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Selected Shorts: Lots of Laughs!
This three-CD collection features more best-loved selections from National Public Radio's "Selected Shorts," an award-winning series of classic and contemporary short fiction read by acclaimed actors and recorded live at Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York City. More than three hours of recordings in each collection capture the intimacy of live performance. Stories are alternately funny, sad, moving, and exciting and make a perfect accompaniment to daily activities such as driving, cooking, exercising, and relaxing.
Lots of Laughs includes, among others, John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie," read by Charles Keating; Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry," read by Christina Pickles; Ron Carlson's "On the USS Fortitude," read by Laura Esterman; Etgar Keret's "Fatso," read by John Guare; and David Schickler's "Jamaica," read by Isaiah Sheffer.
Lots of Laughs includes, among others, John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie," read by Charles Keating; Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry," read by Christina Pickles; Ron Carlson's "On the USS Fortitude," read by Laura Esterman; Etgar Keret's "Fatso," read by John Guare; and David Schickler's "Jamaica," read by Isaiah Sheffer.
3 pages, Audio CD
First published April 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 3, 2016
Nicholson Baker's "Subsoil" - A darkly comic thriller about a tractor historian besieged by man-eating potatoes. (3 stars)
John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie" - An American golfer gets more than golfing tips from his Scottish caddie. (4 stars)
David Schickler's "Jamaica" - A man with his head stuck between the banisters has no choice but to listen in on his wife's "Gorgon Book Club." (3 stars)
Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" - A delicious tale of an elderly British matron who buys the Holy Grail at a rummage sale. (4 stars)
Leonard Michaels' "Nachman from Los Angeles" - A wonderfully silly tale of misadventure on a college campus. (4 stars)
Ron Carlson's "On the U.S.S. Fortitude" - A decommissioned aircraft carrier becomes home for a single welfare mother and her children in this zany story. (3 stars)
Etgar Keret's "Fatso" - An offbeat romance with a very comic nightly ritual. (4 stars)
John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie" - An American golfer gets more than golfing tips from his Scottish caddie. (4 stars)
David Schickler's "Jamaica" - A man with his head stuck between the banisters has no choice but to listen in on his wife's "Gorgon Book Club." (3 stars)
Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" - A delicious tale of an elderly British matron who buys the Holy Grail at a rummage sale. (4 stars)
Leonard Michaels' "Nachman from Los Angeles" - A wonderfully silly tale of misadventure on a college campus. (4 stars)
Ron Carlson's "On the U.S.S. Fortitude" - A decommissioned aircraft carrier becomes home for a single welfare mother and her children in this zany story. (3 stars)
Etgar Keret's "Fatso" - An offbeat romance with a very comic nightly ritual. (4 stars)
March 16, 2021
Thought I'd skip through some short stories while I waited for a book to arrive at my library. Should have been pickier. This collection is quintessentially Public Radio...very smart and kind of boring and not at all funny but pretentious enough to think the opposite of itself on all accounts. I give it a, "Meh."
February 25, 2019
This starts off with one of my favorite stories, and it's all downhill from there.
Subsoil is fun the first time, but it isn't great literature, nor does it have lots of laughs.
Weird title for a stranger collection. I'd give it a miss. I won't be rereading this one.
Subsoil is fun the first time, but it isn't great literature, nor does it have lots of laughs.
Weird title for a stranger collection. I'd give it a miss. I won't be rereading this one.
August 2, 2015
A humorous collection of short stories. I loved Subsoil.
February 5, 2021
*listened to audio*
I downloaded this to listen to the Etgar Keret story. Which happened to be the very last story in the collection, the shortest story in the collection, and possibly the crudest of the collection.
SUBSOIL
Five stars
For a horror story, this was fun. In fact, I laughed a lot. It's all about potatoes that target certain men.
FARRELL'S CADDIE
Two stars
Who likes golf? I think I could appreciate this story if I read it again
Jamaica
Five stars
Slightly crude at times, but oh, so clever! I love it when a plot ought to break your heart but instead you laugh. Hope is easier to find through such stories, I think.
CHIVALRY
Five Stars
An old, sensible lady find the holy grail at a thrift store and puts one of King Author's knights to work running errands for her. I love how the woman is so straightforward! It makes the plot all the more funny.
Nachman from Los Angeles
Three stars
Sometimes when you want someone to write a paper for you, you should appreciate their genius a little more. Money? Ah, they don't care. This story took a very weird twist. Also, may have been gay. I mean, it was. As for the actual plot. It was weird, but likeable.
On the U.S.S. FORTITUDE
Four Stars
A comical skit about a mother who lives on a ship with her grown children who all fly and never communicate where they are at, nor pick up their gear on deck.
FATSO (by Etgar Keret)
Four Stars
Written in second person . . . what if the woman you loved had some awful secret. And it was indeed awful. But what could you do about it, if you were a decent guy?
Jamaica and Chivalry were probably my favorites, then Subsoil and Fatso.
I downloaded this to listen to the Etgar Keret story. Which happened to be the very last story in the collection, the shortest story in the collection, and possibly the crudest of the collection.
SUBSOIL
Five stars
For a horror story, this was fun. In fact, I laughed a lot. It's all about potatoes that target certain men.
FARRELL'S CADDIE
Two stars
Who likes golf? I think I could appreciate this story if I read it again
Jamaica
Five stars
Slightly crude at times, but oh, so clever! I love it when a plot ought to break your heart but instead you laugh. Hope is easier to find through such stories, I think.
CHIVALRY
Five Stars
An old, sensible lady find the holy grail at a thrift store and puts one of King Author's knights to work running errands for her. I love how the woman is so straightforward! It makes the plot all the more funny.
Nachman from Los Angeles
Three stars
Sometimes when you want someone to write a paper for you, you should appreciate their genius a little more. Money? Ah, they don't care. This story took a very weird twist. Also, may have been gay. I mean, it was. As for the actual plot. It was weird, but likeable.
On the U.S.S. FORTITUDE
Four Stars
A comical skit about a mother who lives on a ship with her grown children who all fly and never communicate where they are at, nor pick up their gear on deck.
FATSO (by Etgar Keret)
Four Stars
Written in second person . . . what if the woman you loved had some awful secret. And it was indeed awful. But what could you do about it, if you were a decent guy?
Jamaica and Chivalry were probably my favorites, then Subsoil and Fatso.
March 7, 2023
I haven't been disappointed with this series until now. Whoever chose these stories thinking they would evoke "lots of laughs" presumably has never read Saki, Thurber, O. Henry, Mark Twain, or a dozen other funnier writers. Not only did I fail to laugh, but the audience on the audiobook laughed less than uproariously themselves.
Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" was the best in the collection (although not a funny story, it was whimsical and I liked it). "On the USS Fortitude" was very clever and worthy of a few chuckles, but the other stories were either plain ridiculous or flat-out boring.
Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" was the best in the collection (although not a funny story, it was whimsical and I liked it). "On the USS Fortitude" was very clever and worthy of a few chuckles, but the other stories were either plain ridiculous or flat-out boring.
February 7, 2021
Most of the stories I'd heard already and the one I hadn't was not finished on the CD.
March 31, 2022
I really enjoy the Symphony Space series overall and this collection included the following:
1. Nicholson Baker's "Subsoil" read by Thomas Gibson -. 4.0
2. John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie" read by Charles Keating 3.5
3. David Schickler's "Jamaica" read by Isaiah Sheffer - so funny! 4.5
4. Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" read by Christina Pickles - I love Gaiman's short stories 4.0
5. Leonard Michaels' "Nachman from Los Angeles" read by David Rackoff - 3
6. Ron Carlson's "On the U.S.S. Fortitude" read by Laura Esterman - funny. 4.0
7. Etgar Keret's "Fatso" read by John Guare 3.0
If you are looking for a quick listen and a few witty laughs - this is a good pick. 3.68 average rating
1. Nicholson Baker's "Subsoil" read by Thomas Gibson -. 4.0
2. John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie" read by Charles Keating 3.5
3. David Schickler's "Jamaica" read by Isaiah Sheffer - so funny! 4.5
4. Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry" read by Christina Pickles - I love Gaiman's short stories 4.0
5. Leonard Michaels' "Nachman from Los Angeles" read by David Rackoff - 3
6. Ron Carlson's "On the U.S.S. Fortitude" read by Laura Esterman - funny. 4.0
7. Etgar Keret's "Fatso" read by John Guare 3.0
If you are looking for a quick listen and a few witty laughs - this is a good pick. 3.68 average rating
January 11, 2010
A nice change of pace. I haven't read a lot of short stories as an adult, and these were somewhat comedic (often darkly comedic), and read by people who had some knack for the spoken word--- actors I recognized, etc.
October 19, 2015
Humor wise there's some hackiness in some of these, but the selections were good enough that I'll definitely return to this label for other selections of short stories.
Did Leonard Michaels "Nachman of Los Angeles" read by David Rakoff twice because it was so enchanting.
Did Leonard Michaels "Nachman of Los Angeles" read by David Rakoff twice because it was so enchanting.
July 6, 2018
I thought Subsoil was excellent and Chivalry was very good, too. I didn’t really care for the rest. If I rated those 2 stories alone, it would be a 5 star rating but my dislike of or disinterest in the other tales brings the rating down.
November 1, 2009
Some of the stories were hilarious. Would highly recommend this one.
April 24, 2011
Loved these short stories~ Laugh out Loud.. My favorite is USS Fortitude. Check it out
June 17, 2012
Perfect audio book for cleaning day. Loved it.
December 6, 2012
An interesting collection of Selected Shorts. Enjoyable though they aren't of my usual choice. It's good to expand beyond the usual
August 4, 2013
Fun audiobook to walk to. Keeps me smiling when out for a stroll.
August 13, 2013
Diverse collection, wouldn't really classify all of the stories as comedy.
Read
October 28, 2013Such clever stories with great readers, I listened to them all twice.
June 4, 2015
Interesting commute listening. Not really that funny (as in some, but not lots of, laugh). Nothing extra brilliant.
August 15, 2015
This recordings of short stories done by actors are fun. So happy there's a whole series of them.
December 26, 2017
Entertaining, funny, unexpected—greatly enjoyed the way these short stories were crafted. Some demanded more attention and analysis than others. Overall seemed like a pleasant balance to me
May 11, 2018
This wasn't all that funny. Some stories were funny, but others had funny moments at best. I've listened to funnier stories on other compilations, like the old favorite "The Anarchists' Convention."
February 15, 2019
This was quite a good collection of stories. Recommend.
December 21, 2020
A quick and interesting listen.
January 18, 2023
From the library site description: Selected Shorts is an award-winning, one-hour program featuring readings of classic and new short fiction, recorded live at New York's Symphony Space. One of the most popular series on the airwaves, this unique show is hosted by Isaiah Sheffer and produced for radio by Symphony Space and WNYC Radio.
Nicholson Baker's "Subsoil," read by Thomas Gibson
- A darkly comic thriller about a tractor historian besieged by man-eating potatoes.
My Rating: 2 stars
John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie," read by Charles Keating
- An American golfer gets more than golfing tips from his Scottish caddie.
My Rating: 2.5 stars
David Schickler's "Jamaica," read by Isaiah Sheffer
- A man with his head stuck between the banisters has no choice but to listen in on his wife's "Gorgon Book Club."
My Rating: 2 stars
Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry," read by Christina Pickles
- A delicious tale of an elderly British matron who buys the Holy Grail at a rummage sale.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Leonard Michaels' "Nachman from Los Angeles," read by David Rakoff
- A wonderfully silly tale of misadventure on a college campus.
My Rating: 2 stars
Ron Carlson's "On the U.S.S. Fortitude," read by Laura Esterman
- A decommissioned aircraft carrier becomes home for a single welfare mother and her children in this zany story.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Etgar Keret's "Fatso," read by John Guare
- An offbeat romance with a very comic nightly ritual.
My Rating: 2 stars
Nicholson Baker's "Subsoil," read by Thomas Gibson
- A darkly comic thriller about a tractor historian besieged by man-eating potatoes.
My Rating: 2 stars
John Updike's "Farrell's Caddie," read by Charles Keating
- An American golfer gets more than golfing tips from his Scottish caddie.
My Rating: 2.5 stars
David Schickler's "Jamaica," read by Isaiah Sheffer
- A man with his head stuck between the banisters has no choice but to listen in on his wife's "Gorgon Book Club."
My Rating: 2 stars
Neil Gaiman's "Chivalry," read by Christina Pickles
- A delicious tale of an elderly British matron who buys the Holy Grail at a rummage sale.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Leonard Michaels' "Nachman from Los Angeles," read by David Rakoff
- A wonderfully silly tale of misadventure on a college campus.
My Rating: 2 stars
Ron Carlson's "On the U.S.S. Fortitude," read by Laura Esterman
- A decommissioned aircraft carrier becomes home for a single welfare mother and her children in this zany story.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Etgar Keret's "Fatso," read by John Guare
- An offbeat romance with a very comic nightly ritual.
My Rating: 2 stars
March 19, 2018
"Nyle was disorganized, a trait surprising in a man so short."
"As a mother, I've learned that doing the right thing sometimes means getting cursed by your kids, that's ok by me, they can love me later."
"As a mother, I've learned that doing the right thing sometimes means getting cursed by your kids, that's ok by me, they can love me later."
July 16, 2023
listened to the audio version. A couple of the stories were decent, but on the whole the stories struggled to hold my attention. Serious writers probably shouldn't set out to write funny short stories.
April 5, 2019
Just not very funny.
February 16, 2020
these stories totally located my funnybome
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews