Hunters in the Snow: A Collection of Short Stories

by Tobias Wolff

Hunters in the Snow is a classic short story by Tobias Wolff centered around the suburbs of Spokane and featured in In the Garden of the North American Martyrs. The story deals with three characters hunting together in the woods; Kenny, who is hard and brutal; Tub, who is fat, a target of ridicule, and lags behind the rest of the party; and Frank, who is the most "frank" of the group. Each character has a distinct personality which changes as the story progresses. The story reaches its climax when Tub shoots Kenny in what appears to be an accident. Tub and Frank seem to be taking Kenny to a hospital, but wind up stopping in a diner and a roadhouse in a strange chain of events. The story ends with them driving in a direction that is opposite to the one of the hospital. This story is believed to be based upon the painting Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel, a painter involved in the realism movement.

Genres: Short Stories, School, Fiction, Classics, Read For School, Literature, Audiobook

184 pages, Hardcover

First published July 22, 1982

About the author

Tobias Jonathan Ansell Wolff is a writer of fiction and nonfiction.

He is best known for his short stories and his memoirs, although he has written two novels.

Wolff is the Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, where he has taught classes in English and creative writing since 1997. He also served as the director of the Creative Writing Program at Stanford from 2000 to 2002.

Reviews

[Cathrine ☯️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikes, with friends like these . . . 😱
If I ponder certain people that have migrated through my life, it was a wickedly satisfying read in a warped and twisted fashion. It was like drinking tequila. You think it's done with you and then it sneaks up on you again. I'll leave it there.
Borderline brilliant writing.

Read this short story free online here:

https://americanliterature.com/author...

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

One would have to be really desperate for friends to hang out with the trio in the single short story, "Hunters in the Snow". Three men--Kenny, Frank, and Tub--go hunting together. They seem to be longtime friends who are each self-centered, and know each others weaknesses and flaws. Kenny is especially abusive and bullying to the others. Kenny is later injured. Frank and Tub confide in each other about their problems as they are driving to the hospital. They seem accepting of each others' serious problems to the point of deluding themselves. Frank and Tub are both enjoying a non-critical friendship so much that they lose concern about the injured man. The story has an exaggerated, absurdist feel to it.

[Amir hossein .M · Rating 3 out of 5]

وقتی یه رفیق داری، معنیش اینه که همیشه یه نفرو کنارت داری، بقیه‌اش مهم نیست. به هر حال نظر من اینه.

☘️
فضاسازی و ایده داستان خوب بود. و این برف و فضای سرد داستان که نمادی از جدایی و فاصله‌گیری عاطفی بود به خوبی با پیرنگ داستان گره خورده بود.

کتاب به خوبی درون‌مایه های انسانی رو با فضای داستان ترکیب کرده و یه اثر قابل قبول ساخته بود.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oddly satisfying short story about three "friends" (I use that term lightly) on a hunting expedition in the snow. Wolff changes our view of one of the three 180-degrees before the end of the story and it is done deftly and quite marvelously.

I pondered a bit about what message he might have been trying to convey and settled with: to have a friend, you must be a friend; if you fail at that, beware the consequences.

[Sharon Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very blokish short story of male friendship.   Cleverly written to manipulate the readers view of the three guys.    Initially it seemed like a case of 2's company 3's a crowd and I seriously thought Tub should ditch these so-called mates and find a new set of friends.    Then there was a dramatic event, followed shortly after by a twist  I did not see coming.   Combined,  these two factors seemed to lead them to cut the bull, to open up, and honestly share some difficult truths.  It was a good story with well developed characters.  Tobias Wolff impressed me with his writing.   Perhaps I'll try and get to the November author read and pick up one of his full length titles after all.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunters in the Snow by Tobias Wolff is a classic short story dealing with three males hunting together in the woods. Tub cannot keep up with his "friends" and is teased and ridiculed about his short legs and overweight body. Kenny is hard and brutal and Frank is frank. The personality of these characters changes as the story progresses. Tobias Wolff packs a punch as he masterfully writes a chain of events that take me through a vast range of emotions.
This story is believed to be based upon the painting Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel, a painter involved in the realism movement.

[Pooya Kiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

یک داستان بعد از جنگِ (بدون اشاره‌ی واضح) فوق‌العاده، با درون‌مایه‌ی رفاقت و خیانت. این داستان همنام با یک نقاشی بسیار معروف، در ابتدای دوران مدرن، و در حقیقت ریشخندی به خود ایده‌ی مدرن است. ریشخندی به جهان هول‌آور ما.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty good short story I read online about a group of men trying to survive in the Alaskan wilderness but failing. Definitely give it a check out for yourself.

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title story is about three men who go hunting on a cold, snowy day. Their unsuccessful hunt leads to violence and an unexpected end.

I had to read the story a few times to really appreciate it because of the subtlety of the characters. A deeper analysis of this story is really needed to enjoy it at all. If I was just reading through the book, I might skip over it as enjoyable, but there is something here. Good storytelling by the author. I am interested in reading more titles by him.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

عاشق کتاب جیبی ام ، خصوصا یه داستان کوتاه بیست صفحه ای یا یخورده بیشتر . گرچه اعتراف می کنم به لطف دایی جان ناپلئون دوس دارم همیشه به انگلیسیا و امریکاییا بدبین باشم ، ولی یه حقیقت کوچولو رو نمی تونم کتمان کنم . این پدر سوخته ها تو نوشتن داستان کوتاه استادن . چشم آبیای حرومزاده ... عاشق نگارششونم ، کارور ، سلینجر ، فاکنر ، ... هوووووو هر چی بگی تموم نمیشن از بس زیادن . اصلا توی امریکا رشد نویسنده ی خوب و اسطقس دار از قارچ بیشتره ... خیلی جوگیر شدم،نه؟!

[Arisarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the richest short stories I've ever read.
It's full of symbols and hidden messages and it has interesting themes. The characterization is great and everything seems so real. It's not full of strange and unlikely stuff.

داستان جالب و چندجانبه‌ایه که در عین سادگی، نکات بحث‌برانگیزی میشه ازش استخراج کرد. دوستی این سه نفر منو یاد دوستی الکس و اون دوتا دوست دیگه‌ش (پرتقال کوکی) انداخت. ارتباط مستقیمی ندارن به هم اما یه سری شباهت‌ها دیده میشه بینشون.

[Stephanie Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite short story writers. He leaves you right on the edge of uncomfortable.

[Mateo Toledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuentos, pequeñas joyas. Genial.

[Mireya · Rating 1 out of 5]

“I feel like I just got hoodwinked” - Olivia

[Maddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A man with a gaping gunshot wound, a bulimic, and a pedophile walk into a bar...

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deceptively simple story about three men who go for a hunt in the woods, Hunters in the Snow served as a good piece for discussion. Each character brings a different dynamic to the story and its development overall in terms of plot structure leaves room for examination - why did Wolff place the climax so early in the story? Or is it the climax - are there two? Should we interpret the latter part of the story as a parody? Overall, while not the most enlightening or moving work I've read, it was a good read indeed.

[Cloud Jumpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only read the short story mentioned in the title. Before now I never knew this was a whole collection by him! Hunters in the Snow was such an amazing story, I'll definitely have to pick this up sometime! I love short stories - it's hard to hold my attention through something long.

[Andrés Cabrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

No sé muy bien todavía qué pensar sobre este libro. Los relatos de Wolff acá están espléndidamente escritos. Nada sobra, como tampoco podría decirse que nada falta —esto si lo evaluamos desde el rigor y cómo cada oración se articula con la que le precede y le sigue—. Hay unos tres relatos que creo que valen muchísimo la pena. Los dos que versan sobre profesores universitarios dejan ver la sensibilidad y experiencia del propio escritor. De hecho, no sabía yo que se dedicaba a esto; pero apenas leí estos cuentos fue evidente que ese era su mundo y su ecosistema narrativo.

Aparte de estos, el cuento sobre el caricaturista y su hijo es entrañable. Creo que acá se deja ver una vena chejoviana tremenda, de oficio y corazón. Por momentos, incluso llegué a sentir que leía a un Raymond Carver menos furioso, más sosegado y distante del alcohol. No pretendo ser injusto —además, ¿quién soy yo para criticarlo? El oficio que tiene este hombre es tremendo—, pero siento que a Wolff no le va bien cuando accede a temas que le son más bien distantes de su experiencia personal. El cuento sobre el hombre que fuma un porro y el de la mujer autoestopista se sienten raros, forzados, acosados de una lejanía vital que los deja hechos un mero artificio muy bien logrado. En ciertos puntos parecen una broma mal hecha, una burla que pretende pasar por trascendente.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the classic kind of American short story that makes me realize what has been missing in the novels I've been slogging through lately. I miss 20th century literature--the delicious creepiness that isn't reliant on shock or horror, the one-two impact of a skillfully written five or so pages, the way you discover more layers of meaning every time you read or discuss it. The imagery was great, the characters were disturbing. It helps that I'm semi-auditing AP Lit by reading/discussing these with my sister, which is very fun.

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

از اون داستان های آموزنده بود مثلا
چند روز پیش تمومش کردم ولی نمیدونم چرا یادم رفت ریویو بنویسم و الان خوب یادم نمیاد 😶

از همه ی اینا بگذریم داستان حالت ادبی داشت و خوندنش یکم سخت بود ، پایان داستان واقعا عجیب و باز بود ، کرکتر های و‌اتفاقات و تک تک چیز ها به شدت نمادین بودن و در کل جالب بود و مفاهیم عمیقی رو انتقال میداد.

[DonnaJo Pallini · Rating 3 out of 5]

With friends like these who needs enemies! Strange short story about 3 men "friends" who went on a hunting trip.

[Grada (BoekenTrol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you have friends like these ... Oh dear what a book. Loved it, so dark & gloomy. Even with an unexpected ending. Usually I don't like short stories this much, but this was a good one!

[Brian Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminds me of a Patrick Mcmanus story except this story isn’t meant to be funny.

[Tabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

چقدر تو همین چند صفحه جالب بود
حتما پیشنهاد میدم

[Reed Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

“biggie was fat” ass 😭😭😭😭

[vinier · Rating 3 out of 5]

No puedo evitar estar de acuerdo con Piglia cuando dice que el cuento tiene siempre dos historias: la que está escrita y la que se intuye. Algunas veces, como en Vecinos, de Raymond Carver, es una historia morbosa e impúdica, un silencio evidente; otras, como en Mi viejo, de Hemingway, es apenas un ligero sentimiento de nostalgia, una casi invisible segunda intención; en otros casos, como en Animalitos inexpresivos de Foster Wallace, es una crítica feroz y triste contra la sociedad; también los hay, como en El periódico, de Shirley Jackson, una dolorosa y malvada soledad... Tal vez ahora es lo que más entiendo yo como cuento y, por esa razón, no pude apreciar las historias de Wolff. Famoso escritor norteamericano, no carece de talento; de hecho, sus personajes están tan bien delineados que no puede evitarse el amarlos u odiarlos con total interés. Sin embargo, sus historias, la secreta intención, no se revela ante mí. Las narraciones son más anécdotas que cuentos, parece ser que tras ellas no existe sino la nada, el hueco del cascarón. El mentiroso, sin embargo, es un buen cuento, el más enigmático y bello, un secreto sentimiento; Cazadores en la nieve, tristemente, se asoma como algo que pudo ser pero no lo fue.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunters in the Snow [1981] - ★★★★

In this story, Tub, Kenny and Frank are three men choosing to go hunting in snowy Washington countryside. However, naturally, there are few things to hunt in this season and soon the men are bored. One joke turns "deadly" and, suddenly, there is a wounded man among the trio. However, it soon transpires that the two remaining "standing" men have more urgent "preoccupations" in their lives than their injured friend and the need to get him to hospital, such as boosting their male egos by telling of their love conquests at a warm steakhouse. From the very first page, Wolff emphasises the men's recklessness, as well as their disregard for each other's needs and well-being. Hunters in the Snow is atmospheric, shocking, and - very sadly and unfortunately - not unrealistic.

[Fernando Iglesias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todo pasa cuando no pasa nada.
Doce historias mínimas que desnudan la naturaleza de sus protagonistas.

Con personajes muy bien construidos, diálogos precisos y una prosa sencilla, Wolff teje excelentes cuentos. A veces, su estilo sutil obliga a un sobresfuerzo para entender lo que subyace.

“Cazadores…”: ¡Perfecto! ¡Un 10!
“Un episodio…”: sobre el miedo a la felicidad.
“Pasajeros”: sobre cobardía y sometimiento.
“Cara a cara”: sobre miedo a volver a empezar.
“Primera travesía”: bodas de oro de un matrimonio marchito.
“En el jardín…”: sobre los límites de la dignidad.

Al estilo de los grandes cuentistas americanos.
¡Para leer y releer!
Tambien en Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdJRczEDPbH/

[Petite Clementine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like many of the characters, or much of the plot, either. Wolff, however, is able to capture my attention with these three otherwise unremarkable characters, and keep it throughout the story. He garners my sympathy for these mundane men, and keeps me pondering over this story long after I have finished it. It is only his deft weaving that kept me engrossed; that's all I have to say. A less talented writer would have lost my interest after the first page.

[Angelo Marcano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incluso los cuentos menos memorables tienen una ejecución genial. El libro demuestra una cuidada ejecución de la ficción breve (excelente para aprendices del género). El estilo a veces se me hace largo pero igual es disfrutable y tiene momentos brillantísimos. Se enmarca fácilmente en la tradición de grandes cuentistas norteamericanos de la generación de Carver. 4,5/5