Row 22, Seats A & B

by Frederick Waterman

Seventeen short stories and every one of them as different as the people who sit in Row 22, Seats A & B. This is the highly acclaimed series of short stories which first appeared in United Airlines' HEMISPHERES magazine, now published together for the first time

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Frederick Wiseman, my favorite modern short story writer! I wish I could give it six stars.

I used to travel a lot for the government, mainly on long trips to Asia. Whenever I flew on United I would immediately open up the magazine and see if there was a short story by Frederick Wiseman in it. If so, I would try to hold off on reading it until the plane was in the air. These stories were all under the generic series title of Row 22, Seats A&B, with the individual stories having their own titles.

And so it was only natural that some of them were eventually published in his first collection, Row 22 Seats A & B. The book shown is actually for the first edition, which does not have the stories that were added to the second edition, which has a slightly different cover but twice as many pages! (So be careful if purchasing ... because the cover of the first edition is almost the same as the cover of the second edition.)

Each story has a surprise or twist at the end ... very similar to some of Roald Dahl's adult short stories. I'm slowly working my way through all of the stories in this new volume, both the ones I had read before and the ones that are new to the collection.

[Jennifer Word · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm actually not sure how long ago I read this. I discovered the book because I believe the stories inside all originated as a series published on a Delta in flight magazine, or something like that. I was on a flight and I read this story inside the in flight magazine, and it was so good, I memorized the author's name. When I got home, at some point, I actually remembered to look him up and discovered there was a whole book of these stories, all set on a plane, specifically in row 22, seats A & B. I ordered the book and I LOVED it. Now, whenever I get the chance to take a flight and pick my seats, if row 22, seats A or B are available, I try to sit there first! I also take this book with me on every flight, because the stories are all so much fun to read. Terrific book, and because of it, NO airline flight can fully suck ever again. Well...unless it crashed, I guess. But even then, at least I'll have had a fun read before going down. ;)

[John Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big surprise. So many great short stories with fascinating twists and emotional conclusions. All of this from a sportswriter. Disappointed that Fred didn't give us more after Row 22.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining delightful read.

[Lynee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read these short stories, I keep wishing there were more of them. They are fantastic!

[Joanne Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well crafted short stories

Each story somehow weaves in Row 22 Seats A & B, but the unique and varied tales are the perfect choice for a short evening read before turning off the light.

[Islandcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

clever stories

[Eleanor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the most beautiful book. The author has a profound understanding of human nature and each tale twists somewhere you never anticipated it might go. That's not easy to do. If you want to read something wonderful and end up feeling good about yourself, this is a book for you and for someone you love, or for someone who needs a lift. Every Christmas I re-read one particular story about a butler, and my mother does as well. There's a reason every reviewer so far has given this book five stars. If you only read one book this year, I hope this is it. Enjoy.
PS: Apparently this is out of print, but you can pick up copies for a penny plus shipping online. Well worth the time to get one.

[Cody Tolmasoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading these short stories on flights in United's Hemisphere's in flight magazine. It was always something I looked forward to. I got a (signed) copy for my birthday a few years back, and truly enjoyed every short story in the book. There was always a twist, and it was hard to see it coming. A couple of years ago I was about to suggest this book to a few friends, but it was impossible to find, and the copies that were for sale were in the $200+ neighborhood. Prices have dropped, and you can find a copy in the $20 range now.

[Penandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorite collections of short stories. I was first introduced to Frederick Waterman's work when I was doing a lot of business travel. I was reading his short stories in United's in-flight magazine, Hemispheres. It is a collection I go back to every few years and reread. Even when I think I remember the way the story ends, I am moved by the telling.

Some stories not in this collection can be found at Row22.com.

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book! Very well-written short stories, 17 of them. They are just the right length if you just want to sit down for a couple minutes of enjoyment. A large percentage of the stories elicited an "ah" at the end. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find copies of this book. The author's style reminds me of Jeffrey Archer's short stories which I have enjoyed as well.

[Leslie (updates on SG) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories, first written for United Airline's _Hemispheres_ magazine. I love the intriguing premise: imagine the stories that could be told about you and the person next to you on a plane. The writing is engaging, and some of the stories have a nice O'Henry-like twist at the end.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I loved some of the stories and hated others. Although I will admit they were all thought provoking and had twists you didn't expect, I only had a few favorites among them. I've considered just cutting out the pages I didn't like... I own the book :)

[holls · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED! this book. If you like short stories (with a twist) you'll like it too. I would recommend it to anyone. Quick reading but fulfilling.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as I loved his monthly stories in United Airlines' Hemispheres magazine.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories - very enjoyable!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved ~ 85% of the stories. It was a nice change to read a few short stories each day versus parts of a novel.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book as part of the Rolla Readers Book club. Enjoyable read