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Sophistication
Short story.
- GenresShort StoriesClassics
First published January 1, 1927
About the author
Sherwood Anderson
430 books619 followersOften autobiographical, works of American writer Sherwood Anderson include
Winesburg, Ohio
(1919).
He supported his family and consequently never finished high school. He successfully managed a paint factory in Elyria before 1912 and fathered three children with the first of his four wives. In 1912, Anderson deserted his family and job.
In early 1913, he moved to Chicago, where he devoted more time to his imagination. He broke with considered materialism and convention to commit to art as a consequently heroic model for youth.
Mainly know for his short stories, most notably the collection Winesburg, Ohio. One can hear its profound influence on fiction in Ernest Miller Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thomas Clayton Wolfe, John Ernst Steinbeck, and Erskine Preston Caldwell.
Most important book collects 22 stories. The stories explore the inhabitants of a fictional version of Clyde, the small farm town, where Anderson lived for twelve early years. These tales made a significant break with the traditional short story. Instead of emphasizing plot and action, Anderson used a simple, precise, unsentimental style to reveal the frustration, loneliness, and longing in the lives of his characters. The narrowness of Midwestern small-town life and their own limitations stunt these characters.
Despite no wholly successful novel, Anderson composed several classic short stories. He influenced Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald and the coming generation.
He supported his family and consequently never finished high school. He successfully managed a paint factory in Elyria before 1912 and fathered three children with the first of his four wives. In 1912, Anderson deserted his family and job.
In early 1913, he moved to Chicago, where he devoted more time to his imagination. He broke with considered materialism and convention to commit to art as a consequently heroic model for youth.
Mainly know for his short stories, most notably the collection Winesburg, Ohio. One can hear its profound influence on fiction in Ernest Miller Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thomas Clayton Wolfe, John Ernst Steinbeck, and Erskine Preston Caldwell.
Most important book collects 22 stories. The stories explore the inhabitants of a fictional version of Clyde, the small farm town, where Anderson lived for twelve early years. These tales made a significant break with the traditional short story. Instead of emphasizing plot and action, Anderson used a simple, precise, unsentimental style to reveal the frustration, loneliness, and longing in the lives of his characters. The narrowness of Midwestern small-town life and their own limitations stunt these characters.
Despite no wholly successful novel, Anderson composed several classic short stories. He influenced Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald and the coming generation.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 22, 2024
A beautiful coming of age story succinctly told.
January 6, 2025
The second-to-last story in Anderson's masterpiece, Winesburg, Ohio, this short chapter follows the omnipresent George Willard, 18 and about to leave his home town to try his luck at a big city newspaper, as he ambiguously courts Helen White, the banker's daughter.
Helen White has other young men circling, more sophisticated men, but she has known George for a long time, and is touched by his incoherent passion — and shares much of his confusion, playfulness, and attraction.
They are discovering their own layers of sophistication — but what are they to make of their discoveries?
Helen White has other young men circling, more sophisticated men, but she has known George for a long time, and is touched by his incoherent passion — and shares much of his confusion, playfulness, and attraction.
They are discovering their own layers of sophistication — but what are they to make of their discoveries?
June 10, 2018
An audio version of this story is also found at: http://listentogenius.com/author.php/...
May 18, 2020
The story made me think of Araby by James Joyce. The cores of the two stories, to me, are identical to some extent.
March 31, 2022
Interesting take on puberty vs Sophistication but doesn't really stand out for me.
January 17, 2017
Beautifully written. I didn't want it to end!
March 11, 2017
I don't really write Goodreads reviews for short stories that I read in English class, but I enjoyed this one too much to just forget about it. This is the very definition of "read it at the right time in my life." A story about two teenagers excited for adulthood but don't want to let their childhood go? With a decently cute romance and beautiful writing? Sign me up. You can't just read this story, you have to dig deep into it, following symbols like the corn and the theme of isolation and the paradox of "sophistication" and what it really means. Luckily, those things aren't hard to find, really.
What is "sophistication"? Is it what society calls growing into adulthood, or is it growing into ourselves? And just because you're eighteen, do you have to leave your childhood playfulness completely behind? Can anyone give you the understanding you crave? And if you do find that person, who are they to you?
I highly recommend this very short story to anyone between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two.
What is "sophistication"? Is it what society calls growing into adulthood, or is it growing into ourselves? And just because you're eighteen, do you have to leave your childhood playfulness completely behind? Can anyone give you the understanding you crave? And if you do find that person, who are they to you?
I highly recommend this very short story to anyone between the ages of sixteen and twenty-two.
August 21, 2016
1. I read this short story because it was mentioned in the book Abby, My Love by Hadley Irwin. In both the book and the story there are young characters who are fighting between childhood and adulthood. The are in love with each other but there are factors that keep them apart.
2. I learned the word pedant from the podcast Baby Sitters Club Club. In this story they used a form of that word, pedantic. It's funny how you learn new words and then they seem to show up every where.
3. It was a nice look at Midwestern life.
4. I had an immediate picture in my mind when they mentioned the fair, being a Missouri Midwesterner myself.
2. I learned the word pedant from the podcast Baby Sitters Club Club. In this story they used a form of that word, pedantic. It's funny how you learn new words and then they seem to show up every where.
3. It was a nice look at Midwestern life.
4. I had an immediate picture in my mind when they mentioned the fair, being a Missouri Midwesterner myself.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews