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God: Stories: An Anthology – Dazzling Literary Short Stories by John Updike, Alice Munro, and James Baldwin
In a fresh approach to an age-old discussion, an esteemed editor of the Atlantic Monthly collects twenty-five dazzling short stories by eminent writers about spiritual experiences of all sorts. With works by John Updike, Philip Roth, Louise Erdrich, James Joyce, Flannery O'Connor, James Baldwin, Alice Munro, and more, God: Stories offers insight, solace, and pleasure not only to the faithful but to seekers -- and to those who simply love fine stories. "Challenging the mind and exhilarating the soul . . . [this] rare and precious collection" (Susannah Heschel) explores the human dimensions of spirituality from the comic to the passionate, the skeptical to the mystical and beyond.
416 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 18, 2008
This is a collection of 25 short stories by well known authors (Baldwin, Munro, Updike, O'Connor, etc) that are about God - sometimes loosely. I liked some of the stories very much, others I just couldn't finish. I did like the idea of the book very much - it would be a perfect discussion book.
My favorite story was "A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus. The story has many levels, only one of them being the relationship of fathers and daughters. For me, however, it was the discussion of ritual that pulled me to the story. I have always loved ritual although everything in my genes and my upbringing worked against it - I so wanted to be a Catholic when I was growing up but Scottish Presbyterian children did not become Catholics. I finally became an Episcopalian in 1987 and I love the ritual - especially the ritual of the early service with no music.
From Dubus' story "For ritual allows those who cannot will themselves out of the secular to perform the spiritual as dancing allows the tongue-tied man a ceremony of love...At its center is excitement; spreading out from it is the peace of certainty. Or the certainty of peace."
My favorite story was "A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus. The story has many levels, only one of them being the relationship of fathers and daughters. For me, however, it was the discussion of ritual that pulled me to the story. I have always loved ritual although everything in my genes and my upbringing worked against it - I so wanted to be a Catholic when I was growing up but Scottish Presbyterian children did not become Catholics. I finally became an Episcopalian in 1987 and I love the ritual - especially the ritual of the early service with no music.
From Dubus' story "For ritual allows those who cannot will themselves out of the secular to perform the spiritual as dancing allows the tongue-tied man a ceremony of love...At its center is excitement; spreading out from it is the peace of certainty. Or the certainty of peace."
September 11, 2009
God: Stories is a compilation of short fiction with themes of spirituality and religion.
Overall, I did not like this book, as I was either uninterested in, didn't appreciate the characters, or didn't "get" most of the stories. Of the 25 short stories in the book, I only liked 10 of them. The stories I enjoyed were: "A New Life" (Mary Ward Brown), "A Father's Story" (Andre Dubus), "The Knife" (Brendan Gill), "The Question of Rain" (William Hoffman), "The Retreat" (Bobbie Ann Mason), "Pictures of Ice" (Alice Munro), "Parker's Back" (Flannery O'Connor), "The Pure in Heart" (Peggie Payne), "The Rabbi in the Attic" (Eileen Pollack), and "Roof Work" (Joe Ashby Porter).
Overall, I did not like this book, as I was either uninterested in, didn't appreciate the characters, or didn't "get" most of the stories. Of the 25 short stories in the book, I only liked 10 of them. The stories I enjoyed were: "A New Life" (Mary Ward Brown), "A Father's Story" (Andre Dubus), "The Knife" (Brendan Gill), "The Question of Rain" (William Hoffman), "The Retreat" (Bobbie Ann Mason), "Pictures of Ice" (Alice Munro), "Parker's Back" (Flannery O'Connor), "The Pure in Heart" (Peggie Payne), "The Rabbi in the Attic" (Eileen Pollack), and "Roof Work" (Joe Ashby Porter).
May 1, 2019
These stories are awesome and diverse. They are about religious experience written in short story form. Sometimes they contradict each other. Sometimes they complement. Always, they make you think. I believe I am better and have a deeper sense of the diversity of encountering or not encountering God. Read this slowly.
August 5, 2019
In my readlist for this summer, I included this in the category of "Religion/Spirituality"; it's a fairly middle-of-the-road book, Great Authors do God sort of thing, but promised many stories by some high-end authors (Joyce, O'Connor, Munro, Roth, Updike, etc).
