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448th out of 527 books
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349 voters
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?: Selected Early Stories
Joyce Carol Oates's selected early stories. Oates has chosen twenty-seven of her early stories, many of them O. Henry Award and/or Best American Short Story selections, for this volume, the only collection of her early stories available.
Paperback, 522 pages
Published
July 14th 2009
by Ontario Review Press
(first published 1977)
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Jul 03, 2007
Kathy
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5 of 5 stars
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review of another edition
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I read this second semester of my freshman year of high school. It was when I was running for Miss Lenexa and we were selling candy to raise money for the Legler Barn. I ate almost all of my own Milky Way bars, and to this day, every time I read one of the short stories from this, I can taste a Milky Way.
I've read the title story but I'm not sure what other (early) stories of hers I've read. Liked that story, though Joyce Carol Oates' stuff is sometimes so edgy and raw it's like trying to swallow razor blades.
I read this as some kind of harrowing inversion of Philip Roth's ouvre. It starts with a little bit of essentially uninteresting juvenilia, and then moves to a full on Portnoy (and/or Zuckerman) for a good long portion. Everything repeated itself with slightly different names so that I couldn't help but imagine this as a smeared out picture of the author herself, her early twenties to mid thirties or something. I have no idea how old Oates actually was, but that's irrelevant, I guess, for my pur...more
Oates has me convinced that I’m in the story with her characters, they are standing next to me and I can feel their fear, their irritation and even their sadness. In WAYG we get to go inside the head of Connie, a young impressionable teenager who is more concerned about her looks than her own safety, when Arnold Friend shows up at her house her first instinct is to look at herself in the mirror even though she has no idea who this strange boy is. Through Connie’s description of him, we know some...more
Oates has been known and acclaimed for her unique show-and-tell narrative style. In this story, she demonstrates the truth in this. Where are You Going, Where Have you Been? tackles the simple themes of beauty and ugliness. The narrative creatively explores their dark sides through a beautiful teenager, Connie, and a stalker, Arnold Friend, who lures and threatens Connie with the simple use of words. There are very few narrative/declarative parts in this story. In fact, you will mostly read dial...more
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My 150-page edition included the title short story alone, surrounded by a thorough introduction, the disturbing 1964 TIME article from which the story took its inspiration, and several critical essays.
I didn't agree with the essays too much. One compared the story to folk tales like "The Pied Piper," another compares with a Hawthorne story, another makes the case that the encounter is entirely dreamed, another picks up on the imagery of Christian evil, another compares the short story and the T...more
I didn't agree with the essays too much. One compared the story to folk tales like "The Pied Piper," another compares with a Hawthorne story, another makes the case that the encounter is entirely dreamed, another picks up on the imagery of Christian evil, another compares the short story and the T...more
The title story is one of the most powerful short stories I've ever read.
This is a horror story of sorts, although certainly not a typical one. The tension in the story lies in the protagonist's inability to resist the directives of the antagonist, despite her revulsion of both him and the situation. His power is both bewildering and absolute.
One important connection that it seems most here were unaware of, is the numbers written on Arnold Friend's car: 33, 19, 17. These numbers refer to the b...more
This is a horror story of sorts, although certainly not a typical one. The tension in the story lies in the protagonist's inability to resist the directives of the antagonist, despite her revulsion of both him and the situation. His power is both bewildering and absolute.
One important connection that it seems most here were unaware of, is the numbers written on Arnold Friend's car: 33, 19, 17. These numbers refer to the b...more
This review is dedicated entirely to the title story. I've read a few of Oates' stories, however, this story is one of my favorite short stories ever. It combines two elements that truly serve (in my opinion) to engross the reader: the unspoken and timelessness. The story is grotesque and captivating in that so much of what happens or how it happens is never actually mentioned, which is definitely engaging. The reader is therefore pushed into making their own judgments, allowing only their imagi...more
read the original short story. still reading the ancillary articles about the true events that inspired it and critiques (assuming they heap praise to be included in a book about a short story). overall, i am underimpressed, although it could be that my wife (overly?) hyped it, or this could be one of those cases where it was groundbreaking in its time (the '60s), but our culture is throughly jaded to psychopaths by 2011 (saw an article asserting that some effective CEOs were clinical psychopath...more
Did I ever tell you how during sleep overs I searched Joyce's slender bottom with my long pianist fore digit? I kept the flashlight off until I found something and then I pushed the button under her chin, to achieve an under lighting effect on her struggling face. Her eyes were like lightning. Her throat like rumbling thunder, her dark hair like an American indian cloud. Yes, I was in love with her. She is so beautiful I need to go and cry like a teenage girl when I see her, and I saw her recent...more
Masterful writing. She subtly builds the tension in the story in such a way that you don't realize your nerves are on edge until the end of the story. Fantastic story telling. That the story is based on real events adds a extra dimension of creepiness.
Connie could be anyone's 15 year old daughter. This story is a really poignant social commentary about the impact of hyper-sexualized popular film and music on on adolescent children's perceptions about sex and love.
Connie could be anyone's 15 year old daughter. This story is a really poignant social commentary about the impact of hyper-sexualized popular film and music on on adolescent children's perceptions about sex and love.
One of the most powerful short stories I've ever read. I've only come across so many stories that have stuck with me for weeks at a time, and "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?" hung in my head for an extended period of time and continues to when I re-read her work. You can feel the tension, horror and raw emotion in the text. This may be my favorite short story of all time.
I did my research paper on the story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" The story actually made writing the paper fun :) Such a good short story. Deffinately worth a read. The first time I read it I was like uhhhhhhhhh this is so weird!! But when you look into it, and locate themes and look at the context of the times, you have more of an appriciation of this story.
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" may be my favorite short story of all time. I remember being stunned by its darker themes and originality when I first read it in college. I don't know what gave rise to the idea for the story in Oates's mind, but the deeper feelings behind it - and my own interpretions - have stayed with me many years down the road.
Joyce Carol Oates is amazing! She is by far my favorite author. I would suggest her for any short story writer or for a professor who wants to demonstrate craft w/symbols and metaphors. Every time I read her short story Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been I learn something new. It's almost like rediscovering a puzzle every single time.
JCO is so gifted at riveting the reader, pulling you in and forcing you to stare even at the darkest scenes. Rape - or the possibility of it - are common themes for Oates. She conveys the horror accurately and without being gratuitous. This short story (Where Are You Going...) is among her finest. It's downright haunting.
4.0 stars.
4.0 stars.
I picked this up at the library, totally forgetting that I had read it years ago 'til I started to read. I didn't much like this book, I just don't care for her stories & I can't tell you why. They are well written but after reading anything from this author I feel depressed & like my soul is grubby. Bleh says I.
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This short story has been burned into my mind like no other. Its images of Arnold Friend in front of her house in his Jaloppy, of his boots and hair, and the way he speaks....nothing has ever haunted me so much as Oates' little story. I'm still in love with it, even as it chills me. <3
If I had to pick one word that links all of the short stories in this collection, that word would be yearning. Oates is a master of getting into people's heads and knowing what it is they yearn for and how they yearn for it. The emotional tone of these stories is quite broad. From touching to frightening, Oates can evoke it all vividly. For stories written at the earlier part of her writing career, they are extremely impressive. She really started out a master.
Read it in my women's literature class and was confused and couldn't help but wonder why am I reading this? But having read it again, I like it, it's interesting looking at the idea of innoncence and vulnerability. And of course there is Arnold Friend who still creeps me out...
This was a surprising like for me. I liked the story lines of most the stories, and they are easy to read and have a lot of 'thinking' and depth to the plots.
I had to read this for a class, and thought I would end up skimming this. It was definitely enjoyable.
I had to read this for a class, and thought I would end up skimming this. It was definitely enjoyable.
I saw "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" on a list of best short stories and sought it out. It is a creepy, tense story about a teenage girl who skips a family outing to stay home alone, but she gets an unexpected visitor. The story gave me chills.
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I wish there were more books like these that would further discuss JCO's writing. So many times after reading a piece that she wrote I am left wondering about many things that I have just read, and being able to read reviews and essays would help me understand alot more.
Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? is trues literary genius. There are so many different angles that the readers can view this short story from. It's creepy and fascinating all wrapped up into text riddled with symbolism and advancing culture.
I read "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" It was pretty good, if not extremely creepy. Why do AP English teachers seem to think everything you read has to be hauntingly sick? Seriously. Can't we just read some Pride & Prejudice?
To me, Connie serves as an allegory for superficiality. She embodies vanity, and is deceived by it as well. It is a beautifully written story that lets you truly experience the feelings of the characters.
Such a sad story. I found out halfway through reading this short story that is has been based/inspired by a true story. It changed my perspective, and as I read it, I dreaded every decision Connie chose not to make. This story, however, does go by bitter. I did not enjoy it. It felt as though it was forced upon me like cough syrup.
Thoroughly enjoyed her earlier work and these short stories are gripping, filled with flawed realistic characters. This book's going into my Into to Lit reading next fall.
Oh boy this was creepy. I love this woman, but don't read her if you're struggling with any emotions unless you want them to get deeper and blacker. Her prose will consume you.
I am pretty sure this is the first story I read that I "had to read for school" that inspired me to go and buy a book with my own money and read in my "free time."
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Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction. She is also the recipient of the 2005 Prix Femina for The Falls. She is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University, and she has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978. Pseudonyms ... Rosamond Smith and Laure...more
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“Why should I want what's good for me?' Beatrice asked him, smiling. 'Is that what you want for yourself - only what's good for you?”
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