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
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.