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Joyce Carol Oates
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The Oxford Book of American Short Stories Paperback – September 1, 1994

by Joyce Carol Oates (Editor)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 98 ratings
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"How ironic," Joyce Carol Oates writes in her introduction to this marvelous collection, "that in our age of rapid mass-production and the easy proliferation of consumer products, the richness and diversity of the American literary imagination should be so misrepresented in most anthologies." Why, she asks, when writers such as Samuel Clemens, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor, Saul Bellow, and John Updike have among them written hundreds of short stories, do anthologists settle on the same two or three titles by each author again and again? "Isn't the implicit promise of an anthology that it will, or aspires to, present something different, unexpected?"
In The Oxford Book of American Short Stories, Joyce Carol Oates offers a sweeping survey of American short fiction, in a collection of fifty-six tales that combines classic works with many "different, unexpected" gems, and that invites readers to explore a wealth of important pieces by women and minority writers. Some selections simply can't be improved on, Oates admits, and she happily includes such time-honored works as Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," and Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." But alongside these classics, Oates introduces such little-known stories as Mark Twain's "Cannibalism in the Cars," a story that reveals a darker side to his humor ("That morning we had Morgan of Alabama for breakfast. He was one of the finest men I ever sat down to...a perfect gentleman, and singularly juicy"). From Melville come the juxtaposed tales "The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids," of which Oates says, "Only Melville could have fashioned out of 'real' events...such harrowing and dreamlike allegorical fiction." From Flannery O'Connor we find "A Late Encounter With the Enemy," and from John Cheever, "The Death of Justina," one of Cheever's own favorites, though rarely anthologized. The reader will also delight in the range of authors found here, from Charles W. Chesnutt, Jean Toomer, and Sarah Orne Jewett, to William Carlos Williams, Kate Chopin, and Zora Neale Hurston. Contemporary artists abound, including Bharati Mukherjee and Amy Tan, Alice Adams and David Leavitt, Bobbie Ann Mason and Tim O'Brien, Louise Erdrich and John Edgar Wideman. Oates provides fascinating introductions to each writer, blending biographical information with her own trenchant observations about their work, plus a long introductory essay, in which she offers the fruit of years of reflection on a genre in which she herself is a master.
This then is a book of surprises, a fascinating portrait of American short fiction, as filtered through the sensibility of a major modern writer.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    784 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press, USA
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1994
  5. Dimensions
    8.44 x 1.38 x 5.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780195092622
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0195092622
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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"Provides a history of not only the evolution of the short story, but also of American culture....The collection is more than a survey of writing styles. It is a celebration of the diversity of American culture."--Denver Post"Joyce Carol Oates has cast her net further and deeper, drawing from American literature's impressive past and substantial cultural wealth....Exceptional."--Booklist"Readers who take an encompassing view of American literature and culture will love this book, which brilliantly captures the range and heft of the remarkable American contribution to the short story genre. With penetrating introductions by Joyce Carol Oates to each writer, this is an anthology of the finest kind, a collection of stories dazzling in variety but unified by an editor of singular intelligence and vision."--Arnold Rampersad, Princeton University"Oates' collection of stories is the finest anthology I've ever read in 33 years of teaching."--Robert L. Kelly, Alpena Senior High School"I appreciate the comprehensive selection of authors, representing a variety of gender, ethnic and class perspectives, as well as complete chronological coverage."--Joel R. Brouwer, Michigan State University"Joyce Carol Oates, a master fabulist who is also one of our finest critics, has given us a treasury that represents the astonishing range of the American short story. But instead of another showcase of 'greatest hits,' Oates ventures further afield, to uncover a series of neglected but refulgent gems. This is a collection with guts--and brains. Best of all, it's a collection that unfolds, as its editor promises, the larger story of American writing, in all its hues and timbres."--Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University"Whether for the classroom or the bedtable, The Oxford Book of American Short Stories is indispensable, the best fiction selected and introduced by one of America's finest writers. It's a treasure!"--Cathy N. Davidson, Duke University"This is a splendid volume of short stories which reflect the wealth of brilliance built up over the years by a wide ranging field of American writers. Oates has done an outstanding job in making this selection....She does not always go for the well known stories by delights us with some that have remained somewhat obscure."--Yorkshire Gazette and Herald"Ambitious and innovative....Only a novelist would ever think up such a project. Only a very good one could pull it off....Eclectic."--Observer (London)"To a short story lover it is hard to think of a book that could give more pleasure."--Scotland on Sunday"These alternative selections will present a refreshing challenge in teaching the short story."--Charles Franklyn Beach, Nyack College"Very nicely printed."--Paul W. Nisly, Messiah College"An excellent selection of works by a variety of renouned authors. These works are not often anthologized, but their merit demands they should be."--Dr. Whelan, Penn State University"Excellent selection."--Kevin Hagopian, University of Memphis"Excellent selection--at last something other than the usual anthology. Good intro. Easy to apply in the classroom."--Carl Kremer, William Woods University"Interesting, refreshing anthology. I liked the inclusion of so many powerful writers, new and old. . . . great variety. . . . Overall, a qualified success."--Dr. Reinhart Lutz, University of the Pacific"Fresh and delightful selections. A welcome change of pace from books of the 'old standards.'"--Jeffrey Powers-Beck, East Tennessee State University

About the Author


Joyce Carol Oates is one of America's preeminent writers. Since 1978, she has been on the faculty of Princeton University and is a co-editor of The Ontario Review.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0195092627
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press, USA (September 1, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 784 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780195092622
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195092622
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.24 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.44 x 1.38 x 5.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 98 ratings

About the author

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Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates

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Joyce Carol Oates is the author of more than 70 books, including novels, short story collections, poetry volumes, plays, essays, and criticism, including the national bestsellers We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde. Among her many honors are the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and the National Book Award. Oates is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University, and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
98 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Edward L. Garr
5.0 out of 5 stars Short stories
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2010
Verified Purchase
I am using this book as part of a class of seniors studying literature. We read the stories, then one of us leads a group discussion based on questions the leader has written. We have studied Great Books, Great Conversations, Great Religions, and philosophers over the last 2 years and thanks to a core of very bright and deep thinkers, I have developed new level of understanding of the minds of some of the best writers ever. This particular book is a fascinating anthology of the most exemplary works of some of the best writers in America.
7 people found this helpful
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MsFreeman
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a GREAT collection!
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2010
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I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am sad that I'm almost finished. I just may start all over & read it again. Very nice pages, too - thick white paper, not that newspapery type. I also appreciated the editor's notes about each author before each story. Nice to know a little of the background of the person writing the tale.
3 people found this helpful
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Andrea F
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing collection spanning many decades of the history of short ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2017
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Amazing collection spanning many decades of the history of short stories. Originally purchased as required for a course on the subject in college, I purchased again later for the simple pleasure of reading all of the stories.
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Cindy
4.0 out of 5 stars The Oxford Book of American Short Stories
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2013
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I enjoy an eclectic variety of reading material and this fits into my library very well! I would recommend the book to anyone that enjoys American Literature. It is a wonderful array of stories and authors!
One person found this helpful
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Louise G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2020
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It was a bit more used than most other used books I've bought, but still happy with purchase.
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Pen Name
5.0 out of 5 stars very satisfied
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2012
Verified Purchase
I was skeptical about this book at first since it was so cheap, I wasn't sure how good of condition it would be in. But when I got it I was ecstatic. The book was like new and I didn't even pay a dollar for it! It was in great shape and easily worth ten times what I payed! Very satisfied.
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Joseph E. Kyle
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Collection of American Short Stories
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2013
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Hands down the best collection of stories I've yet seen assembled. (and I've seen many at this point) If the building were on fire and I could save only one anthology, this would be it. Thank you Joyce Carol Oates.
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Richard A. Herman
3.0 out of 5 stars OK
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
Same old, same old. Unfortunately (at least for me) the trend in short stories seems to be moving ever further from story values to beautiful writing. Beautiful writing, for its own sake, leaves me cold. Its called a short STORY. Unfortunately, many of the stories in this book are beautifully written by very talented people, but do not tell a satisfying story. If that makes me pedestrian, I'll meet you at the crosswalk.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Georg Iades
5.0 out of 5 stars is da bestest. is nice.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2023
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is da bestest. is nice.
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Wolfgang Aurbach
5.0 out of 5 stars Another timeless classic
Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
Once more, this purchase was a gift to a member of my family. The book I actually own and on which this review is based is an older edition of the same title. The short stories contained in this book reflect a period of American life that by now belongs to the past. Contemporary writers write differently, on different issues. So it depends very much on the reader's mood and his outlook on life whether s/he enjoys these stories or not. At least, however, they are a valid testimony of a time gone by.
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Mlu
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in France on January 16, 2013
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Un classique pour quiconque s'intéressant au genre de la nouvelle et aimant l'anglais. Il est intéressant de pouvoir voire l'évolution du genre de la nouvelle à travers le temps dans la sélection faite.
One person found this helpful
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Mr. WC Chambers
5.0 out of 5 stars Royal Mail...Royal Pains in the a*** more like
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
The book arrived in good time and in as good a condition as it could...as far as I can tell.

It's a fairly thick book which surely wouldn't fit through a standard letter box. At least you wouldn't look at it and think "yeah, that'll fit!" But when you're 10 seconds in to trying force it through said letterbox you should realise the error of your ways and just knock on the door, right?

Wrong. The Royal Mail don't give up. They make it fit through regardless of crumpled pages, stretched wrapping on the packaging. They shall not be denied.

Anyway. The book is good so far. Very good choice of authors. Have read two of the stories so far and am thoroughly impressed with JCO's choices so far.
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Ryan S.
5.0 out of 5 stars A+
Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great book, many authors, many different stories to tell,
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