The qualities that most characterize the work of John Steinbeck (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) are a supple narrative style, a versatility of subject matter, and an almost mystical sympathy for the common human being. His fiction is… Read More ›
“The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner,” the title story of Alan Sillitoe’s (4 March 1928 – 25 April 2010) first collection of short fiction, quickly became one of the most widely read stories of modern times. Its basic theme, that… Read More ›
Although William Saroyan (August 31, 1908 – May 18, 1981) cultivated his prose to evoke the effect of a “tradition of carelessness,” of effortless and sometimes apparently formless ruminations and evocations, he was in reality an accomplished and conscious stylist… Read More ›
The main characters of J. D. Salinger (January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010), neurotic and sensitive people, search unsuccessfully for love in a metropolitan setting. They see the phoniness, egotism, and hypocrisy around them. There is a failure of… Read More ›
James Purdy (July 17, 1914 – March 13, 2009) is one of the more independent, unusual, and stylistically unique of American writers, since his fiction—novels, plays, and short stories—maintains a dark vision of American life while stating that vision in… Read More ›
V. S. Pritchett (16 December 1900 – 20 March 1997) writes in Midnight Oil, I have rarely been interested in what are called “characters,” i.e., eccentrics; reviewers are mistaken in saying I am. They misread me. I aminterested in the… Read More ›
The most frequently reprinted of J. F. Powers’s (July 8, 1917 – June 12, 1999) short stories and therefore the best known are not the title stories of his two collections—“Prince of Darkness” and “The Presence of Grace”—but rather “Lions,… Read More ›
Katherine Anne Porter’s (May 15, 1890 – September 18, 1980) short fiction is noted for its sophisticated use of symbolism, complex exploitation of point of view, challenging variations of ambiguously ironic tones, and profound analyses of psychological and social themes…. Read More ›
Luigi Pirandello’s (28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) earliest short stories are tales of the insular environment of his native Sicily. Originally written in Sicilian dialect and later translated into Italian, they deal in naturalistic style with the traditions… Read More ›
Although Ann Petry’s (October 12, 1908 – April 28, 1997) fiction typically involves African Americans struggling against the crippling impact of racism, her overarching theme involves a more broadly defined notion of prejudice that targets class and gender as well… Read More ›
Parody, satire, and verbal wit characterize S. J. Perelman’s (February 1, 1904 – October 17, 1979) works. Most of them are very short and tend to begin as conversational essays that develop into narrative or mock dramatic episodes and sometimes… Read More ›
Dorothy Parker’s (August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) bestknown stories are “The Waltz,” “A Telephone Call,” and her masterpiece, “Big Blonde,” winner of the O. Henry Memorial Prize for the best short story of 1929. The Waltz “The Waltz”… Read More ›
Despite her small literary output, Grace Paley’s (December 11, 1922 – August 22, 2007) innovative style and the political and social concerns she advocates in her work have enabled her to generate significant critical attention. Her stories treat traditional themes,… Read More ›
Cynthia Ozick’s (born April 17, 1928) thesis for her master’s degree was titled “Parable in the Later Novels of Henry James,” an exercise that she later thought of as a first step in an act of devotion that resulted in… Read More ›
Tillie Olsen’s (January 14, 1912 – January 1, 2007) Tell Me a Riddle contains four stories arranged chronologically in the order in which they were written: “I Stand Here Ironing,” “Hey Sailor, What Ship?,” “O Yes,” and “Tell Me a… Read More ›
To experience the full range of Liam O’Flaherty’s (28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984) stories, one must deal with the exceptions in the collection The Stories of Liam O’Flaherty, notably “The Mountain Tavern,” which, like his historical novels, treats… Read More ›
Although widely read in Western literature, Frank O’Connor’s (17 September 1903 – 10 March 1966) literary character is most profoundly influenced by tensions within the literature and life of Ireland, ancient and modern. He was a dedicated student of the… Read More ›
Flannery O’Connor (March 25, 1925 – August 3, 1964) is uncharacteristic of her age. In writing about the pervasive disbelief in the Christian mysteries during modern times, O’Connor seems better suited to the Middle Ages in her rather old-fashioned and… Read More ›
Edna O’Brien (born 15 December 1930) has written short stories throughout her long career. “Come into the Drawing Room, Doris” (retitled “Irish Revel” in The Love Object collection) first appeared in The New Yorker on October 6, 1962. “Cords,” published… Read More ›
Vladimir Nabokov’s (born April 22, 1899 — July 2, 1977) early stories are set in the post-czarist, post-World War I era, with Germany the usual location, and sensitive, exiled Russian men the usual protagonists. Many are nascent artists: wistful, sorrowful,… Read More ›
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