Most of the stories are based in Christianity, though a few are distinctly Jewish, and the writers are predominantly American. Thus, it's not the most diverse book. The stories feature clergy, believers, and doubters; those who believe devoutly and thoughtfully, and those who casually connect with a religion for reasons other than spiritual longing.
While I was reading this book, the podcast for Jo Walton’s historical-theological-fantasy novel Lent was released. I was surprised to realize that book, for me, was far more powerful and made a deeper spiritual impression on me than this collection. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy these stories; some were delightful, and several raised interesting questions. But apparently the path to my soul is more in history, with Hypa and his battles with Azazeel, and with the tormented Girolamo and his Renaissance humanist friends.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.
Most of the stories are based in Christianity, though a few are distinctly Jewish, and the writers are predominantly American. Thus, it's not the most diverse book. The stories feature clergy, believers, and doubters; those who believe devoutly and thoughtfully, and those who casually connect with a religion for reasons other than spiritual longing.
While I was reading this book, the podcast for Jo Walton’s historical-theological-fantasy novel Lent was released. I was surprised to realize that book, for me, was far more powerful and made a deeper spiritual impression on me than this collection. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy these stories; some were delightful, and several raised interesting questions. But apparently the path to my soul is more in history, with Hypa and his battles with Azazeel, and with the tormented Girolamo and his Renaissance humanist friends.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.
November 6, 2017
This is an interesting collection of stories though in many cases I felt the book title "God: Stories" might have been misleading. I was expecting god as the center and these had the relationship of people to god, or people to people who represent god, as the subject. But reading the stories was thought-provoking.
March 19, 2021
I love short story collections. Each one is like a weekend getaway or a day retreat. This one examines faith through the actions of characters and the words of writers like Eudora Welty and Elizabeth Spencer. I really enjoyed the ones Curtis collected here. I'm going to tackle his next collection Faith: Stories. Both were passed on from a retiring rector.
March 22, 2023
A strange collection of stories, some incredible, others lamentable.
As, I suppose, all of us feel about other people's perspectives of God, religion, and spirituality. So, an insightful assembly in that way.
As, I suppose, all of us feel about other people's perspectives of God, religion, and spirituality. So, an insightful assembly in that way.
June 30, 2019
Exactly what is says it is - and not nearly all of the essays are about "Our God" - thoughtful and begging for contemplation.
February 4, 2024
Not so much about God as about religious institutions and characters that work in them or attend them. A few short stories were excellent. Most I just didn’t care for.
June 30, 2011
I read most of the short stories in this book and enjoyed the majority of them. I couldn't get through all because I have a thing about short stories. Just when I'm into the plot or the characters, boom, the story ends. Hence the term "short" stories, but for some reason that jolt of "Wow, that's it?" every time starts to get to me. Most of the stories I did read, like stated, were very good however. I noted a few of the authors who I'd like to check out further. I liked the extremes of the stories, meaning each story took a somewhat different take on God, what it means to believe in God, and how that plays out differently in peoples' lives.
May 18, 2013
This collection of short stories is a good balance in every imaginable way: new and well-known writers, across all major types of Judeo-Christian factions, exploring the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of religion. It offers a new perspective on the life of clergy and a fun look at the life of the congregation. I especially enjoyed: A Father's Story (Andre Dubus), God's Typhoon (John Hersey), The Question of Rain (William Hoffman), Idiots First (Bernard Malamud), The Retreat (Bobbie Ann Mason), Parker's Back (Flannery O'Connor), The Pure in Heart (Peggy Payne), The Rabbi in the Attic (Eilleen Pollack), Defender of the Faith (Philip Roth), and Made in Heaven (John Updike).
July 31, 2014
There are two excellent stories:
"A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus &
"The Rabbi in the Attic" by Eileen Pollack
Unfortunately, I thought the rest of the collection was mediocre.
"A Father's Story" by Andre Dubus &
"The Rabbi in the Attic" by Eileen Pollack
Unfortunately, I thought the rest of the collection was mediocre.
August 26, 2015
While some of the stories in this collection verge on the lackluster or obnoxious, others are SO GOOD (see stories by Welty, Dubus, Updike) that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews