Houghton Mifflin, October 2008
Edited by Salman Rushdie, The Best American Short Stories 2008 will provoke, amuse, stun and mystify readers as they carom from story to story, traveling from the mundane to the supernatural, from the banal to the absurd.
All of these stories are well-written and make for enjoyable reading, more than half are somewhat exceptional, and three or four will probably have the kind of profound effect on readers that they hope for, but dare not expect, when picking up a collection like this.
The first thing that readers will notice is the consistently high quality of prose from story to story; all of these authors have clearly taken care with their words, and have respect for their craft. Mr. Rushdie's introduction claims that he expected no less when he took the assignment, but that he had also expected most candidates to be technically proficient products of the university creative writing mills, imminently readable, yet soulless. That is, in fact, what he claims to have found, regardless of his expectations; fortunately for the rest of us he managed to narrow the field from one hundred and fifty down to the twenty with the most ethereal pep.
Edited by Salman Rushdie, The Best American Short Stories 2008 will provoke, amuse, stun and mystify readers as they carom from story to story, traveling from the mundane to the supernatural, from the banal to the absurd.
All of these stories are well-written and make for enjoyable reading, more than half are somewhat exceptional, and three or four will probably have the kind of profound effect on readers that they hope for, but dare not expect, when picking up a collection like this.
The first thing that readers will notice is the consistently high quality of prose from story to story; all of these authors have clearly taken care with their words, and have respect for their craft. Mr. Rushdie's introduction claims that he expected no less when he took the assignment, but that he had also expected most candidates to be technically proficient products of the university creative writing mills, imminently readable, yet soulless. That is, in fact, what he claims to have found, regardless of his expectations; fortunately for the rest of us he managed to narrow the field from one hundred and fifty down to the twenty with the most ethereal pep.
The idea that popular fiction may have fallen prey to the same market and societal forces that have turned popular music into an endless stream of extremely well-produced yet forgettable ditties – ‘songs' seems like such a strong word – is an interesting one. Ever since Ford invented the assembly line, western culture has used the technique to produce more consistent, and just plain more of nearly everything, education and the liberal arts inclusive. Just because Johnny can learn to play the guitar does not mean that he will ever strike a chord with Keith Richards, and just because Susie is a tireless and well-trained grammatical technician, does not mean her best ideas won't be tiresome. In fact, they will be tiresome, almost certainly. Sorry Susie.
Each story in this compilation reveals a subtle and perceptive mind at the helm, steering a course that crosses the moments in each tale which are sublime. All of the stories chosen by Mr. Rushdie speak to readers on a very personal level, and they all seek to reveal something to us about human nature as well. Every tale included in this volume is a character study in which plot is secondary to how the characters react to the action. Not that plots are absent, but what each author seems to express is that it is not so much just what happens that is interesting, but also how people react.
Each story in this compilation reveals a subtle and perceptive mind at the helm, steering a course that crosses the moments in each tale which are sublime. All of the stories chosen by Mr. Rushdie speak to readers on a very personal level, and they all seek to reveal something to us about human nature as well. Every tale included in this volume is a character study in which plot is secondary to how the characters react to the action. Not that plots are absent, but what each author seems to express is that it is not so much just what happens that is interesting, but also how people react.
The best of the best are two stories which are wonderful on their own, but are even better when combined with the Contributor's Notes section at the very end of the book. Read the notes as you finish each story; waiting until the end of the book will cause you to miss some of the magic.
The first is "Nawabdin Electrician" by Daniyal Mueenuddin, and tells the gritty story of a resourceful Pakistani electrician, and the misadventure that nearly costs him his life one dark night. This story is full of many visceral and compelling characters, whose actions paint a clear picture of them in just a few sentences. The ending is the best in the book, capturing a subtle twist of the human mind that we have all experienced, but rarely talk about or even comprehend.
The pieces included in this collection that really stand out are the ones where the authors know precisely when to stop talking, and "Buying Lenin" by Miroslav Pinkov also ends on just the right note. The poignant tale of a young Bulgarian student studying abroad in America and the complicated relationship with his grandfather back home, this story surprises the reader on every page. The characters' words often say the opposite of what their speakers mean, and the ocean between the two men is a fitting symbol for the gulf that lies between their generations.
The first is "Nawabdin Electrician" by Daniyal Mueenuddin, and tells the gritty story of a resourceful Pakistani electrician, and the misadventure that nearly costs him his life one dark night. This story is full of many visceral and compelling characters, whose actions paint a clear picture of them in just a few sentences. The ending is the best in the book, capturing a subtle twist of the human mind that we have all experienced, but rarely talk about or even comprehend.
The pieces included in this collection that really stand out are the ones where the authors know precisely when to stop talking, and "Buying Lenin" by Miroslav Pinkov also ends on just the right note. The poignant tale of a young Bulgarian student studying abroad in America and the complicated relationship with his grandfather back home, this story surprises the reader on every page. The characters' words often say the opposite of what their speakers mean, and the ocean between the two men is a fitting symbol for the gulf that lies between their generations.
The Best American Short Stories 2008 is full of tales that will entertain and educate the astute reader, who will continue to find himself over and over in the characters who populate this thoroughly delightful book.
