Scan barcode
erintowner's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know why I didn't like this book more. Generally short stories are lukewarm for me, so maybe that's why. The protagonists all seemed self-centered and horrible. I was like why am I reading about horrible people?! As if there aren't enough of them in the news these days. The stories were well-written but nothing surprising plot-wise.
runehallow's review against another edition
2.0
bleak as hell and mostly devoid of joy, but i guess that's the 'truth', huh
chiyeungreads's review against another edition
4.0
A very strong collection of short stories that I thoroughly enjoyed. There were many stories that left me with a lasting impression -- I couldn't stop thinking about them for days.
My favorite in this year's collection:
Are we not men? - T.C Boyle
Campoamor - Patricia Engel
Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain - Danielle Evans
The Midnight Zone - Lauren Groff
The Chicane - Amy Hempel
Gabe Dove - Sonya Larson
Let's Go to the Video Tape - Fiona Mazel
Famous Actor - Jess Walter
My favorite in this year's collection:
Are we not men? - T.C Boyle
Campoamor - Patricia Engel
Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain - Danielle Evans
The Midnight Zone - Lauren Groff
The Chicane - Amy Hempel
Gabe Dove - Sonya Larson
Let's Go to the Video Tape - Fiona Mazel
Famous Actor - Jess Walter
dllh's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a sucker for this series of anthologies, and I've read more by a number of authors I first learned about in the short story series. This one got off to a slow start for me. I very much liked the opening story by T.C. Boyle ("Are We Not Men?"), though I've been sort of meh about a lot of his stuff. Then I didn't much love anything in the collection until "Ugly" by Mary Gordon, which I liked a lot. Apparently authors in the last half of the alphabet really did the trick for me in 2016, as I dog-eared these stories after that early drought:
- "Ancient Rome" by Kyle McCarthy
- "Last Day on Earth" by Erick Puchner
- "Novostroika" by Maria Reva
- "Gender Studies" by Curtis Sittenfeld
- "Famous Actor" by Jess Walter
None of these made me think "I must go out right away and acquire all of this author's work" but I found these worthwhile or fun. Others in the collection ranged from "pretty good" to "meh" to "well 25 minutes sure did go by while I read that."
- "Ancient Rome" by Kyle McCarthy
- "Last Day on Earth" by Erick Puchner
- "Novostroika" by Maria Reva
- "Gender Studies" by Curtis Sittenfeld
- "Famous Actor" by Jess Walter
None of these made me think "I must go out right away and acquire all of this author's work" but I found these worthwhile or fun. Others in the collection ranged from "pretty good" to "meh" to "well 25 minutes sure did go by while I read that."
lexigoyette's review against another edition
4.0
Some stories were excellent, others were good, and a few were unmemorable. There was only one story I couldn't get through, "Telemachus" by Jim Shephard. Nonetheless, here are my favorites:
T.C. Boyle: "Are We Not Men?" — A couple tries for a baby in the future of gene-editing. Available online on The New Yorker.
Leopoldine Core: "Hog for Sorrow" — This story shows the friendship of two prostitutes. Available online on BOMB Magazine.
Mary Gordon: "Ugly" — An HR professional leaves her beautiful home in New York and goes on a six-week work assignment in Missouri. While there, she finds beauty in an antique furniture shop.
Fiona Maazel: “Let’s Go to the Videotape” — A father and his son win America's Funniest Home Videos. Still grieving from the loss of their wife/mother, they lean back on social media as a coping mechanism. Available online on Harper's Magazine.
Curtis Sittenfeld: “Gender Studies” — A Gender Studies professor has a one-night-stand with a Trump supporter. Available online on The New Yorker.
Jess Walter: "Famous Actor" — A young woman meets a famous actor and sees how "real" he is.
T.C. Boyle: "Are We Not Men?" — A couple tries for a baby in the future of gene-editing. Available online on The New Yorker.
Leopoldine Core: "Hog for Sorrow" — This story shows the friendship of two prostitutes. Available online on BOMB Magazine.
Mary Gordon: "Ugly" — An HR professional leaves her beautiful home in New York and goes on a six-week work assignment in Missouri. While there, she finds beauty in an antique furniture shop.
Fiona Maazel: “Let’s Go to the Videotape” — A father and his son win America's Funniest Home Videos. Still grieving from the loss of their wife/mother, they lean back on social media as a coping mechanism. Available online on Harper's Magazine.
Curtis Sittenfeld: “Gender Studies” — A Gender Studies professor has a one-night-stand with a Trump supporter. Available online on The New Yorker.
Jess Walter: "Famous Actor" — A young woman meets a famous actor and sees how "real" he is.
eileen_critchley's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed most of these stories and I also enjoy the stories behind the stories provided by the authors.
tymgabriel's review against another edition
5.0
Compendiums are always hard to rate, when they consist of various authors in such a format as this. The 2017 edition of America's best short stories is as subjective as it is every year. Yet, I feel that Meg Wolitzer explains what she was looking for - and found - in each story very well. They meet the criteria of the editor, and they live up to the standards of the publication. Yes, I can imagine two, possibly three, of these stories not making my cut, but nobody asked me to be the editor. I simply enjoyed a very good couple of weeks with some of the best short fiction writers all in one place.