Short Shorts: An Anthology of the Shortest Stories

by Ilana Wiener Howe (editor), Irving Howe (editor)

The first anthology of its kind, this is a book of 'miniature masterpieces', 38 short short stories --some as long as ten printed pages, the average between three and seven. Many of the authors are world famous, but some are less well known; but they all prove just how much can be told in the fewest words. A very useful book for anyone interested in short story writing, for it shows how to tell a tale without wasting a single word!

Genres: Short Stories

262 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Jaime Dear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat collection! My favorites were First Sorrow, Swaddling Clothes, Bitterness for Three Sleepwalkers, The Eclipse, and The Censors.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dearly hope the pb edition of this treasure trove is still in print. It contains some of the most memorable, moving stories of any length I've ever read. Irving Howe, the editor, includes a fine intro, describing the qualities of the "short-short" story, which proves as diverse as its better known cousin, the short story. As for length, Howe sets an outside limit of 2500 wds, with 1500 being closer to the norm. Regardless, fewer words does not mean lesser impact. In fact, based on evidence from this collection, one could argue that if, as Borges says, 'unlike the novel, the short story may be, for all purposes, essential,' then the short-short is undeniably essential. While some of these pieces read like prose poems, some have all the dramatic tension and vision of the human condition of a long novel, but in concentrated form, which, I find, makes them all the more powerful.
My personal favorites include:
* The Wolf, Giovanni Verga
* The Third Bank of the River, Joao Gimaraes Rosa (the most haunting and heart-breaking of the bunch!)
* The Death of Dolgushov, Isaac Babel
* Swaddling Clothes, Yukio Mishima
* My Father Sits in the Dark, Jerome Weidman
* News from the World, Paula Fox

[Polly Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my shelf, like, forever. I finally pulled it down and started gobbling up these gems. What's now called Flash fiction used to be called short shorts. This is flash fiction by true masters: Tolstoy, Chekhov, Maupassant, Joyce, Lawrence, Porter, and so many others. The forward by Irving Howe is like a mini-master class on how to write different types of flash fiction, from fable or fairytale to "one thrust of incident." "Almost before it begins, the fiction is brought to a stark conclusion--abrupt, bleeding, exhausting. This conclusion need not complete the action; it has only to break it off decisively." Several stories just killed me, but especially the heartbreaking and shocking "Swaddling Clothes" by Yukio Mishima, "The Blue Bouquet" by Octavio Paz, the most brutal and weird bouquet ever, and Paula Fox's lonely and sensuous "News from the World." These stories from other eras still resonate. I will keep this volume on my shelf to reread and marvel at again.

[Anthony Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short short stories are great. I can sit down and read one, two, or even three stories on my fifteen minute breaks at work. The stories in this collection are old but good; they deal with various themes in different time periods. This anthology is a real gem and has a space on my bookshelf.

[Michel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ideal read while travelling, when you don't always have time to read longer stories.
All the great classics have (unwittingly) participated in this small volume.

[Kara Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good short story collection and the amount of amazing authors that were in this collection was awesome. The wolf was my favorite one of the collection.

[Alan Gerstle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among the recent (meaning from about 1995 onward), there have been a spate (series succession
run cluster string outbreak rash epidemic? explosion plague wave flurry rush flood deluge torrent) of flash fiction anthologies. What sets this anthology apart (published 1980) is that generally the narratives are traditional with typical beginnings, middles, and endings). They are also by writers that have been acclaimed -- more or less -- by their other writing forms like short stories, novels, epics, etc.) The editors emphasize 'decisive moments' that are robust and charged with drama and conflict. Nowadays, flash fiction is often associated with stories using cinematic techniques (jump cuts, distillations, minimalism) or painting styles like cubism: events expressed through multiple viewpoints and allowing the reader leeway in interpreting the function and arrangement of these viewpoints. However, there is most likely an economic influence as well. Flash fiction today can be easily published online, does not require a great deal of time commitment, and allow more people to get published--partially to fill out their resumes. I think it also allows for a larger percentage of bad writing since if something is poorly written, you don't have to suffer very long with any particular story. I recommend this volume because the stories are for the most part rewarding; also they teach you about the traditional elements of story; and also offer a glimpse at the writings of many authors from 'the canon' while they were 'slumming it.'

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a collection of 'Short Short stories' you can hit a quick story or two when you just have a few minutes here and there. For this reason alone I was able to read it entirely. I must admit the hugest majority of the stories were in the "I just don't get it" category. I often found that I had no clue what the author was trying to say. As I understand it...that is often the case with short stories. Like some poetry, you either get it...or you don't. I didn't.

[Colin]

An anthology of classic short stories that was recommended to me.

[Mike Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay for short stories. Translations makes them difficult to understand original meanings. The Eclipse was my favorite. Twist on a more commonly known version of the same story.