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Great Esquire Fiction
A collection of short stories ranges from Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck to John Updike and Joyce Carol Oates
- GenresFictionShort Stories
588 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 3, 2024
Right now I'm reading THREE different collections of stories and essays. This book came off my bookshelves and was likely "rescued" by me from the local transfer station. In perusing the table of contents I see that I've already read a few of these, but not the majority. So far the ones I've read(starting at the beginning) have been rather brief. I.E. = VERY short stories.
1 - August Afternoon by Erskine Caldwell. Rings a vague bell in my memory. More shenanigans among randy southerners.
2 - Little Miss Universe by William Saroyan - A Damon Runyon-esque tale of the allure of horseflesh.
3- The Horns of the Bull by Ernest Hemingway - another far-off memory bell ringing. Short and deadly. About what?????
4 - An Alcoholic Case by F. Scott Fitzgerald - a seemingly autobiographical tale from his Hollywood days.
5 - A Snake of One's Own by John Steinbeck. Later known simply as "The Snake" and read by me in high school. Rather weird and therefore memorable. Another ex-partner-trashing tale? The story seems to be about the bizarro-woman visitor, but it might be more about the cold-blooded cat-killer.
6 - The Eighty-Yard Run by Irwin Shaw - another bell is vaguely ringing. A Depression tale. Not happy ... natch.
So far I'd have to say that I'm feeling a bit let down. These are kind of downbeat and abrupt. As a whole, not impressive, or perhaps just a bit dated.
7 - The Captain Is a Card by Nelson Algren - a familiar scene for those of us who've read "A Bottle of Milk for Mother."
8 - Two Legs for the Two of Us by James Jones. A brutal/sad story about the aftermath of war.
9 - Nude Croquet by Leslie Fiedler - a Jewish setting that may remind of Philip Roth.
10 - The Misfits by Arthur Miller - This story is the basis for the first part of the movie version. Old man(almost dead in fact) Clark Gable romancing Marilyn Monroe. Weird ...
11- Goose Pond by Thomas Williams - the second straight story in which innocent animals pay the price for human dysfunction. A deer in this story and wild horses(headed for a dog food factory) in the previous story. I've never heard of this author, though the story rings a vague memory bell. A New Hampshire guy ...
12 - Among the Dangs by George P. Elliott. I have read this one before but there wasn't much in the memory banks, so it was probably a long time ago. I thought it was supposed to be funny, and maybe it is, though I didn't exactly "get" it.
13 - The Remobilization of Jacob Horner by John Barth. I have heard of John Barth of course, but haven't read that much of his stuff. This one was pretty good.
14 - The Death of Justina" by John Cheever. Read fairly recently in The Collected stories of J. C.
13 - The Spinoza of Market Street by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Well-crafted and fun - of course!
14 - Very Happy Poems by Philip Roth - Good stuff from a master. But ... Mr. Roth is a confirmed "you see"-er. He drops that annoying, inappropriate phrase several times in this one. Typical Roth -by turns very funny and very annoying.
15 - The Road Out of Axotle by Terry Southern - Cool, funny and WEIRD! Another one that rings faint memory bells.
16 - I Look Out For Ed Wolfe by Stanley Elkin - Great story with a mysterious point(if any). Perhaps it's just a writing experiment. Read before about ten or so years ago in "Fiction 100."
16 - Life Is Better Than Death by Bernard Malamud. I finished this a couple of weeks ago and don't remember it - sorry.
17 - Black Angels by Bruce Jay Friedman, Ditto …
18 - Parker's Back by Flannery O'Connor. I'm pretty sure I read this a while ago. More of that good old FOC rural southern country weirdness with an enigmatic ending.
19 - Harry Belten and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto by Barry Targan - Never heard of this author. The story was pretty cool.
20 - Neighbors by Raymond Carver - Can't recall if I'd read this already. I do love carver though.
21 - A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Goodwin - Vaguely heard of this author. Can't remember the story.
22 - The Lover by Joy Williams - I am somewhat familiar with Ms. W. Not a big fan of the delirium mode of writing.
23 - Horse Badorties Goes Out by William Kotzwinkle - Vaguely familiar with the author and the story. Pretty funny.
24 - The Long-Distance Runner by Grace Paley. More dream-stuff. Pretty sure I've read it before.
25 - Heart of a Champion by T. Coraghessan Boyle - I've ready plenty of Mr. Boyle and I think probably this story as well.
26 - His Son, In His Arms, In Light, Aloft by Harold Brodkey - More modernist stuff … ho-hum.
27 - La Cote Basque by Truman Capote - an amusing heap of atmosphere and gossip among the smart set.
28 - Shadrach by William Styron - Haven't read anything by Styron in a while. Pretty good slice of rural Virginia poor-white atmosphere.
29 - The Amish Farmer by Vince Bourjaily - Never heard of the author. Pretty juicy story.
30 - The Ghost Soldiers by Tim O'Brien - Read before in The Things They Carried.
31 - Rock Springs by Richard Ford - Also the title of a story collection by RF. Probably read a while ago.
32 - More Stately Mansions by John Updike - Drawing a blank a couple weeks out from reading it.
33 - Ich Bin Ein Berliner by Joyce Carol Oates - Ditto ...
34 - Human Moments in World War III by Don DeLillo - Double ditto ...
A nice collection, if a bit dated. 3.75* rounds up to 4*
1 - August Afternoon by Erskine Caldwell. Rings a vague bell in my memory. More shenanigans among randy southerners.
2 - Little Miss Universe by William Saroyan - A Damon Runyon-esque tale of the allure of horseflesh.
3- The Horns of the Bull by Ernest Hemingway - another far-off memory bell ringing. Short and deadly. About what?????
4 - An Alcoholic Case by F. Scott Fitzgerald - a seemingly autobiographical tale from his Hollywood days.
5 - A Snake of One's Own by John Steinbeck. Later known simply as "The Snake" and read by me in high school. Rather weird and therefore memorable. Another ex-partner-trashing tale? The story seems to be about the bizarro-woman visitor, but it might be more about the cold-blooded cat-killer.
6 - The Eighty-Yard Run by Irwin Shaw - another bell is vaguely ringing. A Depression tale. Not happy ... natch.
So far I'd have to say that I'm feeling a bit let down. These are kind of downbeat and abrupt. As a whole, not impressive, or perhaps just a bit dated.
7 - The Captain Is a Card by Nelson Algren - a familiar scene for those of us who've read "A Bottle of Milk for Mother."
8 - Two Legs for the Two of Us by James Jones. A brutal/sad story about the aftermath of war.
9 - Nude Croquet by Leslie Fiedler - a Jewish setting that may remind of Philip Roth.
10 - The Misfits by Arthur Miller - This story is the basis for the first part of the movie version. Old man(almost dead in fact) Clark Gable romancing Marilyn Monroe. Weird ...
11- Goose Pond by Thomas Williams - the second straight story in which innocent animals pay the price for human dysfunction. A deer in this story and wild horses(headed for a dog food factory) in the previous story. I've never heard of this author, though the story rings a vague memory bell. A New Hampshire guy ...
12 - Among the Dangs by George P. Elliott. I have read this one before but there wasn't much in the memory banks, so it was probably a long time ago. I thought it was supposed to be funny, and maybe it is, though I didn't exactly "get" it.
13 - The Remobilization of Jacob Horner by John Barth. I have heard of John Barth of course, but haven't read that much of his stuff. This one was pretty good.
14 - The Death of Justina" by John Cheever. Read fairly recently in The Collected stories of J. C.
13 - The Spinoza of Market Street by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Well-crafted and fun - of course!
14 - Very Happy Poems by Philip Roth - Good stuff from a master. But ... Mr. Roth is a confirmed "you see"-er. He drops that annoying, inappropriate phrase several times in this one. Typical Roth -by turns very funny and very annoying.
15 - The Road Out of Axotle by Terry Southern - Cool, funny and WEIRD! Another one that rings faint memory bells.
16 - I Look Out For Ed Wolfe by Stanley Elkin - Great story with a mysterious point(if any). Perhaps it's just a writing experiment. Read before about ten or so years ago in "Fiction 100."
16 - Life Is Better Than Death by Bernard Malamud. I finished this a couple of weeks ago and don't remember it - sorry.
17 - Black Angels by Bruce Jay Friedman, Ditto …
18 - Parker's Back by Flannery O'Connor. I'm pretty sure I read this a while ago. More of that good old FOC rural southern country weirdness with an enigmatic ending.
19 - Harry Belten and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto by Barry Targan - Never heard of this author. The story was pretty cool.
20 - Neighbors by Raymond Carver - Can't recall if I'd read this already. I do love carver though.
21 - A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Goodwin - Vaguely heard of this author. Can't remember the story.
22 - The Lover by Joy Williams - I am somewhat familiar with Ms. W. Not a big fan of the delirium mode of writing.
23 - Horse Badorties Goes Out by William Kotzwinkle - Vaguely familiar with the author and the story. Pretty funny.
24 - The Long-Distance Runner by Grace Paley. More dream-stuff. Pretty sure I've read it before.
25 - Heart of a Champion by T. Coraghessan Boyle - I've ready plenty of Mr. Boyle and I think probably this story as well.
26 - His Son, In His Arms, In Light, Aloft by Harold Brodkey - More modernist stuff … ho-hum.
27 - La Cote Basque by Truman Capote - an amusing heap of atmosphere and gossip among the smart set.
28 - Shadrach by William Styron - Haven't read anything by Styron in a while. Pretty good slice of rural Virginia poor-white atmosphere.
29 - The Amish Farmer by Vince Bourjaily - Never heard of the author. Pretty juicy story.
30 - The Ghost Soldiers by Tim O'Brien - Read before in The Things They Carried.
31 - Rock Springs by Richard Ford - Also the title of a story collection by RF. Probably read a while ago.
32 - More Stately Mansions by John Updike - Drawing a blank a couple weeks out from reading it.
33 - Ich Bin Ein Berliner by Joyce Carol Oates - Ditto ...
34 - Human Moments in World War III by Don DeLillo - Double ditto ...
A nice collection, if a bit dated. 3.75* rounds up to 4*
June 8, 2013
This is a brilliant book--the richest collection of short stories I've ever found. Stories to amuse. Stories rich with truth and life lessons. Stories you'll return to time and time again and refer to in conversation. For me: The Amish Farmer; Black Angels; Heart of a Champion; The Ghost Soldiers; Neighbors; Among the Dangs; The Road Out of Axotle.
November 12, 2014
Short stories from the first fifty years. Among the authors included are: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, Shaw, Arthur Miller, George P Elliot, Philip Roth, Flannery O'Connor, Raymond Carver, John Updike, and Joyce Carol Oates.
Quality reading.
Quality reading.
January 27, 2019
Bought as a bargain book for 47 cents probably back in the 1990's... I've moved this book around the world with me. Love Esquire for its ongoing commitment to fiction. I admit to not having read it all but love how timeless (and seemingly modern) the themes are over this time span.
March 27, 2015
Great compilation of Esquire fiction that includes many of the great Mens authors from the first fifty years of the magazines run. Definitely would recommend to any literature buff or avid reader.
February 28, 2015
A new view of the like of Amish and their conservativeness contrasted to the city life. Shown from different point of views.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews