Chance Meetings

by William Saroyan

Book by Saroyan, William

1 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2015

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

[Robert Hobkirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short little, two or three page, memoirs of people Saroyan met over the years. Any one of these little recollections could have been developed into either short stories or novels. Comparing this to his earlier work, Human Comedy, I would say that some of these memoirs show a little grumpier side to Saroyan. He had a very fluid writing style making it easy to comprehend what he was saying and easy to read. I think the critics like to rave about writers who are unreadable, rather than with writers like Saroyan who aren't trying to be hip.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole book shows a potential for depth, but then he pulls up short. Saroyan does not delve the depths, but moved onto his next story? Why? Does Saroyan want us to see something else? There is no pattern in our relationships? Only chance meetings? Nothing to tie our lives together? Or was Saroyan just being lazy or lost his abilities when he wrote this book?

Like Saroyan, I will leave this question to ponder, but probably without an answer.

For more on this book, see my blog.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Late in his life, William Saroyan wrote several books of brief essays about people he met and places he lived, primarily Fresno, California and Paris. Chance Meetings is one of those books. I found this one to be tedious and repetitive. I think in most of his previous books, he had written just about all he could, so it gets to a point of how much juice can be squeezed from the orange. His 1976 book entitled, "Sons Come and Go, Mothers Hang in Forever," was a superb collection in the same vein as Chance Meetings, but much better. That work had life, insight, humor and pathos. It received a front page review in the NY Times Book Review at the time and surely deserved it. But Chance Meetings just did not meet my expectations, nor was it as good as Sons.

[Sri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku pertama Pak Saroyan yang kubaca.
Klik sama gaya Pak Saroyan bercerita. Tentu aku akan membaca buku-buku lainnya.
Di buku ini sendiri, Pak Saroyan mengambil tema Chance Meeting. Jadi per bab hanya singkat-singkat. Berisi kesan Pak Saroyan terhadap orang yang ditemuinya. Bahkan soal kakak dan ibunya pun diceritakan hanya selintas. Eh malah hanya sekedar figuran sih wkwk. Cara Pak Saroyan bergaul serta berbagai pekerjaan yang dia jalani sejak muda memberinya kesempatan bertemu berbagai karakter.

[Diana von Dzurilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Príliš náhodné a príliš stretnutia.
Skôr nie ako áno.

[Vinay Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvellous writer. Got to know his name from John Steinbeck letters, and he seems to be among the best writers.
Loved it!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the end I liked this collection more than I did initially, especially the last sentence. These mini memoirs feel like reading a sketchbook or journal.