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Stories Of The Sea
Classic adventure stories by Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling, Stephen Crane, Robert Louis Stevenson and Jack London mix with marvellously imaginative tales by Isak Dinesen, Patricia Highsmith and J. G. Ballard. Robert Olen Butler explores the memories of a Titanic victim who has become part of the sea that swallowed him; Ray Bradbury's 'The Fog Horn' summons something primeval and lonely from the ocean depths; John Updike's lovers retrace the route of Homer's Odyssey on a cruise ship. From Edgar Allan Poe's dramatic 'A Descent into the Maelstrom' to Ernest Hemingway's chilling 'After the Storm', the stories here are as wide-ranging and entrancing as the sea itself.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 18, 2020
A collection of 18 stories of adventures, storms, shipwrecks where the sea is usually a menacing presence. Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad, Kurt Vonnegut, Isak Dinesen, Herman Melville are some of the featured authors.
I loved most of the stories, but I feel that some are particularly memorable for me: "Sail Shining in White", by Mark Helprin, about an aged retiree who sails into a massive hurricane, most likely to die, is one of then. Then, Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat", a classic story about the loneliness and the struggle to survive of a group of shipwrecked sailors, in a cold, uncaring sea; Saki's "The Treasure Ship", an exploration of justice and blackmail written in Saki's humorous, inimitable style; and "The Merry Men", Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, a horror story of a life of hypocrisy and duplicity set on the Scottish coast.
STORIES OF THE SEA (2010) is a great collection of short fiction, some classic, some less known, for readers who love the sea, and reading stories about the sea.
I loved most of the stories, but I feel that some are particularly memorable for me: "Sail Shining in White", by Mark Helprin, about an aged retiree who sails into a massive hurricane, most likely to die, is one of then. Then, Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat", a classic story about the loneliness and the struggle to survive of a group of shipwrecked sailors, in a cold, uncaring sea; Saki's "The Treasure Ship", an exploration of justice and blackmail written in Saki's humorous, inimitable style; and "The Merry Men", Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, a horror story of a life of hypocrisy and duplicity set on the Scottish coast.
STORIES OF THE SEA (2010) is a great collection of short fiction, some classic, some less known, for readers who love the sea, and reading stories about the sea.
October 21, 2024
The joys of reading are many; one is simply holding the artefact itself, in this case a beautifully produced Everyman edition with a splendidly evocative cover painting by James Buttersworth, of a nineteenth century schooner Volunteer (c1887) under full sail, conveying at once the intimate relationship between the sea and its sailors.
Many of the stories in this rich collection feature small boats: Major Durant’s The Jolly Roger is a coastal cabin cruiser he buys to help him sort our his post military life; The Open Boat is a ten foot dinghy searching for a landing through the surf; The Merry Men have a schooner at their mercy. Even the tales overtly about cruising feature not overly large vessels: John Updike’s Cruise and Patricia Highsmith’s One for the Islands.
One of the other joys of reading a collection of short stories is discovering new authors, although in this case a couple of old authors but new to my experience: Kurt Vonnegut, whose The Cruise of ‘The Jolly Roger’, is a thoughtful meditation on the aforementioned Major Durant's displacement and his possible redemption, which is suggested as possible rather than achieved in the span of the story, where the sea and the cabin cruiser herself provide the setting for the change.
The wondrous discovery was Stephen Crane, who is known to me only as the author of The Red Badge of Courage, which I have not yet read. The Open Boat was immensely satisfying, a story of courage, the quiet competence of skilled seamanship, teamwork and above all, restraint in the face of the likely prospect of drowning within sight of the shore. This is a great adventure story and it reminds me that the best seas stories come from the veterans of sail and steam like Melville, Conrad, London, Conan Doyle and Mark Twain onward to Alastair MacLean.
The stories range over 150 years from Edgar Allan Poe (1841) to Mark Helprin (2004). The earlier tales are full of the menace and mystery, with tempest and vortexes and unknown creatures from the deep. There’s another motif later of wreck and wreckage and the impact of salvage and gleaning as pursued by the coast dwellers. There are others which focus on the seas as the locale or circumstances, for example, the time limited cruise offering a chance at momentary gratification. A splendid collection of varied stories, where you can almost feel the salt spray.
Many of the stories in this rich collection feature small boats: Major Durant’s The Jolly Roger is a coastal cabin cruiser he buys to help him sort our his post military life; The Open Boat is a ten foot dinghy searching for a landing through the surf; The Merry Men have a schooner at their mercy. Even the tales overtly about cruising feature not overly large vessels: John Updike’s Cruise and Patricia Highsmith’s One for the Islands.
One of the other joys of reading a collection of short stories is discovering new authors, although in this case a couple of old authors but new to my experience: Kurt Vonnegut, whose The Cruise of ‘The Jolly Roger’, is a thoughtful meditation on the aforementioned Major Durant's displacement and his possible redemption, which is suggested as possible rather than achieved in the span of the story, where the sea and the cabin cruiser herself provide the setting for the change.
The wondrous discovery was Stephen Crane, who is known to me only as the author of The Red Badge of Courage, which I have not yet read. The Open Boat was immensely satisfying, a story of courage, the quiet competence of skilled seamanship, teamwork and above all, restraint in the face of the likely prospect of drowning within sight of the shore. This is a great adventure story and it reminds me that the best seas stories come from the veterans of sail and steam like Melville, Conrad, London, Conan Doyle and Mark Twain onward to Alastair MacLean.
The stories range over 150 years from Edgar Allan Poe (1841) to Mark Helprin (2004). The earlier tales are full of the menace and mystery, with tempest and vortexes and unknown creatures from the deep. There’s another motif later of wreck and wreckage and the impact of salvage and gleaning as pursued by the coast dwellers. There are others which focus on the seas as the locale or circumstances, for example, the time limited cruise offering a chance at momentary gratification. A splendid collection of varied stories, where you can almost feel the salt spray.
July 16, 2019
Brought this with me on vacation and read it within days, between beach walks and seafood feasts. Only a couple of stories in there for which I truly didn't care, in contrast to plenty of fun little finds by Ray Bradbury, Jack London, Robert Olen Butler and J. G. Ballard, among others. A joy to stumble upon John Updike, at some point.
If anything, I could have used a little less boating and a little more beach scavenging or treasure hunting, in the end. As I finished the book, I was thinking that Anthony Doerr's "The Shell Collector" would've been a perfect fit among this assortment.
If anything, I could have used a little less boating and a little more beach scavenging or treasure hunting, in the end. As I finished the book, I was thinking that Anthony Doerr's "The Shell Collector" would've been a perfect fit among this assortment.
December 30, 2025
Verhalenbundels, zeker als de stukjes van verschillende auteurs zijn, zijn altijd moeilijk te beoordelen. Niettemin is dit een heerlijke ziltige mix van koloniaal avontuur, zeemanshumor, verzopen ellende en alle mogelijke schakeringen van grijs, groen en blauw. Bovendien prachtig vormgegeven.
November 11, 2023
The ultimate sea story collection!
"Stories of the Seas", edited by Diana Secker Tesdell, is a brilliant compilation of fictional short stories with themes related to ocean adventures. Written by various authors ranging from the famous (like Robert Louis Stevenson and John Updike) to the lesser known but talented (such as Patricia Highsmith and Isak Dinesen), each story is worthy of reading.
The short stories are all written with immense feeling and give perfect themes of all kinds of seafaring adventures. Some are accurate accounts of how it is to be sailing on an ocean through dangerous storms, while others are imaginative stories about mythical sea creatures and ghosts. Even the stories that are set on islands and on luxury cruise vessels are very entertaining to read through. Memorable characters also help the stories move along, as readers are given glimpses into their minds to see how ocean-related circumstances affect their decisions and relationships with each other.
If you manage to track down and find this pocket hardcover book, please do yourself a favour and give it a read. "Stories of the Seas" is a superb story collection that is great value and a true pleasure, perfect for fiction lovers and especially appropriate to read on the beach or on a sea cruise. Highly recommended!
"Stories of the Seas", edited by Diana Secker Tesdell, is a brilliant compilation of fictional short stories with themes related to ocean adventures. Written by various authors ranging from the famous (like Robert Louis Stevenson and John Updike) to the lesser known but talented (such as Patricia Highsmith and Isak Dinesen), each story is worthy of reading.
The short stories are all written with immense feeling and give perfect themes of all kinds of seafaring adventures. Some are accurate accounts of how it is to be sailing on an ocean through dangerous storms, while others are imaginative stories about mythical sea creatures and ghosts. Even the stories that are set on islands and on luxury cruise vessels are very entertaining to read through. Memorable characters also help the stories move along, as readers are given glimpses into their minds to see how ocean-related circumstances affect their decisions and relationships with each other.
If you manage to track down and find this pocket hardcover book, please do yourself a favour and give it a read. "Stories of the Seas" is a superb story collection that is great value and a true pleasure, perfect for fiction lovers and especially appropriate to read on the beach or on a sea cruise. Highly recommended!
August 10, 2014
Like other Everyman Pocket Classics stories, this is a well done collection--a mixture of standards and less common stories (at least for genre collections). The stories are divided into four sections: Dangers of the Deep, Voyages of Discovery, Survival at Sea and The Call of the Sea (mostly about madness and suicide or attempted suicide). The authors include Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen Crane, Ray Bradbury as well as J.G. Ballard, Mark Helprin and John Updike. My favorites were almost all of them.
March 8, 2022
Having been a lover of all things ocean related since my early childhood I really expected to enjoy this book. Unfortunately this was not the case.
I did enjoy the different writing styles from the various authors, however the majority of stories were not interesting enough to captivate me and I found myself drifting off.
It is not a bad collection of stories and the book is well presented but for me just a little slow.
2.5 stars
I did enjoy the different writing styles from the various authors, however the majority of stories were not interesting enough to captivate me and I found myself drifting off.
It is not a bad collection of stories and the book is well presented but for me just a little slow.
2.5 stars
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May 25, 2022A selection of these stories are being used for a summer reading program presented by our local libraries.
September 21, 2025
A way for me to feel closer to my grandpa.
November 20, 2019
The book was passed to me with some stories recommended.
I intended to read a very few before the book went back to the library but actually read quite a lot. One story 5 star (Jack London) and others all the way to 1 star - but a good collection to dip into.
Updike's 'Cruise' was very good. I feel sure I must have read a book by Updike a long time ago but none of the titles sound familiar, I've never heard of the Rabbit series and I didn't realise he wrote the 'Witches of Eastwick'. Has a similar langourous tone to Liz Williams 'Century to Starboard' which also features a cruise.
Kipling's 'A Matter of Fact' was not recommended but I still loved it. Had read it years ago when I was reading lots of Kipling. It's dated since he wrote it, but has a marvelous sense of the deep sea and ends with an interesting take on the media.
There's something wrong with Doris Lessing's 'Through the Tunnel'. Might be well written but to me the vignette is like a description of a painting. The attempt to enter the mind of a boy rings very false to me and the other people who appear are 2 dimensional. Nice descriptions of sand.
Saki's 'The Treasure Ship' Unnecessarily wordy. Shan't bother with anything else he has written.
J. G. Ballard's 'Now Wakes The Sea' - loved it, even if the rich wife's character was treated unfairly. Might have read one of his books back in my teens but none of the titles sound familiar. Shall look out for one in the library.
Mark Helprin's 'Sail Shining in White' is more about aging and death than about the sea. The writing engaged me but not the content - and perhaps all the stories are really about something else than the sea.
Kurt Vonnegut's 'The Cruise of the Jolly Roger' an illustrated lecture - not of much interest to me.
Conrad's 'Youth' was very good. Captivating. Have read this before.
Patricia Highsmith's 'One for the Islands' was wiffle waffle. Good job it was short.
Jack London's 'The House of Mapuhi' was absolutely the best so far. A riveting physical description of a hurricane and a host of interesting characters. I'm in love with Mapuhi's mum [spoiler] who survives on coconuts, reconstructs a broken canoe, nearly paddles it home and swims the rest of the way, fighting off a fifteen foot shark as she goes. A whole book in just a few pages!
Isak Dinesen's The Young Man With The Carnation' DNF.
I intended to read a very few before the book went back to the library but actually read quite a lot. One story 5 star (Jack London) and others all the way to 1 star - but a good collection to dip into.
Updike's 'Cruise' was very good. I feel sure I must have read a book by Updike a long time ago but none of the titles sound familiar, I've never heard of the Rabbit series and I didn't realise he wrote the 'Witches of Eastwick'. Has a similar langourous tone to Liz Williams 'Century to Starboard' which also features a cruise.
Kipling's 'A Matter of Fact' was not recommended but I still loved it. Had read it years ago when I was reading lots of Kipling. It's dated since he wrote it, but has a marvelous sense of the deep sea and ends with an interesting take on the media.
There's something wrong with Doris Lessing's 'Through the Tunnel'. Might be well written but to me the vignette is like a description of a painting. The attempt to enter the mind of a boy rings very false to me and the other people who appear are 2 dimensional. Nice descriptions of sand.
Saki's 'The Treasure Ship' Unnecessarily wordy. Shan't bother with anything else he has written.
J. G. Ballard's 'Now Wakes The Sea' - loved it, even if the rich wife's character was treated unfairly. Might have read one of his books back in my teens but none of the titles sound familiar. Shall look out for one in the library.
Mark Helprin's 'Sail Shining in White' is more about aging and death than about the sea. The writing engaged me but not the content - and perhaps all the stories are really about something else than the sea.
Kurt Vonnegut's 'The Cruise of the Jolly Roger' an illustrated lecture - not of much interest to me.
Conrad's 'Youth' was very good. Captivating. Have read this before.
Patricia Highsmith's 'One for the Islands' was wiffle waffle. Good job it was short.
Jack London's 'The House of Mapuhi' was absolutely the best so far. A riveting physical description of a hurricane and a host of interesting characters. I'm in love with Mapuhi's mum [spoiler] who survives on coconuts, reconstructs a broken canoe, nearly paddles it home and swims the rest of the way, fighting off a fifteen foot shark as she goes. A whole book in just a few pages!
Isak Dinesen's The Young Man With The Carnation' DNF.
February 15, 2016
Excellent collection of stories related to the sea by an amazing number of well known classic and modern authors.
July 29, 2018
BEST:
Kurt Vonnegut, "The Cruise of the Jolly Roger" (Voyages of Discovery)
Jack London, "House of Mapuhi"
Saki, "The Treasure-Ship"
Kurt Vonnegut, "The Cruise of the Jolly Roger" (Voyages of Discovery)
Jack London, "House of Mapuhi"
Saki, "The Treasure-Ship"
September 18, 2024
Some gems, some duds
October 24, 2022
I have a special fondness for short stories; for the way they grip you and move you in such a “short” amount of time; how you finish a story and find yourself transformed and awestruck. This collection of short stories, moved me in such a manner on multiple occasions. The editor of this collection did a superb job of selecting stories that revolved around the sea— it’s vastness, it’s danger, it’s mystery, its seducing nature, it’s call to adventure; and of choosing such a diverse array of writers— Hemingway, Bradbury, Stevenson, Poe, Vonnegut.
The best stories by far—“The Merry Men” by R.L Stevenson, “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing, “The House of Mapuhi” by Jack London, “Youth” by Joseph Conrad, and “Titanic victim speaks through waterbed” by Robert Olen Butler. But most of the stories in their own way were beautiful and ominous and used the sea as a tapestry to paint and portray human life in all its resilience and fragility.
The only reason I couldn’t give it five stars is due to several of the stories falling flat. But overall this collection was a true delight!
The best stories by far—“The Merry Men” by R.L Stevenson, “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing, “The House of Mapuhi” by Jack London, “Youth” by Joseph Conrad, and “Titanic victim speaks through waterbed” by Robert Olen Butler. But most of the stories in their own way were beautiful and ominous and used the sea as a tapestry to paint and portray human life in all its resilience and fragility.
The only reason I couldn’t give it five stars is due to several of the stories falling flat. But overall this collection was a true delight!
March 17, 2020
A nice anthology, where I'll admit I'm positively biased as I love everything about the topic...
I have to admit that the short stories are uneven but all very pleasant and well written.
On the positive side, the least known writers are definitely whetting our appetite and are curiously more interesting than the well known ones in this book.
Ray Bradubury's Fog Horn is the first and in my opinion best story in the book, which sets the bar unusually high. I don't know if I would have put it first...
I have to admit that the short stories are uneven but all very pleasant and well written.
On the positive side, the least known writers are definitely whetting our appetite and are curiously more interesting than the well known ones in this book.
Ray Bradubury's Fog Horn is the first and in my opinion best story in the book, which sets the bar unusually high. I don't know if I would have put it first...
July 10, 2022
Good variety of storytelling and well organized by theme. Includes some authors whom I would not have guessed had written such as Vonnegut, Poe, and a great supernatural drama by Bradbury.
A few disappointments. In particular, Butler’s Titanic Victim” story had so much more potential to carve out a new philosophy, but waterbeds???
And Melville could have used fewer words (no surprise).
Generally, a good portable reader.
A few disappointments. In particular, Butler’s Titanic Victim” story had so much more potential to carve out a new philosophy, but waterbeds???
And Melville could have used fewer words (no surprise).
Generally, a good portable reader.
February 20, 2023
What an excellent collection of short fiction! There were, of course, a few stories that didn't seem as strong as some of the others, but I don't think there was a single one that I disliked—an unusual occurrence with anthologies and something that impresses me greatly. These exceedingly well-chosen sea stories have been grouped here into four different thematic sections, each of which explores a different element of the sea. The tales complement each other perfectly, and each section is an adventure unto itself. I cannot praise this book highly enough. Absolutely amazing collection.
Out of an already-strong collection, these seven were my favorites:
• The Fog Horn (Bradbury)
• A Descent into the Maelström (Poe)
• The Cruise of The Jolly Roger (Vonnegut)
• One for the Islands (Highsmith)
• The Open Boat (Crane)
• The House of Mapuhi (London)
• Sail Shining in White (Helprin)
Out of an already-strong collection, these seven were my favorites:
• The Fog Horn (Bradbury)
• A Descent into the Maelström (Poe)
• The Cruise of The Jolly Roger (Vonnegut)
• One for the Islands (Highsmith)
• The Open Boat (Crane)
• The House of Mapuhi (London)
• Sail Shining in White (Helprin)
December 29, 2024
I enjoyed the variety of this selection, bite size stories, from classic 19th century authors up to modern writers, all on a nautical theme. I will remember having bought this book in the bookstore in Point Reyes after a nice hike to the coast. The nautical element of that weekend was a sea kayak trip after dark to see the bioluminescence in Tomales Bay.
January 11, 2025
There were a few really good short stories in this collection (London, Bradbury, Lessing), a few mediocre ones, and far too many that I didn't finish because they were boring and/or tedious. I hoped for more, but the good stories were worth reading.
October 9, 2018
Found the stories extremely boring but hey, that’s just my personal judgement: I see hat most people loved it so don’t let my review stop you from reading it.
December 5, 2018
These are fun. There are some that are great adventures and others that are beautiful for their description.
May 12, 2019
Personal highlights include the evocative, atmospheric tales by Bradbury, Poe, Stevenson, Crane, and Ballard; and the rich character studies of Lessing, Updike, Conrad, and Dinesen.
June 29, 2019
Some stories were excellent, and some made me yawn!
February 2, 2020
One of the best Everyman collections I have ever read. I specifically enjoyed:
-Through the tunnel (Dorris Lessing)
-The cruise of the Jolly Roger (Kurt Vonnegut)
-Through the tunnel (Dorris Lessing)
-The cruise of the Jolly Roger (Kurt Vonnegut)
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December 19, 2022DNF.
August 5, 2023
Perfect choice for my beach vacations. Favorites were by Doris Lessing, Robert Louis Stevenson, Patricia Highsmith and Robert Olen Butler
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June 13, 2024“She was younger than I, but she was no young girl; she was a woman with a life lived in ways that perhaps would have been very interesting to share, in some other place.”
November 16, 2017
Read about half of the stories and not a single one interested me, except the one that was already one of my all time fave stories. Soooo meh. Authors of a certain age can be so tediously wordy. The Updike is nice.
March 11, 2017
Only 4 stars because I didn't read all the stories. Loved the ones I read, though.
July 26, 2010
A fine book to read by the sea. Highlights include Joseph Conrad on an ill-fated collier ("Youth"), Jack London on a South Seas hurricane ("The House of Mapuhi"), John Updike retracing the Odyssey ("Cruise"), and Isak Dinesen on a strange night in the port of Antwerp ("The Young Man with the Carnation"). Less satisfying for me were Patricia Highsmith ("One for the Islands") and Mark Helprin's cloying exercise in self-satisfaction ("Sail Shining in White").
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews