelings.