What do you think?
Rate this book
50 Great American Short Stories
A Splendid collection of 50 stories from Washington Irving's 'The Adventures Of A German Student' to John Updike's 'The Lucid Eye in Silver Town'.
Such classic stories as Edgar Allan Poe’s 'Ms. Found in a Bottle', Bret Harte’s 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat', Sherwood Anderson’s 'Death in the Woods', Stephen Vincent Benét’s 'By the Waters of Babylon'. Also some little-known masterpieces as Edith Wharton’s 'The Dilettante', Finley Peter Dunne’s 'Mr. Dooley on the Popularity of Fireman', Charles M. Flandrau’s 'A Dead Issue', and James Reid Parker’s 'The Archimandrite's Niece'.
There are also splendid offerings from Melville, Henry James, Dreiser, Faulkner, Hemingway, Steinbeck, McCullers, Irwin Shaw, John Cheever and Erskine Caldwell.
Such classic stories as Edgar Allan Poe’s 'Ms. Found in a Bottle', Bret Harte’s 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat', Sherwood Anderson’s 'Death in the Woods', Stephen Vincent Benét’s 'By the Waters of Babylon'. Also some little-known masterpieces as Edith Wharton’s 'The Dilettante', Finley Peter Dunne’s 'Mr. Dooley on the Popularity of Fireman', Charles M. Flandrau’s 'A Dead Issue', and James Reid Parker’s 'The Archimandrite's Niece'.
There are also splendid offerings from Melville, Henry James, Dreiser, Faulkner, Hemingway, Steinbeck, McCullers, Irwin Shaw, John Cheever and Erskine Caldwell.
502 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1963
65 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 18, 2020
Listen, this are good three stars!!
I really did enjoy this collection of short stories..
I mean that you have here stories which easily deserved five stars and more..
but at the end of the day some of these short stories didn't work for me at all.
I had to force myself finish them reading..
this is the reason for my three stars..
Although all the great names are here, like London, Faulkner, Updike, and even Steinbeck..
A good anthology, but they are better out there!!
Nevertheless i recommend this collection, because I'm sure you'll find some hidden gems in it!!
If you love the classics, then you will adore this bunch of stories..
Dean;)
I really did enjoy this collection of short stories..
I mean that you have here stories which easily deserved five stars and more..
but at the end of the day some of these short stories didn't work for me at all.
I had to force myself finish them reading..
this is the reason for my three stars..
Although all the great names are here, like London, Faulkner, Updike, and even Steinbeck..
A good anthology, but they are better out there!!
Nevertheless i recommend this collection, because I'm sure you'll find some hidden gems in it!!
If you love the classics, then you will adore this bunch of stories..
Dean;)
June 13, 2008
I read this book while commuting on subway to work. It's my first encounter with American short stories but it was tremendous fun to read this book! The reading process is intensive and like watching 50 dramas:) Those stories also provide me a great side view to learn the progress and changing of American society, people and values. Some of my favorites are:
1. 'The Fiddler' by Herman Melville -- an inspirational anecdote on the vanity of fame and human desires, and on what is immortal.
2. 'The Lost Phoebe' by Theodore Dreiser -- an very touching story on the loneliness of human being and the search for lost love.
3. 'The National Passtime' by John Cheever -- an intriguing and humorous story of the conflict between a son and his father, and on fear and the conquer of fear ...
Even though I'm from a totally different culture background, I can personally relate to many of the stories, which means that they are of lasting and universal values.
It's also interesting to note the difference in language use between those American writers and the British 'Classical' writers whom I'm more familiar with. American English (in those stories) is very personal,vivid and conversational, but lacks the delicacy and grace of British writers such as George Owell and Oscar Wilde.
Highly recommended to those who want to learn more about American literatue, people and society, but are too busy to read 'real' novels. Also recommended to philosophical minds who wants to 'see a world in a grain of sand':)
1. 'The Fiddler' by Herman Melville -- an inspirational anecdote on the vanity of fame and human desires, and on what is immortal.
2. 'The Lost Phoebe' by Theodore Dreiser -- an very touching story on the loneliness of human being and the search for lost love.
3. 'The National Passtime' by John Cheever -- an intriguing and humorous story of the conflict between a son and his father, and on fear and the conquer of fear ...
Even though I'm from a totally different culture background, I can personally relate to many of the stories, which means that they are of lasting and universal values.
It's also interesting to note the difference in language use between those American writers and the British 'Classical' writers whom I'm more familiar with. American English (in those stories) is very personal,vivid and conversational, but lacks the delicacy and grace of British writers such as George Owell and Oscar Wilde.
Highly recommended to those who want to learn more about American literatue, people and society, but are too busy to read 'real' novels. Also recommended to philosophical minds who wants to 'see a world in a grain of sand':)
February 20, 2016
Not enough stories by women.
July 27, 2008
A great way to get introduced to some of the 20th centuries greatest authors and fun stories.
November 12, 2017
Some were excellent, some were so-so.
November 1, 2017
Personal Response: After I read the short story, A Man of the World , I thought it was a very unique and different book. I thought the author had an odd choice of plot and character. In result of the oddness, this story kept my attention since I was trying to figure out the details and how they made sense to the storyline.
Plot: Blindy, the main character, was a blind, homeless man who travelled to two different bars playing slot machines. He smelled very bad. In result, he had a hard time getting rides to the bars. One of the bars he went to was called The Pilot. The bartender explained to the other customers on how Blindy became blind. Blindy became blind because of a fight with Willis Sawyer. Willis Sawyer gouged Blindy’s eyes out and bit them off. Blindy explained how he did not like his past nickname, Blackie, because he thought Blindy suited him better than Blackie. The story ended with Blindy pitying Willis Sawyer for not being as fun as himself.
Characterization: Blindy was the main character. He was a blind, homeless man. He also smelled very bad making him not liked by many. He portrayed a careless attitude. He was proud and kind of arrogant when the story behind him being blind was explained. He also did not care that he was homeless, smelled, or was blind. Also, he did not seem to have regret about the fight and seemed content with his life.
Another character was Willis Sawyer. He was a flat character, because he was not heavily explained or described in the story. He was the character that started a fight with Blindy though. Blindy also thought he was not as fun as himself. Willis Sawyer was the one who bit off Blindy’s eyes.
Setting: This story took place in the winter at an old bar in Jessup. The time of the year was very important to the storyline because the narrator explained how Blindy came into the bar frozen and had icicles on him. Also, Blindy had to ask for rides to the bars since the roads were very icy and it was cold out. If I had to take a guess on what time period this took place, I would choose in the past. The bar was explained to be a small, old bar. In the past, attending bars on a daily basis was way more common than nowadays.
Recommendation: I would recommend this to any gender of any age above thirteen years of age. I would recommend this story to any gender because the book was gender neutral. I would recommend this short story to that age group because there was some mild violence discussed but nothing too dramatic and inappropriate to anyone older than thirteen year old.
Plot: Blindy, the main character, was a blind, homeless man who travelled to two different bars playing slot machines. He smelled very bad. In result, he had a hard time getting rides to the bars. One of the bars he went to was called The Pilot. The bartender explained to the other customers on how Blindy became blind. Blindy became blind because of a fight with Willis Sawyer. Willis Sawyer gouged Blindy’s eyes out and bit them off. Blindy explained how he did not like his past nickname, Blackie, because he thought Blindy suited him better than Blackie. The story ended with Blindy pitying Willis Sawyer for not being as fun as himself.
Characterization: Blindy was the main character. He was a blind, homeless man. He also smelled very bad making him not liked by many. He portrayed a careless attitude. He was proud and kind of arrogant when the story behind him being blind was explained. He also did not care that he was homeless, smelled, or was blind. Also, he did not seem to have regret about the fight and seemed content with his life.
Another character was Willis Sawyer. He was a flat character, because he was not heavily explained or described in the story. He was the character that started a fight with Blindy though. Blindy also thought he was not as fun as himself. Willis Sawyer was the one who bit off Blindy’s eyes.
Setting: This story took place in the winter at an old bar in Jessup. The time of the year was very important to the storyline because the narrator explained how Blindy came into the bar frozen and had icicles on him. Also, Blindy had to ask for rides to the bars since the roads were very icy and it was cold out. If I had to take a guess on what time period this took place, I would choose in the past. The bar was explained to be a small, old bar. In the past, attending bars on a daily basis was way more common than nowadays.
Recommendation: I would recommend this to any gender of any age above thirteen years of age. I would recommend this story to any gender because the book was gender neutral. I would recommend this short story to that age group because there was some mild violence discussed but nothing too dramatic and inappropriate to anyone older than thirteen year old.
February 19, 2017
3 1/2 stars
June 4, 2025
There were a couple of gems (The Dilettante and The Touch of Nutmeg Makes It), a few slogs (The Two Faces, A Dead Issue, and Silent Snow, Secret Snow), and some classics (Young Goodman Brown, To Build a Fire, A Man of the World, and The Hour of Letdown).
It was a worthwhile read.
It was a worthwhile read.
didn-t-finish
December 19, 2023هفت هشت تا داستان اولش رو خوندم. انگار همه از ادگار آلن پو تاثیر گرفتن ولی در واقع فکر کنم این پو بود که سبک داستان کوتاه آمریکا رو دنبال میکرد. بد نیست چند تاش ترجمه بشه!۰
March 9, 2010
Most of the stories in this collection are well worth reading; many of them are under-published or under appreciated pieces by well known writers. Some of these are less than memorable, honestly, but since each of the stories in the collection was written prior to 1956, whichever story you choose to read will at least be possessed of a certain amount of charm.
My favorites in the collection: Young Goodman Brown (Nathaniel Hawthorne), The Lost Phoebe (Theodore Dreiser), A Dead Issue (Charles M. Flandrau), Old Folks' Christmas (Ring Lardner), Silent Snow, Secret Snow (Conrad Aiken), By The Waters of Babylon (Stephen Vincent Benét), The Harness (John Steinbeck), and The Touch of Nutmeg Makes It (John Collier).
I won't list the ones I disliked, or why I disliked them (that would take me most of the rest of the night to accomplish), but many of the others were either just okay, too didactic or moralistic, trite, or they just fell on their faces instead of ending well. One of them was completely unreadable as it was written in some antiquated Appalachian American dialect.
Pick up a copy. It's very worth it; I got mine for super-cheap ($4.00).
My favorites in the collection: Young Goodman Brown (Nathaniel Hawthorne), The Lost Phoebe (Theodore Dreiser), A Dead Issue (Charles M. Flandrau), Old Folks' Christmas (Ring Lardner), Silent Snow, Secret Snow (Conrad Aiken), By The Waters of Babylon (Stephen Vincent Benét), The Harness (John Steinbeck), and The Touch of Nutmeg Makes It (John Collier).
I won't list the ones I disliked, or why I disliked them (that would take me most of the rest of the night to accomplish), but many of the others were either just okay, too didactic or moralistic, trite, or they just fell on their faces instead of ending well. One of them was completely unreadable as it was written in some antiquated Appalachian American dialect.
Pick up a copy. It's very worth it; I got mine for super-cheap ($4.00).
January 2, 2021
A great collection of short stories by American masters
December 19, 2014
I have had this book around for a long time and thought I had never read it, but as I read through each story, each one was familiar. I kept thinking I would find one that I hadn't read, but right up to the end, I remembered reading them before. I can't for the life of me remember when it would have been though. there are some really great stories in this collection, and some pretty dull ones, too. A lot of them are ones I've read in anthologies for English classes, too, which made them extra familiar. I liked the last one so much, The Closer by John Collier, that I want to look up more by him. It took me much too long to finish this because I haven't been reading as much as I would like lately.
March 8, 2014
I really didn't intend to real all these stories. The book sat on my bedside table for the longest time, and I'd read a story or two when I was in between books, or felt like a break. But now I find I've read all of them.
Quite good. Really good variety. Nice to get some exposure to authors I've not read before.
A nice collection.
Quite good. Really good variety. Nice to get some exposure to authors I've not read before.
A nice collection.
October 22, 2015
I can't say that I became a fan of all the stories in this book. However it was good to discover some different authors which I did not read before such as Anatole France and Katherine Mansfield. And classics like Alexander Poushkin and Edgar Allan Poe are always goos to read. Nevertheless I can not say this is a light reading book, which one can read on the short bus or train travels.
June 13, 2007
This book is fantastic. Not all of the stories were my cup of tea, but it was definitely worth reading for the ones that were, as well as for the chance to sample authors who I had heard a lot about but never read before, such as Steinbeck, Chekhov and Hemingway.
Read
November 1, 2010A comprehensive selection from the owrld's finest short fiction. The authors represented range from Hawthorned, Maupassant, Poe, through Henry James, Conrad, Aldous Huxley, James Joyce, to Hemingway, Katherine Anne Porter, Faulkner, E.B. White...
March 28, 2013
Best collection of short stories you will find. So glad it is still available in print. This is my third copy I bought over the years since my other ones worn out. I wish I could find this book in Hardback or hopefully it will be available in Kindle format.
October 2, 2008
A solid mid-century collection. I'm not finished with it yet, but I'll pick it up from time to time to read a story. This was a great companion on a train ride I took earlier this year.
Read
December 28, 2008A great book to read on the stationary bike. Stories are each around 30-45 minutes long.
December 20, 2024
Washington Irving ‘The Adventure of the German Student’ 1824 ****
Nathaniel Hawthorne ‘Young Goodman Brown’ 1835 ***
Edgar Allen Poe ‘Ms. Found in a Bottle’ 1833 ***
Herman Melville ‘The Fiddler’ 1854 ***
Fitz-James O’Brien ‘What Was It?’ 1859 ***
Mark Twain ‘Luck’ 1891 ***
Francis Bret Harte ‘The Outcasts of Poker Flat’ 1869 ***
Ambrose Bierce ‘The Damned Thing’ 1893 ***
Henry James ‘The Two Faces’ 1900 **
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman ‘A New England Nun’ 1891 ****
Sarah Orne Jewett ‘The Courting of Sister Wisby’ 1887 **
Edith Wharton ‘The Dilettante’ 1903 **
O. Henry ‘Masters of Arts’ 1904 ***
George Ade ‘Effie Whittlesy’ 1886 ****
Finley Peter Dunne ‘Mr. Dooley on the Popularity of Firemen’ 1898 **
Stephen Crane ‘The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky’ 1898 ***
Charles M. Flandrau ‘A Dead Issue’ 1897 ****
Theodore Dreiser ‘The Lost Phoebe’ 1918 ***
Clarence Day ‘Father is Firm with His Ailments’ 1933 **
Sherwood Anderson ‘Death in the Woods’ 1926 **
Jack London ‘To Build a Fire’ 1908 ****
William Carlos Williams ‘The Use of Force’ 1938 **
Ring W. Lardner ‘Old Folks’ Christmas’ 1928 ***
Conrad Aiken ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’ 1932 ****
Stephen Vincent Benet ‘By the Waters of Babylon’ 1937 ****
Dorothy Parker ‘Soldiers of the Republic’ 1938 ****
James Thurber ‘Mr. Preble Gets Rid of His Wife’ 1934 ****
John McNulty ‘Cluney McFarrar’s Hardtack’ 1943 ***
Rober M. Coates ‘The Darkness of the Night’ 1942 ****
William Faulkner ‘The Old People’ 1940 ***
Ludwig Bemelmans ‘Grapes for Monsieur Cape’ 1938 ****
Ernest Hemingway ‘A Man of the World’ 1957 ***
E. B. White ‘The Hour of Letdown’ 1951 **
Oliver La Farge ‘The Resting Place’ 1955 ****
John Collier ‘The Touch of Nutmeg Makes It’ 1941 ****
John Steinbeck ‘The Harness’ 1938 ****
Kay Boyle ‘Friend of the Family’ 1946 ***
Erskine Caldwell ‘The Rumor’ 1946 ****
William Saroyan ‘There Was a Young Lady of Perth’ 1961 ****
Joseph Mitchell ‘The Downfall of Fascism in Black Ankle County’ 1938 **
William Maxwell ‘The French Scarecrow’ 1956 ****
Wallace Stegner ‘The Blue-Winged Teal’ 1954 ***
James Reid Parker ‘The Archimandrite’s Niece’ 1941 ***
James Agee ‘A Mother’s Tale’ 1952 *
John Cheever ‘The National Pastime’ 1953 ***
Irwin Shaw ‘The Girls in Their Summer Dresses’ 1939 ****
Richard P. Bissell ‘The Death of Shorty’ 1950 **
Seymour Freedgood ‘Grandma and the Hindu Monk’ 1951 **
Carson McCullers ‘Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland’ 1951 ***
John Updike ‘The Lucid Eye in Silver Town’ 1964 ***
Nathaniel Hawthorne ‘Young Goodman Brown’ 1835 ***
Edgar Allen Poe ‘Ms. Found in a Bottle’ 1833 ***
Herman Melville ‘The Fiddler’ 1854 ***
Fitz-James O’Brien ‘What Was It?’ 1859 ***
Mark Twain ‘Luck’ 1891 ***
Francis Bret Harte ‘The Outcasts of Poker Flat’ 1869 ***
Ambrose Bierce ‘The Damned Thing’ 1893 ***
Henry James ‘The Two Faces’ 1900 **
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman ‘A New England Nun’ 1891 ****
Sarah Orne Jewett ‘The Courting of Sister Wisby’ 1887 **
Edith Wharton ‘The Dilettante’ 1903 **
O. Henry ‘Masters of Arts’ 1904 ***
George Ade ‘Effie Whittlesy’ 1886 ****
Finley Peter Dunne ‘Mr. Dooley on the Popularity of Firemen’ 1898 **
Stephen Crane ‘The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky’ 1898 ***
Charles M. Flandrau ‘A Dead Issue’ 1897 ****
Theodore Dreiser ‘The Lost Phoebe’ 1918 ***
Clarence Day ‘Father is Firm with His Ailments’ 1933 **
Sherwood Anderson ‘Death in the Woods’ 1926 **
Jack London ‘To Build a Fire’ 1908 ****
William Carlos Williams ‘The Use of Force’ 1938 **
Ring W. Lardner ‘Old Folks’ Christmas’ 1928 ***
Conrad Aiken ‘Silent Snow, Secret Snow’ 1932 ****
Stephen Vincent Benet ‘By the Waters of Babylon’ 1937 ****
Dorothy Parker ‘Soldiers of the Republic’ 1938 ****
James Thurber ‘Mr. Preble Gets Rid of His Wife’ 1934 ****
John McNulty ‘Cluney McFarrar’s Hardtack’ 1943 ***
Rober M. Coates ‘The Darkness of the Night’ 1942 ****
William Faulkner ‘The Old People’ 1940 ***
Ludwig Bemelmans ‘Grapes for Monsieur Cape’ 1938 ****
Ernest Hemingway ‘A Man of the World’ 1957 ***
E. B. White ‘The Hour of Letdown’ 1951 **
Oliver La Farge ‘The Resting Place’ 1955 ****
John Collier ‘The Touch of Nutmeg Makes It’ 1941 ****
John Steinbeck ‘The Harness’ 1938 ****
Kay Boyle ‘Friend of the Family’ 1946 ***
Erskine Caldwell ‘The Rumor’ 1946 ****
William Saroyan ‘There Was a Young Lady of Perth’ 1961 ****
Joseph Mitchell ‘The Downfall of Fascism in Black Ankle County’ 1938 **
William Maxwell ‘The French Scarecrow’ 1956 ****
Wallace Stegner ‘The Blue-Winged Teal’ 1954 ***
James Reid Parker ‘The Archimandrite’s Niece’ 1941 ***
James Agee ‘A Mother’s Tale’ 1952 *
John Cheever ‘The National Pastime’ 1953 ***
Irwin Shaw ‘The Girls in Their Summer Dresses’ 1939 ****
Richard P. Bissell ‘The Death of Shorty’ 1950 **
Seymour Freedgood ‘Grandma and the Hindu Monk’ 1951 **
Carson McCullers ‘Madame Zilensky and the King of Finland’ 1951 ***
John Updike ‘The Lucid Eye in Silver Town’ 1964 ***
August 14, 2023
stuff I really liked: melville (america's greatest literary figure), bierce (the best of the spooooky 19th century stories), freeman (really moving for something that I expected to be not my jam), o. henry (master of the form for a reason), ade (same as freeman), flandrau (don't wanna praise a lampoon guy, but it's really very funny), lardner (great bit), thurber (same), faulkner (always brilliant), caldwell (simple and sharp), shaw (new york city baby), updike (awful WASPs are always fun)
stuff I really did not: hawthorne (america's most boring literary figure), dunne (I am so glad we got rid of 'folksy character' newspaper columns), william carlos williams (stick to plums), benét (dystopian fiction where the twist is "oh my god it's a city from TODAY" is for people with no imagination), eb white (literally what), la farge (sick vision quest man)
stuff I really did not: hawthorne (america's most boring literary figure), dunne (I am so glad we got rid of 'folksy character' newspaper columns), william carlos williams (stick to plums), benét (dystopian fiction where the twist is "oh my god it's a city from TODAY" is for people with no imagination), eb white (literally what), la farge (sick vision quest man)
September 4, 2018
There are a lot of famous authors on this list. However just because something is great literature, doesn't necessarily mean it does it for me. A lot of these stories were hit or miss. Definitely some interesting reads in here, if your not already into this, this is definitely what I would call a expand your horizons type of selection.
October 14, 2017
If you are not like classic stories you mustn't start this book cause I am not like classic stories but i said to myself " at least you should try" and i tried now again i didn't like it but i am not regret some stories learned to me some different information about old america so that was good...
September 4, 2019
Not the fifty greatest American short stories, just fifty good American short stories. Crane oftentimes rejected the better known works from the short fiction masters and also included some little known short stories from well-known novelists. So, there are many good stories here, but few truly exceptional ones.
The collection led me to conclude that the 19th century really belonged to the celebrated writers of short fiction in that era - Irving, Hawthorne, Poe, Bierce, O. Henry, Twain, and Crane. Nobody else really approached them. I did, however, discover that Dreiser belongs among the pantheon. "The Lost Phoebe"is a beautifully written and moving story. It stood out as the best in the collection.
The selections from the 20th century helped me to appreciate the fantasy and science fiction short stories of the era that this collection almost entirely ignores. Published in the 1960's this collection did not recognize the brilliance of Bradbury.
The collection led me to conclude that the 19th century really belonged to the celebrated writers of short fiction in that era - Irving, Hawthorne, Poe, Bierce, O. Henry, Twain, and Crane. Nobody else really approached them. I did, however, discover that Dreiser belongs among the pantheon. "The Lost Phoebe"is a beautifully written and moving story. It stood out as the best in the collection.
The selections from the 20th century helped me to appreciate the fantasy and science fiction short stories of the era that this collection almost entirely ignores. Published in the 1960's this collection did not recognize the brilliance of Bradbury.
May 15, 2023
Quite satisfying, though there were some stories with racist tropes due to the mores and attitudes of the time. I skipped a couple of those.
My absolute favorite story was Saki's "The Schartz-Metterklume Method." Hilarious!
My absolute favorite story was Saki's "The Schartz-Metterklume Method." Hilarious!
February 23, 2019
An uneven assortment of short stories, some baffling as to their inclusion, but a few gems from pre-1970.
December 31, 2021
Some of these are classics, but most I hadn't read before. Great selection of short stories from an earlier time.
Read
January 20, 20232 Copies
Want to read
August 13, 2023Charles inscribed this book to me.
July 11, 2024
50 good short stories written mostly by & about white men
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews