زنی که با من در یک خانه زندگی می‌کرد: مجموعه داستان برگزیدگان جایزه اُ. هنری ۲۰۱۲

by Laura Furman, زهرا سلیمی (Translator)

مجموعه داستان «زنی که با من در یک خانه زندگی می‌کرد» عنوان گزیده داستان‌های برگزیده جایزه ادبی اُ. هنری در سال ۲۰۱۲ است که با سرپرستی علی فامیان و با ترجمه زهرا سلیمی منتشر شده است. داستان‌هایی که فلسفه بودنشان در ذیل برگزیدگان و کتاب منتخب این جایزه به دلیل نگاه انسانی و متفاوت آنها به زیست انسانی در زمین و نیز خلق نگاهی تازه و بدیع به انسانیت بوده است.

مجموعه حاضر که متعلق به داستان‌های منتخب این جایزه در سال‌ ۲۰۱۲ است، از نقطه نظر نویسندگان انگلیسی زبان در جامعه فرا مدرن معاصر به زیست انسانی و نیز نوع زاویه دید آنها به زندگی و روابط خانوادگی قابل اعتناست و به نظر می‌رسد این موضوع در انتخاب آنها به عنوان اثر داستانی برگزیده خالی از تأثیر نبوده است.

در مجموعه داستان «زنی که با من در یک خانه زندگی می‌کرد» مخاطب با ۱۲ داستان کوتاه همراه می‌شود که هر یک به نوعی تشریح‌کننده این موقعیت به شمار می‌روند. در داستان نخست از مجموعه با عنوان «زنی که با من در یک خانه زندگی می‌کرد» نویسنده تلاشی تحسین‌برانگیز برای نمایش شیوه‌های زیستن و همزیستی را به نمایش می‌کشد. در این اثر با مجموعه‌ای از افراد روبروییم که به نوعی با یکدیگر دارای پیوند انسانی بوده و از این نقطه نظر هر یک در مواجهه با دیگری ناچار از اخذ رفتاری متفات هستند که بتواند زندگی در کنار هم را تجربه کنند.

در داستان دوم با عنوان «ژرفا» روایتی است جذاب از تلاش یک کودک برای درک معنای زندگی در حالی که او با بیماری‌ای مواجه است که زندگی را برای وی بسیار محدود کرده است. او در این وقت اندک فرصت دارد تا رابطه خود را با تمامی نهاده‌های جهان پیرامونی خود تنظیم و زندگی را با توجه به موقعیتش برای خود تعریف کند.

در داستان «تولدی میان جنگل» مخاطب با فضایی مواجه می‌َشود که طی آن پدر و مادر سعی دارند باور و تصور زیستی خود را بر کودکشان تحمیل کرده و او را از فضای عادی و معمول زندگی اجتماعی خود جدا و بر پایه تصورات خود به زندگی وادارند.

حشام متر نویسنده انگلیسی‌زبان لیبیایی‌الاصل که سال‌هاست در نیویورک زندگی می‌کند نیز در این مجموعه داستانی با عنوان «نعیمه» منتشر کرده است که در آن شرح تلاش‌های یک کودک برای درک ساختار زیستی تعریف شده میان وی و پدر و مادرش است.

از مارک اسلوکا نویسنده‌ای که در سال ۲۰۱۱ و ۲۰۱۲ در فهرست آثار برگزیده جایزه اُ. هنری قرار داشت، داستانی با عنوان «صورتک‌ خرگوش» برگزیده شده که روایت‌کننده تلاش یک پسربچه برای کشف ساختار فکری و همذات‌پنداری با پدرش است و در ادامه تلاش او برای پذیرش برخی از مسئولیت‌های پدر و نیز آرزو برای قرار گرفتن در موقعیت او به منظور رفع و رجوع کارها را روایت می‌کند که در قاموس داستان تلاشی است قابل احترام.

داستان‌های دیگر این مجموعه نیز هر یک راوی نوعی نگاه تازه و بدیع به زندگی انسانی و انسانیت به عنوان صفتی محوری برای زندگی انسانی است؛ نگاهی که هر زاویه از آن یادآوری نوعی نگاه بدیع و تازه و تحسین‌برانگیز به مسئله حیات جسمی و روحی انسانی است که این روزها کیمیایی کمیاب به شمار می‌رود.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Collections, Literary Fiction, Anthologies

433 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2012

About the author

Laura J. Furman (born 1945) is an American author best known for her role as series editor for the O. Henry Awards prize story collection. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Mirabella, Ploughshares, Southwest Review.

She has written three collections of stories (The Glass House, Watch Time Fly, and Drinking with the Cook), two novels (The Shadow Line and Tuxedo Park), and a memoir (Ordinary Paradise).

She founded American Short Fiction, which was a three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award. She is currently Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in writing. Most recently, she has announced that she has submitted a collection of short stories to her agent, and the subsequent collection will be her first new work to follow the release of 2001's Drinking with the Cook.

Reviews

[Linawings · Rating 3 out of 5]

С огромно облекчение завърших сборника. Най-вече ме задържа любопитството и откривателския интерес да разбера за себе си защо точно тези истории са избрани сред 20те най-добри от селекцията. По принцип не съм фен на късата форма, не ми достига като набиране на емоция и дълбочина, както и време, което ми е нужно да прекарам с историята и героите, за да ги обикна, затова мнението ми не може да бъде меродавно, но селекцията ми се стори най-общо скучна и невълнуваща.
Разбира се се зарадвах на включването в нея на "нашето" момче Мирослав Пенков с "На Изток от Запада", но от общо 20 истории едва 5 ме докоснаха. Останалите ми се сториха плоски, банални, някои третиращи "американски" тип теми/ ситуации/ проблеми, с които не намерих допирни точки. Две от историите - A Birth in the Woods на Kevin Wilson и The Woman Who Lived in the House от Salvatore Scibona - пък ми бяха физически отблъскващи.
И все пак Kindness на Yiyun Li (с дължина на почти на новела) ме накара да хлипам меланхолично-красиво по време на цялото четене. Прекрасна, фина история за невъзможността да престанеш да бъдеш самотен, да намериш път към другите, когато те ти подават ръка, самотата като собствена съдба и избор, без самосъжаление, но с живо сърце и памет за всички буквално преброими добри малки жестове през нечий живот. Интересен факт е че 2ма от 3-членното жури на база на анонимен избор са посочили този разказ за фаворит.
Много органични и красиви бяха и историите от Nothing Living Lives Alone (Wendell Berry), A Brush (John Berger), The First Wife (Christine Sneed), The Deep (Anthony Doerr).
Несъмнено полезен опит, всяко собствено откривателство е трудно, но е важно да се прави.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not happy to say that I was not at all impressed with this year's selection of the Pen/O'Henry Stories for 2012. There are twenty stories selected for this collection and, of those, I enjoyed five of them. That's 25% - not very good odds overall. The stories that spoke to me were Leak by Sam Ruddick, The First Wife by Christine Sneed, A Birth in the Woods by Kevin Wilson, Rothko Eggs by Keith Ridgeway and The Deep by Anthony Doerr. The rest just didn't grab me tightly and I have trouble even recalling their gist.

Laura Furman is the primary Editor with three guest editors for this book - Mary Gaitskill, Daniel Mueenuddin and Ron Rash. Two of the Three voted on Kindness by Yiun Li as their favorite, a story that I found weak and unevocative. I am a big fan of Ron Rash and Daniel Mueenuddin and so am surprised by their selections. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the twenty stories they were given to pick from were not much to their taste.

I have also read and reviewed The Best American Short Stories 2012 (Best American R) and found it to be a much stronger and varied collection.

'Rothko Eggs' was quite ingenious and powerful, as was 'The Deep' by Anthony Doerr. I got quite a hoot from 'The First Wife', and 'A Birth in the Woods' sent chills up and down my arms.

I hope you find this collection more powerful than I did.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection of short stories

[Arushi Bhaskar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing with reading a collection of short stories, especially one by different authors, is that there is usually such a wide range of emotions associated with it. For example, I might really love a short story from this collection, and recommend it to a dear friend, and I might also heavily detest some short stories, and refuse to read another word by their writers ever again in my life. It makes reviewing such books even more difficult, as if it wasn't difficult enough already.

Also, sometimes you read a story so good, that you can't read anything else for the rest of the day. This also made me realise that the short story is probably the most powerful form of writing for me. As in, to read. I cannot even imagine writing a short story.

Fortunately, this collection had a good number of gems. I have discovered a lot of authors I would love to read in the future, and in these terrible times, good literature is one of the few balms left to us. In particular, Yiyun Li's 'Kindness' stood out for me (that was the one I sent to a dear friend too), and other notable mentions include Hisham Matar's 'Naima', John Berger's 'A Brush', Keith Ridgeway's 'Rothko Eggs', Alice Munro's 'Corrie', Anthony Doerr's 'The Deep', Miroslav Penkov's 'East of the West', and Christine Sneed's 'The First Wife'. That's a long list, I know, but they are honestly all worth it. Really can't wait to check these new (for me) authors out.

[Fariha Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of misses but plenty of hits. This anthology introduced me to Alice Munro and Anthony Doerr. Thank you Danyal Mueenuddin for guest editing this book. I wouldn’t have picked it up had I not seen your name on the cover.

[David Wurster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed almost all of the stories in this anthology. I have read many of the Best American Short Stories, but the last I read annoyed me. It seemed to be trying too hard to be modern. I will try another PEN/O. Henry collection.

[Kate Laws · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just an ok collection. I really enjoyed the Alice Munro, Corrie. I also liked Rothko Eggs and East of the West. I hated The Woman Who Lived in the House. Most of the rest were just sort of middling.

[Elijah Hildy · Rating 4 out of 5]

the vast majority of these were phenomenal with interesting ideas to explore. Mickey mouse specifically stuck out to me, I really enjoyed the themes it explored. each story individually was usually in the 3-4 range

[Erika Nerdypants · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked most of the selections. The ones that stood out the most were “Kindness” and “A Birth in the Woods”

[Paul Cockeram · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the stories in this collection were well worth reading. Below are my brief notes on the ones that stood out and what I took from them.

Several stories concerned relationships and the flings that threaten them. Alice Muttison's "Leak" portrays the jealousy and dissatisfaction of infidelity. Christine Sneed's 13-part "The First Wife" exposes celebrity culture from an insider's perspective, watching the inevitable disintegration of a movie star's marriage. I loved how it showed the pain and loss that accompany the plentiful extramarital sex offered to internationally beloved stars. The Alice Munro entry "Corrie" is unusually focused for her, inquiring about how those living in an irreligious age pay for sin, and whom they should pay. Salvatore Scibona's "The Woman Who Lived in the House" delivers excellent imagery and devises haunting, superlative metaphors for its inquiry into how marriages fall apart and how we build new lives by going backward and forward simultaneously.

Other stories look at love in its early stages. Miroslav Penkov's "East of the West" stands out as the collection's most earnest portrayal of young love, situating that love in a war-torn region divided by boundaries both artificial and geographical. The story's final pivot provides a refreshing theme on the necessity of love. Keith Ridgway convincingly captures an adolescent teen girl's voice in "Rothko Eggs," revealing a complex character who is finding romance and discovering her love of art. Her conflict is just right--complicated but common. Anthony Doerr's "The Deep" takes on the risks of love in a story of a boy born with a hole in his heart, consigned to an abbreviated life that can only be shortened by excitement.

The collection's novella is Yiyun Li's "Kindness," a heartache of a tale about a woman disconnected from humanity and her family and herself, living so deep inside an overwhelming sadness that pointing out her sadness proves futile, even embarrassing. This novella well rewards the time and effort required to read it, but the jury panel has probably overestimated its quality relative to the whole collection.

Kevin Wilson's disturbing "A Birth in the Woods" lends an eerie counterpoint to the collection. It's a head-scratcher I remember vividly, but I still don't know what to make of it. Let's call it a family drama, putting it into roughly the same category with another disturbing family drama, Ann Packer's "Things Said or Done." That one dramatizes a father/daughter connection which both sustains and drags down the father and daughter who share it. Steven Millhauser's fantastical "Phantoms" provides a typical McSweeney's morsel of metafictive, magical realist charm whose structure nicely complements and reinforces the narrative.

Two stories dramatize their narrators' respective psychic disintegrations: Jim Shepard's "Boys Town" gives voice to a soldier's trauma and foundering attempts at reconnecting with family, friendship, and love. Lauren Groff's "Eyewall" puts its narrator in a hurricane, letting the damage to her property and house match up with her personal losses as revealed by a parade of possibly Dickens-inspired ghosts from her past.

Wendell Berry explores coming of age in a simpler time, when humanity's interconnections with nature made a bigger difference, in "Nothing Living Lives Alone."

Alice Mattison's "The Vandercook" investigates the links between violence, family and business, finding plenty of them and delivering worthy insights on their inexorable workings.

Dagoberto Gilb's "Uncle Rock" tells the story of a boy learning what place beauty has in the world, the complication being that this beauty's source is his single mother. Another tale that grapples with beauty is Karl Taro Greenfield's "Mickey Mouse," in which an artist tries to sell out to a repressive government but struggles to harness his own talents toward utilitarian ends.

This is a serviceable entry in a reliable annual anthology of short fiction, worth reading for any fans of the genre and worth learning from for any students of the craft.

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of short story collections normally, but I sort of feel like I should. My colleague had this book in our office, and it's technically a library book that is seriously overdue. Anyway, it's good for me to read short stories so that I can recommend them to our speech & debate students as possible prose pieces. And outside of work, it's pleasant to be able to read a whole story in one sitting.

I'm unfamiliar with this publication in general, so I can't speak to how this particular volume compares to others, as some other reviewers have said. I can say that I found the first few stories... not exactly hard to get through, but certainly less inspiring for the entire volume. That's probably my own preference. There is a good variety of stories from various perspectives and topics (though family is certainly a consistent theme, and dysfunctional/harmful families at that). It wasn't until I got to the story that two of the three reviewers selected as the favorite (the longest story, Yiyun Li's "Kindness") that the collection as a whole took a turn and got me interested. I read the stories in order, and I'm glad I did so.

In terms of my favorite stories from this collection, I found a kindred spirit in the third reviewer, Ron Rash. He selected three stories as his favorites: Anthony Doerr's "The Deep", Miroslav Penkov's East of the West", and Alice Munro's "Corrie." He eventually settled on "Corrie" as the best of the three, and I see his reasoning. I don't think I can pick a particular favorite out of the the three (and I did like "Kindness"), but I found the writing and characters to be dynamic and engaging.

Actually, I take that back. Two unmentioned stories that really stuck with me: Mark Slouka's "Rothko Eggs", which I didn't particularly get at the end, but i liked fairly consistently throughout (and I liked his inspiration); the other story that had me from beginning to end was Steven Millhauser's "Phantoms" (because I'm a complete sucker for fantasy/ghost inclusion). Wait, but then I also really liked the concept of Jim Shepard's "Boys Town."

All right, clearly I am indecisive of this volume, and that bumps it from 3 stars to 3.5 stars, making it 4 stars. My immediate reaction was a bit eh, but upon reflecting on it, I suppose I see more value. Now I can return the book to our office, and hopefully one day my colleague will return it so others can enjoy it.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me months to get through this collection of short stories, and though there was great variety of voice, style and subject matter, I was disappointed that so few of these stories really resonated with me. However, I discovered Anthony Doerr, whom I had not read before, and now I'm looking forward to reading more of his work. His story "The Deep" was just amazing! Vivid, lyrical, meaningful. Five stars for his contribution to the collection.

Other stories that I enjoyed:
"The Hare's Mask" by Mark Slouka
"Rothko Eggs" by Keith Ridgeway
"Corrie" by Alice Munro

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this two stars not because all the stories are bad, but because the collection as a whole is disappointing. I've read through a couple PEN/O.Henry Prize Stories books in the past and been impressed with its creative selection of stories. Sure there would be some stories I didn't care for as much, but I appreciated them for making the rest stand out all the more. Here, most of the stories have a similar feel and are mostly unmemorable. The stories I enjoyed the most were those that conveyed that sense the best or maybe deviated from it a bit.

My favorites/the stories I'll probably remember tomorrow: "Rothko Eggs" by Keith Ridgway, "Kindness" by Yiyun Li, "The First Wife" by Christine Sneed," "The Deep" by Anthony Doerr, "Corrie" by Alice Munro, and "East of the West" by Miroslav Penkov.

[Caroline Bock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more short stories - The Pen/O.Henry Prize Stories 2012 -- and the one that stays with me, haunts me, is "Kindness" by Yiyun Liu, almost novella length about a young girl, a soldier, then teacher in China, someone who has chosen not to love another or live, really. The writer, from Beijing and a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, with a slew of other awards, says that "I hope that by speaking to one person in her mind, my narrator, in the end speaks to many." Actually, one of the best parts of this book is reading the writer's notes about writing at the end -- especially good for would-be, budding, struggling writers -- truly, author of LIE and currently worker of short stories. www.carolinebock.com

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has consistently excellent stories, but this was still one of my favorite years. There were a few that stood out and that I'd like to reread, esp. "Corrie" by Alice Munro and "Things Said Or Done" by Ann Packer, and "The Deep" by Anthony Doerr.

I have to say that the pacing for many of the stories felt similar, which might have been why the collection seemed so cohesive. If you're looking for more variety, the Best American series is generally curated a little more eclectically. (In general, the O. Henry stories seem more intent on form and character, whereas BASS is influenced year-to-year by guest editors' tastes and highlight more experimental work -- or at least as experimental as one can get in a "best of" anthology.)

[Marina Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories are not bad, but they do feel a bit samey. I suppose that partly depends on the personal preference of the selecting committee/editor, but I do wonder if there is a certain style of short story writing which is currently fashionable and appeals to magazines (all of them had been previously published in prestigious literary magazines).
I have to admit, I didn't 'get' many of the stories either. It felt like there was no point to them, no nice structure or start and finish. Or else the point was so carefully hidden and subtle that I was unable to uncover it. I am not of the 'ta-dah', ram-the-point-down-your-throat school of short story reading or writing, but this felt confusing.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2012 do what any good anthology does: present a selection of some of the best stories of the year that cover all genres and styles. The selections were mostly impressive, but a few stood out as exceptional such as Slouka's The Hare's Mask, Li's Kindness, Sneed's The First Wife, and Ruddick's Leak. Of all the stories, Wilson's A Birth in the Woods left the strongest impression on me and caused me to marvel at the craft of writing short stories. Also, there were a few stories that seemed to fall short of being one of the best of the year, and I was pressed to find a reason they were included on the list. Overall, the book is an enjoyable read that is an easy way to keep abreast of what is trending in the world of short stories.

[AJ Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am using this as my primary textbook for my upcoming Craft of Fiction class, so I won't write much here in case my students check into my Goodreads (hey, students!). But, as always, there are some wonders in this collection, and some stories that left me a little cold. Two of my favorites are Alice Munro's story, because, well, she's Alice Munro and amazing, and covers so many years with such ease. And the other favorite was Kindness by Yiyun Li is more like a Novella, and is simply stunning. All in all, a great collection, and I look forward to the discussions of craft that this book will generate amongst my English 456 students.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection contains a few that I will definitely revisit. "The First Wife" by Christine Sneed, "The Vandercook" by Alice Mattison, "Corrie" by Alice Munro & "Things Said or Done" by Ann Packer were standouts. The favorite (for it's seemingly ordinary, simple & uneventful narrative) is "Kindness" by Yiyun Li. Of the twenty short stories included, all had merit & there were some very original (" Boys Town", "Phantoms" & "A Birth in the Woods") ones that have peaked my interest in the authours. This is a keeper...a reread...worth the small cost!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skipped around, reading these out of order, thinking that I'd just skim through the stories that didn't grab me right away. But then they each grabbed me and I realized that the PEN/O. Henry stories are rich collections with diverse stories and writers. Jim Shepard's 'Boys Town', 'The Hare's Mask' by Mark Slouka, 'Kindness' by Yiyun Li and Millhauser's 'Phantoms' each haunt me still in their own ways. I can't wait to go back and read the past O. Henry collections at my library. Awesome short stories that capture the wonder of this written form.

[Ben Brackett · Rating 2 out of 5]

About 16/20 stories here are well written but so devoid of a voice or emotion they could have been by the same person despite the contributor being of very different races, religions and sexes.The editors seemed to greatly admire form over style, and despise imagination. Thankfully, a couple late entries that felt completely out of place from the rest of the works came the rescue from a one star review in the end, but I am no longer taking the PEN/O. Henry Prize as a positive endorsement of literature after reading this.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually don't read short stories, but this is a superb collection. Especially enjoyed "Kindness" by Yiyun Lee - it's a wonderful story. "A Birth in the Woods" by Kevin Wilson and "Things Said or Done" were also very good ("A Birth in the Woods" was especially chilling). There were a few stories I didn't quite connect with, but overall I highly recommend this collection. Wouldn't read the entire thing over again, but there are stories I'd love to revisit.

[Laura Ruetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories in this anthology. Every story was thought provoking and layered and some I even went back to read twice, just to get the nuances that I missed the first time. Although this was a book that I got from the library, it is one that I would buy to keep, the stories are fabulous. If you are a fan of fiction, words, and the magic of storytelling, this is the book that you want to read. There is not a single story that I found disagreeable.

[Alex Toney · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the whole, I found this year's collection to be full of staggeringly good writing, made all the more compelling by a common theme the stories seem to share: nearly all focus on characters or settings from other cultures. As a result, the pieces hang together almost like a little book. Delightful, and masterfully written.

[Karen Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this picked up nicely after a rough start - detailed comments (with possible spoilers) on individual stories posted at A Just Recompense

[Kenny Chaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I Loved "A Birth in the Woods"


Also just read "Kindless" WOW!

I'm upping my stars just based on those two. and the fact that there hasn't been a total stinker yet...still reading it about 3/4 done.

[Patrick Probably DNF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, some pretty safe choices, but "The Deep" by Anthony Doerr is worth the price of admission. One of the best short stories I've read in a long time. Maybe one of the best ever. Captures life, love, and death in 20 pages or less. Just shockingly incredibly super-duper brilliant.

[Stephen Dorneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 'Best of' Collection. My favorites here would be Alice Munro's "Corrie," Christine Sneed's take on celebrity, "The First Wife," and Ann Packer's child/parent study, "Things Said or Done," but all the stories herein are worth your time and attention.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike entries in recent volumes of "The Best American Short Stories" series, most of the stories were interesting enough to read all the way through (!). I'll have to start getting this series every year, like I do for TBASS...

[Eugenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Deep" by Anthony Doerr stands out far above the rest.

Other picks include "A Brush", John Berger (no one else seems to like this haha). "The Hare's Mask", Mark Slouka, and "Rothko Eggs", Keith Ridgway - but none as memorable.