Why I Like This Story

by Jackson R. Bryer (Contributor)

Presents essays by leading short-story writers on their favorite American short stories and why they like them. It will send readers to the library or bookstore to read - or re-read - the stories selected.



On the assumption that John Updike was correct when he asserted, in a 1978 letter to Joyce Carol Oates, that "Nobody can read like a writer," Why I Like This Story presents brief essays by forty-eight leading American writers on their favorite American short stories, explaining why they like them. The essays, which are personal, not scholarly, not only tell us much about the story selected, they also tell us a good deal about the author of the essay, about what elements of fiction he or she values.
Among the writers whose stories are discussed are such American masters as James, Melville, Hemingway, O'Connor, Fitzgerald, Porter, Carver, Wright, Updike, Bellow, Salinger,Malamud, and Welty; but the book also includes pieces on stories by canonical but lesser-known practitioners such as Andre Dubus, Ellen Glasgow, Kay Boyle, Delmore Schwartz, George Garrett, Elizabeth Tallent, William Goyen, Jerome Weidman, Peter Matthiessen, Grace Paley, William H. Gass, and Jamaica Kincaid, and relative newcomers such as Lorrie Moore, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Phil Klay, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Edward P. Jones. Why I Like This Story will send readers to the library or bookstore to read or re-read the stories selected.
Among the contributors to the book are Julia Alvarez, Andrea Barrett, Richard Bausch, Ann Beattie, Andre Dubus, George Garrett, William H. Gass, Julia Glass, Doris Grumbach, Jane Hamilton, Jill McCorkle, Alice McDermott, Clarence Major, Howard Norman, Annie Proulx, Joan Silber, Elizabeth Spencer, and Mako Yoshikawa.

Editor Jackson R. Bryer is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Maryland.

Genres: Nonfiction, Short Stories, Essays

364 pages, Hardcover

First published June 17, 2019

About the author

Dr. Jackson R. Bryer is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Maryland's Department of English, who has also worked with the Department of Theatre as an affiliate faculty member and literary advisor.

Reviews

[3 no 7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Why I Like This Story” is a series of essays compiled and edited by Jackson Bryer. These essays, written by prominent writers, are reflections on short stories written by other prominent writers, and tell why they liked each piece. After all, who better to review the work of writers than the writers themselves? Each author picked a favorite classic story (some currently quite difficult to find) written by prominent contemporary writers.

As a writer of reviews, I eagerly read the critiques and the appreciated insights they revealed. I also identified strategies and examples to assist me in writing my reviews. Each “reviewer” did a quick summary of the plot and then made the stories their own with personal reflections. They did not criticize construction or grammar but commented on the style, feeling, and emotions involved in the action. They explained why they valued the content and how the writing transported readers into another world.

"Why I like This Story” is not only interesting to read, but it is also a revealing look at classic literature by those who wrote classic literature. It is structured so that one can read a complete essay in short time, making it perfect to read while waiting for an appointment or waiting to pick up children after school, lessons, or practice. It also encouraged me to hunt for the classic short stories I had not read, and to re-read those I had previously read. Most importantly, it helped me make my reviews more concise, relevant, and personal. I received a review copy of “Why I Like This Story” from Jackson R Bryer, and Camden House Publishing. It is both entertaining and insightful, and I recommend it for anyone who loves to read about books and for the people who write them.

[Liz Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sought this book out after reading a review (can't currently find the review!)....I am so glad that I did. I found that each essay was in itself extremely well written and that it was not necessary to have read the story to enjoy each writer's story review. However, even though it is difficult to track down some of the stories, I have begun to do so. All in all, what a pleasurable and enlightening reading experience this is proving to be.

[Joelle Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I like This Story, edited by Jackson R. Bryer, is an extensive and eclectic collection of essays written by current authors about their favorite American short stories. The essayists have eclectic tastes, ranging from the most recognizable classic writers such as Cheever, James, and Melville to more obscure or contemporaries. Five of them unknowingly picked another contributor as their inspiration, and many seemed to know and reference each other. Bryer prefaces the book with the assumption that writers are the best judges of each other’s work. Due to their unique appreciation for how difficult writing short-form fiction can be, their perspective and insight can be particularly valuable. Since the essays are penned by accomplished authors, they are also of a higher quality than most reviews and more interesting in their approaches than the typical jargon-laden or pretentious analyses. Bryer points out that many of the essays reveal as much about the essayist as they do about the stories discussed. The 48 entries in Why I Like This Story vary in terms of their tone, length, style and readability. While some essays are very personal and reflective, others border more closely on high-brow literary-assessment. Bryer’s collection invites browsing and entices the reader to search out some stories and authors that may be unfamiliar. He helpfully provides introductions to each selection that point out where the original tales can most easily be found. Why I Like This Story would be a good choice for aspiring writers (and appreciators) of American short fiction- both traditional and new.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Camden House (Boydell & Brewer, Inc.) for an ARC of this book in exchange for an objective review.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I Like This Story edited by Jackson M. Bryer (Camden House 2019) (028.9) (4081).

This is a collection of critical essays from authors critiquing short stories from noted authors and specifically offering their (the reviewers’) insights into what made that specific story appealing. In my humble opinion, this set of reviews was boring beyond description.

This called to mind the terminally tedious upperclass book seminars that everyone sat through in college in which the professor and the students all seemed to be poseurs hauling around backpacks full of deep and ponderous insights who at best only manage to fool/impress each other with pretentious creativity and failed attempts at erudition.

I sampled a half-dozen of these entries before giving up on this work. I read only the reviews of stories with which I was already familiar or from reviewers whose writing I already knew and trusted. Surprisingly, even the authors I already knew and loved seemed to write these essays in the persona of the earnest undergraduate blowhards referenced above.

I’m certain that many more sophisticated readers will love and appreciate this book much more than I. But if readers find their eyes glazing over after sampling this title and they start to imagine the scent of pipe tobacco in the air, that’s ennui creeping in. I suggest that the reader immediately put down Why I Like This Story and go read the original work. That should set things right.

My rating: 7/10, finished 8/7/25 (4081).

[Faith 09 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read.

[Ashley]

I received this copy in a Goodreads giveaway. Full review to come.