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Upon the Sweeping Flood and Other Stories
Dust jacket design by JoAnn Randel. Her third book and second book of short stories.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
6 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Carol Oates
920 books9,445 followersJoyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love (1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 25, 2020
not perfect, but a solid early collection of short stories from my favorite writer. by this point JCO was beginning to really hone her skills, though books like them and wheel of love are still years off.
what holds some of these stories back a bit, for me, is an overall quaintness—a sort of conservative approach—meaning they sometimes lack the psychological depth of oates’ later work. when she is able to break through that, as in “archways” and “norman and the killer”, the result is storytelling bordering on all-time greatness.
while i enjoyed most of these stories (hence my rating!), some do fall flat: “first views of the enemy”, “dying”, “upon the sweeping flood”. these aren’t bad stories, per se, they just tend to ramble and meander and lack any sort of punch or bite or incisive character work.
most of these stories were written in the early-to-mid ‘60s, when oates was newly published and teaching school and still sharpening her skills. upon the sweeping flood feels transitional; despite that it’s really pretty good.
what holds some of these stories back a bit, for me, is an overall quaintness—a sort of conservative approach—meaning they sometimes lack the psychological depth of oates’ later work. when she is able to break through that, as in “archways” and “norman and the killer”, the result is storytelling bordering on all-time greatness.
while i enjoyed most of these stories (hence my rating!), some do fall flat: “first views of the enemy”, “dying”, “upon the sweeping flood”. these aren’t bad stories, per se, they just tend to ramble and meander and lack any sort of punch or bite or incisive character work.
most of these stories were written in the early-to-mid ‘60s, when oates was newly published and teaching school and still sharpening her skills. upon the sweeping flood feels transitional; despite that it’s really pretty good.
February 17, 2009
The short stories that made me want to be a writer.
March 22, 2008
Well, I finally got around to reading a Joyce Carol Oates book. Extremely prolific, Ms. Oates writes in a variety of styles and since I heard so much about her I figured I should give her a try.
I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
If this collection of short stories from the early 1960s is any indication of her writing ability, then I am going to have to read more of her work very soon. The tone is surprisingly modern (more on that in a minute), free of the usual problems with books of this time period, adverb mania. She doesn't belabor descriptions and, best of all, the characters in these stories seem very, very real. They're very flawed people living very flawed lives. That makes for interesting reading, and for stories that I know I definitely like.
One of the keys to a good short story in my opinion is to set up the idea early on in the tale and then take the reader to the end point in such a way as to feel closure without needing several hundred pages to do it. As a general rule, these stories do that very well. Though there's no definitive end to most of them, by the last line, we have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen. In "The Man That Turned Into a Statue" for instance, the man and young girl he runs away with are left before their final, inevitable capture, but there's no feeling that we should see the capture. His irrational actions in the snippet of their lives that we do see are enough to tell us what will happen, and the most crucial moment of their lives has already played out. To do more would be unnecessary.
A final note before going over the stories. If you are the type of person who likes your characters to be heroic, this is not the book for you. Just turn around now and stop reading the review, because there's nothing here you'll like. With that out of the way, we'll proceed.
Stigmata is the opener and sets the tone for the rest of the stories. An estranged son returns to see his father, who inexplicably gets Stigmata every year. His distaste for everything is palpable, and as his faith in the idea unravels, so does the world he lives in. Very stark, it shows the inside of a problematic family, another theme of these stories.
Survival of Childhood pits brother against brother, one who leaves the small world they grew up in and one who does not. Guilt hangs heavily in the air in this story, as neither has what they wished for.
The next two stories, "Death of Mrs. Sheer" and "First Views of the Enemy" are just okay, the first a meandering tale of two fuck ups who have a secret bond and the latter a monologue inside the mind of a racist parent, afraid of the poor people who live near her oasis of plenty. They're good enough for what they are, but nothing special.
At the Seminary plays with multiple perspectives and again hits on the dysfunctional family theme, as the parents rush off to help their monastic son who may have lost his faith. The comments on church wealth in the face of poverty are spot on and well done.
Norman and the Killer reads like something from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and I don't mean that as an insult. Changing tone from the other stories, it's the story of a boy who lost his brother and thinks he finally found the killer. The result is not vindication but madness.
After the before mentioned "Statue" comes my favorite story in the collection, "Archways." Klein, a mediocre student teaching remedial english, bemoans his life and prepares to end it all. Before he can, one of his students takes an interest in him. They become lovers and the man becomes confident again, confident enough to know he doesn't need her. She is discarded like a used tissue, without the slightest concern. Oates's portrayal of the transformation and heartlessness is perfectly captured.
"Dying" again changes the pace, as it is mostly a dramatic scene between two former lovers, one of who is dying and seems determined to make his former partner feel guilty because of it. the interplay between the two features some great psychological dialog.
The last two stories are not quite as good as what comes before them, but "What Death with Love Should Have to Do" is notable for its portrayal of the terrible time a young woman in need of an abortion had in the 1950s. Had you not told me it was written in the early sixties, I'd have thought it came from a modern anthology.
This was a surprisingly good collecting that reminded me quite a bit of Twilight of the Superheroes by Deborah Eisenberg. I definitely will be reading more Oates, of which I understand there is quite a bit. (Library, 03/08)
Trebby's Take: I was feeling my Oates with this one, I think you will, too.
I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
If this collection of short stories from the early 1960s is any indication of her writing ability, then I am going to have to read more of her work very soon. The tone is surprisingly modern (more on that in a minute), free of the usual problems with books of this time period, adverb mania. She doesn't belabor descriptions and, best of all, the characters in these stories seem very, very real. They're very flawed people living very flawed lives. That makes for interesting reading, and for stories that I know I definitely like.
One of the keys to a good short story in my opinion is to set up the idea early on in the tale and then take the reader to the end point in such a way as to feel closure without needing several hundred pages to do it. As a general rule, these stories do that very well. Though there's no definitive end to most of them, by the last line, we have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen. In "The Man That Turned Into a Statue" for instance, the man and young girl he runs away with are left before their final, inevitable capture, but there's no feeling that we should see the capture. His irrational actions in the snippet of their lives that we do see are enough to tell us what will happen, and the most crucial moment of their lives has already played out. To do more would be unnecessary.
A final note before going over the stories. If you are the type of person who likes your characters to be heroic, this is not the book for you. Just turn around now and stop reading the review, because there's nothing here you'll like. With that out of the way, we'll proceed.
Stigmata is the opener and sets the tone for the rest of the stories. An estranged son returns to see his father, who inexplicably gets Stigmata every year. His distaste for everything is palpable, and as his faith in the idea unravels, so does the world he lives in. Very stark, it shows the inside of a problematic family, another theme of these stories.
Survival of Childhood pits brother against brother, one who leaves the small world they grew up in and one who does not. Guilt hangs heavily in the air in this story, as neither has what they wished for.
The next two stories, "Death of Mrs. Sheer" and "First Views of the Enemy" are just okay, the first a meandering tale of two fuck ups who have a secret bond and the latter a monologue inside the mind of a racist parent, afraid of the poor people who live near her oasis of plenty. They're good enough for what they are, but nothing special.
At the Seminary plays with multiple perspectives and again hits on the dysfunctional family theme, as the parents rush off to help their monastic son who may have lost his faith. The comments on church wealth in the face of poverty are spot on and well done.
Norman and the Killer reads like something from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and I don't mean that as an insult. Changing tone from the other stories, it's the story of a boy who lost his brother and thinks he finally found the killer. The result is not vindication but madness.
After the before mentioned "Statue" comes my favorite story in the collection, "Archways." Klein, a mediocre student teaching remedial english, bemoans his life and prepares to end it all. Before he can, one of his students takes an interest in him. They become lovers and the man becomes confident again, confident enough to know he doesn't need her. She is discarded like a used tissue, without the slightest concern. Oates's portrayal of the transformation and heartlessness is perfectly captured.
"Dying" again changes the pace, as it is mostly a dramatic scene between two former lovers, one of who is dying and seems determined to make his former partner feel guilty because of it. the interplay between the two features some great psychological dialog.
The last two stories are not quite as good as what comes before them, but "What Death with Love Should Have to Do" is notable for its portrayal of the terrible time a young woman in need of an abortion had in the 1950s. Had you not told me it was written in the early sixties, I'd have thought it came from a modern anthology.
This was a surprisingly good collecting that reminded me quite a bit of Twilight of the Superheroes by Deborah Eisenberg. I definitely will be reading more Oates, of which I understand there is quite a bit. (Library, 03/08)
Trebby's Take: I was feeling my Oates with this one, I think you will, too.
September 20, 2022
A companion piece to Oates' first collection of short fiction, By the North Gate, Upon the Sweeping Flood feels like a "Pt. 2" to that work. As in By the North Gate, Oates is interested in exploring desperate, sad people, often in fucked up situations, occurring usually in dying small towns or the poor parts of prosperous ones. There's a good deal of violence, human cruelty, and existential dread flowing through this volume. As usual, there are a few standouts worthy of a five star rating (Archways being one) and a few duds. Some of the stories are just bizarre and somewhat challenging to the reader. Overall, this work showcases Oates' early mastery of the short story form. While she would eventually vary her tone and style, these are good examples of how she slowly built her reputation in literary magazines 3 decades before Oprah made her part of the book club.
May 23, 2025
This is an amazing collection of stories. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. JCO seems to be the only author I don't find myself fatigued with lately. Her work is just that good, I suppose.
Definitely going to revisit this one in the future. My favorites were "The Survival of Childhood," "The Man Who Turned Into a Statue," and the eponymous "Upon the Sweeping Flood."
Definitely going to revisit this one in the future. My favorites were "The Survival of Childhood," "The Man Who Turned Into a Statue," and the eponymous "Upon the Sweeping Flood."
August 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this early paperback compilation of short stories.
The second story I think is called Stigmata, which surprised me. I was already into the characters but I wasn't expecting what happened.
The second story I think is called Stigmata, which surprised me. I was already into the characters but I wasn't expecting what happened.
June 7, 2020
Får veta att Oates inledde sin författarbana som skicklig novell-författare.
August 21, 2021
I just read the title story. The description of the flood is transporting, but the twist at the end is unspeakable. How long did it take her to outgrow that crutch?
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September 25, 2024My review is only for the titular story, "Upon the Sweeping Flood."
December 24, 2015
One story in particular shines in this collection. It's called Archways, and it is truly spectacular. I'm not sure I've ever seen a short story create so succinctly such a wholly believable character. It also happens to be one of the only stories that takes place in an urban setting. The story that precedes it, The Man who Turned into a Statue, was also a very enjoyable, though dark, read.
The rest, for this reader, mostly blended together into the sort of generic gritty-rural-Americana that I don't find all too interesting. One story, about a pair of dimwitted hicks trying to carry out a hit job, reads like Beavis and Butthead do America meets of Mice and Men.
Much of the writing here is obviously good. At times I wondered whether perhaps it comes too easy for Mrs. Oates; I felt that some of it might've benefited from being reeled in a bit--there were a great many very large paragraphs that were so packed with information as to be almost dizzying.
The rest, for this reader, mostly blended together into the sort of generic gritty-rural-Americana that I don't find all too interesting. One story, about a pair of dimwitted hicks trying to carry out a hit job, reads like Beavis and Butthead do America meets of Mice and Men.
Much of the writing here is obviously good. At times I wondered whether perhaps it comes too easy for Mrs. Oates; I felt that some of it might've benefited from being reeled in a bit--there were a great many very large paragraphs that were so packed with information as to be almost dizzying.
July 15, 2015
Wow. There is some clunkiness, like an adolescent not quite knowing how all their limbs are supposed to work, but so much is going on in these stories that they have me thinking for days. I just finished the titular story and while it is a bit heavy-handed (Noah, Flood, Original Sin etc.) it is as powerful and unexpected of a story as I've ever read.
Currently reading
February 22, 2014Early stories, many of them already showing both Oates's mastery, and also her audacity iLF form and eagerness to experiment.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews