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Fresno Stories
Eleven of William Saroyan's most delightful tales, Fresno Stories springs straight from the source of the author's vision―"the archetypal Armenian families who inhabit Saroyan country, in and around Fresno, California." ( Chicago Tribune ) Selected from New Directions' collections of Saroyan's early stories ( The Man With the Heart In the Highlands ) and his later work ( Madness In the Family ), Fresno Stories spans his whole remarkable career.
90 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 1994
18 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
William Saroyan
348 books644 followersWilliam 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 15, 2024
"Cowards are nice. ... They're very brave." - William Saroyan
Eleven short stories that are on the shorter side of short. They left me feeling enthusiastic about William Saroyan.
Eleven short stories that are on the shorter side of short. They left me feeling enthusiastic about William Saroyan.
May 27, 2020
Well worth the read. I didn’t realize how short this book of short stories is—only about 90 pages long—when I ordered it. The stories are brief and easy to read and include Saroyan’s simplistic style. Good stuff. “Sweetheart Sweetheart Sweetheart” and “The Man with the Heart in the Highlands” are among my favs.
March 23, 2008
Saroyan's stories are highly economical, and startlingly effective in their sparseness. One of my favorite writers.
February 17, 2017
Once upon a time (the late 1930d and early 1940s) William Saroyan (1908-81) was a very popular and acclaimed writer, winning a Pulitzer Prize for his saloon play “The Time of Your Life” (1939), and an Oscar for what became his most popular novel The Human Comedy (1943). I’d read those along with his best-selling, cloying set of linked stories aout the Garoghlanian clan in My Name Is Aram (1940), and his first collection of stories, The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935). He continued to publish, but had fewer readers. I don’t think he has many today, except perhaps in his native Fresno, and perhaps among Armenian-Americans from there and elsewhere.
I happened upon the New Directions collection of four stories from The Man with His Heart in the Highlands (1939) and seven from Madness in the Family (1988). My favorite, not just of those from the earlier book, is “The Great Leapfrog Contest.” It features the confrontation for primacy between a tomboy, Rosie Mahoney, and newcomer Rex Folger, who had beaten all the boys in the neighborhood.
I’ll readily acknowledge that Saroyan’s stories have endings rather than just ceasing as the prototypical New Yorker story does. And the collection ends strongly with “Cowards,” “The Last Word Was Love,” and “The Duel.” The last one is in the mock heroic manner, the preceding two poignant. The other one I like (one of the earlier ones) is “Sweetheart Sweetheart Sweetheart,” which is also poignant.
Although the stories are short (eleven in 87 pages of text), most are not laconic, and the shortest (the two-page “A Fresno Tale”) manages to be the most run-on. I don’t see any change in style or subject matter between the early and the late stories.
I happened upon the New Directions collection of four stories from The Man with His Heart in the Highlands (1939) and seven from Madness in the Family (1988). My favorite, not just of those from the earlier book, is “The Great Leapfrog Contest.” It features the confrontation for primacy between a tomboy, Rosie Mahoney, and newcomer Rex Folger, who had beaten all the boys in the neighborhood.
I’ll readily acknowledge that Saroyan’s stories have endings rather than just ceasing as the prototypical New Yorker story does. And the collection ends strongly with “Cowards,” “The Last Word Was Love,” and “The Duel.” The last one is in the mock heroic manner, the preceding two poignant. The other one I like (one of the earlier ones) is “Sweetheart Sweetheart Sweetheart,” which is also poignant.
Although the stories are short (eleven in 87 pages of text), most are not laconic, and the shortest (the two-page “A Fresno Tale”) manages to be the most run-on. I don’t see any change in style or subject matter between the early and the late stories.
November 15, 2020
3.5*
Primiršto armėnų kilmės amerikiečių klasiko nedidukas 11-kos trumpučių apsakymų rinkinys.
Apsakymas "Cowards" apie drąsuolį-bailį Kristofor'ą.
"For Kristofor. Crucified for his bravery. Coward he was, no doubt, but how much more brave a man must be to be a coward. It is easy to be a soldier of the government with all of your comrades. But it is very hard to be yourself, all alone under the bed in your mother's house. I am crying for the bravery of Kristofor. The war is over. Whoever won, won without Kristofor. May God forgive the winners and the loser alike, they each have their dead. May God protect Kristofor Under the Bed, wherever he may be or wherever he may go."
"Cowards are nice, they're interesting, they're gentle, they wouldn't think of shooting down people in a parade from a tower. They want to live, so they can see their kids. They're very brave."
Primiršto armėnų kilmės amerikiečių klasiko nedidukas 11-kos trumpučių apsakymų rinkinys.
Apsakymas "Cowards" apie drąsuolį-bailį Kristofor'ą.
"For Kristofor. Crucified for his bravery. Coward he was, no doubt, but how much more brave a man must be to be a coward. It is easy to be a soldier of the government with all of your comrades. But it is very hard to be yourself, all alone under the bed in your mother's house. I am crying for the bravery of Kristofor. The war is over. Whoever won, won without Kristofor. May God forgive the winners and the loser alike, they each have their dead. May God protect Kristofor Under the Bed, wherever he may be or wherever he may go."
"Cowards are nice, they're interesting, they're gentle, they wouldn't think of shooting down people in a parade from a tower. They want to live, so they can see their kids. They're very brave."
February 16, 2008
Growing up in Fresno, I always knew that Saroyan was one of our (few) claims to fame, but I can't actually recall ever having read any of his work. I really liked these stories about Fresno in the early twentieth century, the style is simple and genuine, and the characters recognizable if a little dated. I suppose the Fresno connection bumped up my rating a little, but this book is so short (90 pages), everyone can find a little something to like in it without making a major commitment.
February 13, 2022
Quite a simple pleasure. Nice stories, well told, reflecting an old time in Northern California in a mainly Armenian community. Full of some kind of love. Really nice.
March 11, 2025
I LOVE A SHORT STORY but they’re even better when you understand the author’s attitude. I give it 4 stars bc it’s too personal to his heritage and geography. If you don’t understand those two things, a lot will go over your head. But when you do, it feels like a gift.
**I read some of my favorites to my Armenian father who lives around where Saroyan did and we laughed hard.
**I read some of my favorites to my Armenian father who lives around where Saroyan did and we laughed hard.
February 15, 2023
read except the short story "madness in the family" was ripped out of the copy I got from the library. Not sure if that means it was really good or really bad. Why doesn't this site allow you to rate by half stars?
May 31, 2011
Great book. I love how we see Saroyan's progression from his earlier stories to his later writings. His style gets better yet his characters still retain the moral character and ethic that draws me in so much.
I especially love the story about the Madmen in his family and how they don't become men in the family until they've gone crazy at least once. His Biblical influences really come out in that story especially.
I especially love the story about the Madmen in his family and how they don't become men in the family until they've gone crazy at least once. His Biblical influences really come out in that story especially.
November 23, 2020
Saroyan was around while I grew up in Fresno, maintaining his hoarded papers and artifacts in a tract house next to the house he lived in. We didn't even study his work in school.
But we should have. A lot of the culture around me as a kid now makes more sense after reading these stories (and other books and plays of his I have read).
A short, enchanting read.
But we should have. A lot of the culture around me as a kid now makes more sense after reading these stories (and other books and plays of his I have read).
A short, enchanting read.
January 20, 2011
Picked this up in California, had no idea it even existed. The Human Comedy is one of my favorite novels ever, and Saroyan's clear, uncluttered style, unafraid of sentimentality, is central to my appreciation of literature.
July 23, 2012
Like "My Name is Aram," I think I'm missing something, and it probably has to do with the Armenian culture. In any case, a few interesting stories. I particularly liked, "The Leapfrog Contest."
September 4, 2013
Another book that deserves more than three stars but not quite four - so 3 1/2.
May 9, 2016
Good, short reads with a strong sense of place, time, and character.
January 26, 2022
"In short, don't count on being terribly spiritual unless you are also always slightly sick. A proverb overlooked by Gultik, but seized upon eagerly by Fresno."
I think these stories read differently if you're a reader who grew up in Fresno county like myself. Separated in two parts - early and late stories - Fresno Stories is a love letter to Saroyan's home and one of California's most disregarded areas. Saroyan's ability to encapsulate his era shines here, since most of the Valley's material culture that he writes about has drastically changed throughout the past century. It's probably for this reason that everyone who comes into Fresno, in the hopes of seeing or experiencing what Saroyan did, is utterly disappointed by what they find. This isn't Monterey where the ghosts of Steinbeck and Cannery Row are omnipresent with every reader. No, the usual roads that Saroyan took during his bike rides in Fresno, for instance, are some of the most poorly maintained in America. The old trolleys are treated as fables among locals. If it weren't for the efforts of the Armenian community, Saroyan wouldn't have a meaningful legacy here. The Kings River is a shadow of it's former might due to commercial agriculture and drought. Overall there's little optimism for the future of this place. Needless to say, the potency of Saroyan's stories (especially in the latter half) despite their simplicity is a surreal experience. It's amazing to me the nostalgic quality these stories possess. Not because they take place in a different era of American history and literature, but because it's an era of Fresno that is now regarded almost as myth. A fleeting phase with a scant amount of old remnants scattered, hiding under a directionless urban sprawl. However, the sentiments that these stories transcript - generational curses, naïvity, spirituality, settlement, artisty, wistfulness, and aspiration - are still within the hearts of every Fresnian today. And that can only be the rare gift of strong writing.
I think these stories read differently if you're a reader who grew up in Fresno county like myself. Separated in two parts - early and late stories - Fresno Stories is a love letter to Saroyan's home and one of California's most disregarded areas. Saroyan's ability to encapsulate his era shines here, since most of the Valley's material culture that he writes about has drastically changed throughout the past century. It's probably for this reason that everyone who comes into Fresno, in the hopes of seeing or experiencing what Saroyan did, is utterly disappointed by what they find. This isn't Monterey where the ghosts of Steinbeck and Cannery Row are omnipresent with every reader. No, the usual roads that Saroyan took during his bike rides in Fresno, for instance, are some of the most poorly maintained in America. The old trolleys are treated as fables among locals. If it weren't for the efforts of the Armenian community, Saroyan wouldn't have a meaningful legacy here. The Kings River is a shadow of it's former might due to commercial agriculture and drought. Overall there's little optimism for the future of this place. Needless to say, the potency of Saroyan's stories (especially in the latter half) despite their simplicity is a surreal experience. It's amazing to me the nostalgic quality these stories possess. Not because they take place in a different era of American history and literature, but because it's an era of Fresno that is now regarded almost as myth. A fleeting phase with a scant amount of old remnants scattered, hiding under a directionless urban sprawl. However, the sentiments that these stories transcript - generational curses, naïvity, spirituality, settlement, artisty, wistfulness, and aspiration - are still within the hearts of every Fresnian today. And that can only be the rare gift of strong writing.
July 13, 2024
Split into two subsections of “Early” and “Late”, this [very] small collection of [very] short stories presents themselves in the way that any Saroyan story does.
The “Early” stories are so simple yet eloquent that they instantly draw you in. Whereas the “Late” stories are slightly more ambiguous while not forgetting to also be grounded leaving you often with pause to reflect.
William Saroyan is a Fresno legend every local native should read, and then recommend to their transplant acquaintances.
The “Early” stories are so simple yet eloquent that they instantly draw you in. Whereas the “Late” stories are slightly more ambiguous while not forgetting to also be grounded leaving you often with pause to reflect.
William Saroyan is a Fresno legend every local native should read, and then recommend to their transplant acquaintances.
January 1, 2021
An overall really good collection of short stories. Saroyan does a great job of building a world for his characters to inhabit without using many words and letting the readers mind contribute as well. I actually enjoyed the earlier writings more than the later ones, but they all deserve a read.
January 21, 2021
A delightful small collection of stories, written in a deceptively simple style. As always Saroyan brings out the humanity in each of his characters, with the simple message we are all human. These tales bring to mind my childhood, spent in the hot dusty city of Fresno, California. A good read.
November 9, 2025
In grad school, I learned a visualization exercise that in bookstores writers should find where their name should be on the shelves. Saroyan is my soon to be neighbor and my mother is from Fresno. Fun to find a book the universe gives me to read.
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February 6, 2023No rating because I don’t know how I feel about short stories! Hit and miss. Although I do like having stories I can complete in the sauna each day.
May 10, 2023
Fascinating set of short stories from the viewpoint of an Armenian immigrant living in the USA at the turn of the 20th century.
Great to pick up when you find a break in your day.
Great to pick up when you find a break in your day.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews