Saturday, February 19, 2011

Anything Goes On Saturday - Short Stories (Weekly Geeks)

Update on 26 Feb, 2011: Posting this for Weekly Geeks 2011-8: Short and Sweet


"Anything Goes on Saturday" is a meme hosted by Yvonne of Socrates' Book Reviews. It's a chance to choose any topic you want and talk about it on Saturday - it can be about a book, TV show, movie, a recipe or just an update on your week. Whatever you choose. 

I will talk about short stories. I  read a lot of short stories. I love to pick up anthologies and devour those. I still love to re-read short stories by Guy de Maupassant, and Saki (H. H. Munro). I also own short story anthologies of Gabriel Garcia MarquezMark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)Robert Louis StevensonEdgar Allan PoeDorothy ParkerO. Henry (William Sydney Porter)Charles Dickens, and Willa Cather, along with some modern writers.

A short story contains all the elements of a novel but in a compressed manner. A great story teller can mesmerize us and also tickle us with his short stories. I find short stories great for the in between reads as well as when there is  short attention span. A case in point is, Guy de Maupassant. Once you read one of his stories, you are hooked to those forever. His stories are timeless...

Do you like to read short stories? Can you recommend anything other than the above anthologies? If you have not read short stories, would you give those a chance? I would like to know your thoughts, either way.

5 comments:

Yvonne said...

I prefer long stories, but occasionally I'll read anthologies. Usually they are romances. With the romance anthologies they can get away with shorter stories. I've read time travel and paranormal anthologies which always left me wanting more.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I don't read many short stories but like Yvonne, will read an anthology once in a while.

kavyen said...

I restrict short stories for audio tapes in my car.. For reading I would prefer longer reads.

That said - I love reading!!! As long as I have something to read I am good (long or short is a minor preference) :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Em said...

Yes, I read short stories on a regular basis. I read them individually (they are great for discovering authors), but I like reading collections.
As for recommendations, what about Carver, Atwood, Munro and so many more? Keep an eye on my blog, I review one every monday as part of John @The Book Mine Set's "Short Story Monday", that might give you more envies and ideas. At the moment I'm travelling across Canada through short stories.

Mel u said...

I recently read and loved the complete short stories of Katherine Mansfield. I am about 2/3rd through now and 800 page collection of the short stories of Elizabeth Bowen-a simply wonderful collection-I also recently read and enjoyed some Woolf short stories and Saki is also normally fun