In the Walled City: Stories

by Stewart O'Nan

An award-winning collection of short fiction from one of “the strongest American writers of his generation” (The Washington Post Book World).   Proclaimed “a master” by the New York Times and selected as one of Granta’s Best Young American Novelists, Stewart O’Nan started his literary career with this outstanding collection of short stories. Selected as the winner of the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, these twelve stories offer intimate portraits of a broad range of characters—including a ruined farmer, a black day laborer, an old Chinese grocer, and a young policeman who descends into madness after being separated from his family.   Probing and lyrical, these stories illuminate the connections that bind us and the obligations and sorrows of love. From The Speed Queen to The Names of the Dead to West of Sunset, O’Nan has dazzled readers again and again. Fans new and old will enjoy In the Walled City.   “These are stories of a high order, sophisticated, humane, persistent; once read, they don’t go away.” —Tobias Wolff

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literature

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Stewart O'Nan is the author of eighteen novels, including Emily, Alone; Last Night at the Lobster; A Prayer for the Dying; Snow Angels; and the forthcoming Ocean State, due out from Grove/Atlantic on March 8th, 2022.

With Stephen King, I’ve also co-written Faithful, a nonfiction account of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and the e-story “A Face in the Crowd.”

You can catch me at stewart-onan.com, on Twitter @stewartonan and on Facebook @stewartONanAuthor

Reviews

[Lennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ever since I read “Last Night at the Lobster” I’ve been a big fan of Stewart O’Nan and he is now one of my favorite authors. “In the Walled City” is a collection of stories which was published in the early years of this author’s career and so it was a real treat for me to come across it in a used bookstore and be able to have the chance to read it and compare his writing style then to now. Unfortunately the stories in this collection aren’t what I consider compelling but I feel that this book was written at a time when the author was still developing his writing skills. The characters in the stories all deal with personal struggles which are still common themes in his more recent novels. If someone wanted to read a book from this author for the first time I would steer them towards some of his latest works, for it these that one can truly appreciate this author for his fine craft.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a story collection about regular working-class people (O'Nan's specialty) struggling through difficult times, with economical, health and marital issues. This was written a bit earlier in his career and his writing isn't quite as polished, but there is still much to enjoy.

[Christopher Rex · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters in these short-stories are very well crafted, believable and display the talents of the author. The problem with the book was getting going. The stories get better as you go along, so it is worth plowing through this short collection. I liked the stories, but I wouldn't go out on a limb to recommend them. If you are looking at writing and character-development as a "craft" I think this is a solid author. If you are looking for stories that are multi-faceted or intellectually-stimulating, I'm not so sure. Worth reading if it is was you come across, but not worth seeking out.

[Michael Behrmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In keiner dieser ziemlich kurzen Erzählungen passiert irgend etwas Spektakuläres und auch sprachlich ist das alles eher einfach gehalten, und trotzdem – oder vielleicht auch gerade deshalb – handelt es sich bei „Armee der Superhelden“ um eine wirklich großartige Kurzgeschichten-Sammlung. Stewart O'Nan scheint ganz genau zu wissen wie die klassische amerikanische Short-Story zu funktionieren hat, egal ob man jetzt Hemingway, Updike oder Carver heranzieht – alles angemessen und keineswegs zu hoch gegriffen –, jeder der mit dieser Erzählform irgendwas anfangen kann findet hier gleich eine ganze Reihe hervorragender und erfreulich unterschiedlicher Beispiele. Unbedingt lesenswert!

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I enjoyed A Prayer For the Dying so much I thought I would start at the beginning of O'Nan's work to see the progression of his writing. I found In the Walled City at the library and thought it would be a good chance to take a look at his short stories, see how they compare to a longer novel. I assume this collection (c1993) is his first published collection of short stories and it especially feels like it. O'Nan has a good concept of the craft, but execution sometimes left a little to be desired. Some of the stories are particularly great (Finding Amy, Mr. Wu Thinks, The Doctor's Sickness, The Legion of Superheroes, Steak - interestingly enough those five stories fall one after the other in the book) and I enjoyed them a lot. These are the stories in which O'Nan really delves into the lives of his characters and tells their stories. All of the stories in this collection are roughly about the same sort of change in peoples' lives, they are all in a period of transition, whether physically or emotionally, and for that reason I thought the collection was a success. They all fit together, and while I hoped for something even more spectacular I am not disappointed and will continue to make my way through the years of his writing.

Note: I also thought I would like it even more based on the fact that this collection was a Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner of 1993, selected by the fabulous Tobias Wolff.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts on a few of these stories: "Winter Haven" is a cacophonous story whose narrative style mimics the narrator's state of mind. Throughout the story, right to the last sentence, it raises more problems than it solves. I was completely lost in the first section of "Calling," actually confused by some of the descriptions, but I kept reading because the situation intrigued me. After that opening section, the story started coming together as a series of explanatory scenes culminating in the scene we've already imagined, which only mildly surprised with a few of its details. The order of the scenes is not linear. Some of the scenes are there just to provide texture, while others tell/explicate the story line. Probably worth another read sometime. I love the first sentence of "Mr. Wu Thinks." ("This is what I think, Mr. Wu thinks, because he is thinking in English, an exercise his night-school instructor suggests at the end of each class.") Learning the language is a symbol of change, and a neat device, but I found the story a bit muted. Strange really, although a lot is going on, there's no energy, no urgency. "The Legion of Superheroes" on the other hand has a lot of urgency, probably because the parent/child relationship has tension in it that the parent/child relationship in the Mr. Wu story didn't. The comic books are a great vehicle for conveying the changes.

[Bibliomantic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Stewart O’Nan for some time, so I was glad to finally get my hands on his very first book. My curiosity about his early style and themes inspired me to seek it out. Will the stories in this collection be about the struggles of the working class? Divorces, bad relationships? Hard times? Rundown neighborhoods? Or, will they be more macabre, like at least two of his novels? The former is the case. And I suspected as much, since Snow Angels was the immediate book after it. It may have even been worked on concurrently. These are hard stories. Some of them are about resilient people, and some about those less ready to face their circumstances. But they aren’t brutal. They don’t defeat, even when problems aren’t resolved. They are struggle pieces, and either the characters or we, the readers, gain something by the time each is finished. This story collection shows that O’Nan was good at this from the very beginning.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stewart O'Nan fan club is back in session.
I finally read his short story collection, In the Walled City, and it was exquisite. O'Nan was the winner of the 13th Drue Heinz Literature Prize for this collection of twelve stories.

In the twelve stories, O'Nan's well crafted characters are all average people facing some physical or emotional upheaval or turning point in their lives. For some of his characters there is a glimmer of hope; others face a bleak, tragic future; some are just plodding along, seemingly unaware. They are all searching for a direction and meaning to their lives. Every character was memorable in some way. Every story left me wanting more.
Very Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

[Sheila]

I wanted to read some of O'Nan's early work before starting "Snow Angels." I was interested in his short stories because, well, nobody really pay attention to them any more. Some of these stories were small jewels, containing a sense of completeness; some portraits in miniature,with characterization that had you standing like a voyeur peering in at the windowpane of someone else's life; and some were like old greeting cards or letters you save for sentimental reasons. Overall, I think this shows the shape of things to come- I haven't read any of O'Nan's novels, but feel that now I am ready to go the distance with this talented author.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

O'Nan's perfect-pitch ear for the nuances of human sadness is astounding. I think Stewart O'Nan is a great writer. So predictably, O'Nan's writing borders on elegant, and his understanding of the feelings of loss and uncertainty, as well as his ability to convey this with subtle intensity through his characters, is unmatched.

That said, my feeling about short stories remains unchanged even with the beautiful writing of Stewart O'Nan. Just as I am deeply into the story, it comes to a screeching halt and leaves me bewildered and benumbed.

However, to those who love short stories, O'Nan is probably your man!

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Stewart, where have you been all my life? If this is an early collection of his short stories, I think I'm in for a real treat when I read more. His characters can be dark and dingy, but there is always a flicker of humanity in each of their hearts. The husband in "Winter Haven" finds God in his dark thoughts -- "God is not like a star than can go out." The teacher in "The Big Wheel" may have been my favorite creation, building the kids up only to see them torn down, daily sorting through the wreckage, "trying to decide what could and could not be saved."

[Naama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories seemed a bit half-baked - not entirely clear - and yet I kept reading. Though each short story in the book had a separate story line and characters, the sum was greater than its parts and created a touching gestalt- the general themes of loss & the struggles of blue-collar America, set against a backdrop of winter, permeated through most of the book and left a strong impression. I happened upon this book and started reading it almost randomly, and though giving it 4 starts is a bit generous, I have no regrets in having read it.

[itchy · Rating 2 out of 5]

ocr:
p43: Ah, but Mrs. Abplanalp's garden was prospering, brilliant in the sun.
p44: Ralph, his youngest, had tended it one summer while the Abpianalps had their month at Bar Harbor, lugging Rachel's sloshing watering can across the lawn at dusk, and the thought of such painstaking devotion so miraculously rewarded buoyed Grey.

This is going to take some getting used to.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice stories, very real people in very real situations. A little Carver-eque, but, you know, longer, and a lot of the stories hit the same note. Still, it was really interesting to see the Proto-Snow Angels and how many things from his stories made it into the novel.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of stories focuses on people in transition. The roots of Snow Angels appear as a short story here.

[Debra]

Stephen King friend and recommended author.

[Mark Alden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stewart O'Nan's writing is high quality. Seemed like the stories got better and more interesting as the book progressed.

[LInda L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't like short stories very much -- some of these were OK, some were incomprehensible.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books of lovely, still, closely observed short stories. It's not my deal, really, but it's well written.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the collection of short stories that launched Stewart O'Nan's writing career. Viewed in retrospect, it was a trial run at several different styles and genres of stories, some (all?) of which appeared in his later writing. Some of the stories are brilliant, others strike me as a young artist's early exploration of his own imagination and voice.

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein winziges Büchlein mit 4 Kurzgeschichten, dass ich auf dem Weg zur Arbeit gelesen habe. Überraschend packend und interessant, auch wenn der Schauplatz und die Figuren in jeder Geschichte sehr ähnlich aufgebaut wurden.

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief vignettes that give a glimpse at the restrictions we impose on ourselves, that come with reality, and that arise with awareness but limited progress

[Theresa Kulenkamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting, but it tends to pull my mood down.

[Amy Oechsner · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given this book by Friend’s mom, not my ideal book. It was just weird and strange and I did not enjoy it.