Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction....
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reviews
May 20, 2008
The last story in this collection - "transmissions from camp trans", by Michelle Tea, is one of the most well written, insightful, and interesting pieces I have ever read on the topic it discusses. It talks about a camp for lesbian-identified women and the issue of them not allowing transgendered (male to female) people to participate. I like the way it "sheds light" on the issue, without being preachy or rude in any way. And it's really sad, because I know a lot of trans peo
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Sep 26, 2011
Patrick
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I’ve gotten in the habit of reading The Best Nonrequired reading series, and recently finished reading the 2004 edition. As usual there were a lot of interesting pieces from small publications, as well as a few from the bigger ones that I did manage to catch at publication (David Sedaris’ “Full House” and Michael Paterni’s “The Fifteen Year layover” both from GQ). There were several stories that were written from the perspective of immigrants or foreigners (Africa-“Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chima
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Jul 13, 2011
Tiffa
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This book contains two of my favorite short stories of all the short stories there are to be read in the world.
Zoanthropy, by David Benioff is really lovely. I have an old photograph of a lion in a zoo, taken by my grandmother on her honeymoon. Zoanthropy makes me feel the way that photograph does.
But "Good World" by John Haskell is a story that I've read and reread too many times to count. I tear up every time I read it - actually anytime I think about More...
Zoanthropy, by David Benioff is really lovely. I have an old photograph of a lion in a zoo, taken by my grandmother on her honeymoon. Zoanthropy makes me feel the way that photograph does.
But "Good World" by John Haskell is a story that I've read and reread too many times to count. I tear up every time I read it - actually anytime I think about More...
Jan 12, 2009
Danielle
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The Best American Series is always outstanding and this release is no exception. The book was speckled with a variety of genres from biography, graphic novel, science fiction, fantasy, first person narratives, etc.
I really enjoy a short story collection that pushes me to read every last story in the book. I always feel the need to read them all with this series and I'm sure others agree.
I really enjoy a short story collection that pushes me to read every last story in the book. I always feel the need to read them all with this series and I'm sure others agree.
May 28, 2009
Alisa
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From a rocky beginning I have learned to love Dave Eggers.
1. For starting a pirate store
2. For teaching kids who need an outlet how to write
3. For writing What is the What
And now, for putting together and publishing these compilations of short stories that I would never otherwise find. I bought this one in a used book store for a few dollars, and now I think I have to buy all of them.
1. For starting a pirate store
2. For teaching kids who need an outlet how to write
3. For writing What is the What
And now, for putting together and publishing these compilations of short stories that I would never otherwise find. I bought this one in a used book store for a few dollars, and now I think I have to buy all of them.
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Jun 15, 2009
Antisocialite
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Random note: this evening, shortly after reading "City of Clowns," a clown got on the elevator with me as I was riding up to my apartment. This is not something that happens regularly.
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Much later, and I have come back to add that apparently, this clown nearly ran over my roommate while she was crossing the street. My roommate didn't tell me whether there were 50+ other clowns in the van at the time ...
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Much later, and I have come back to add that apparently, this clown nearly ran over my roommate while she was crossing the street. My roommate didn't tell me whether there were 50+ other clowns in the van at the time ...
Dec 29, 2010
Jenny
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I picked this up at my sister and brother and law's house to read while I was there--a fairly decent collection of innovative voices. I'd be interested to check out a more recent version of this series. That Dave Eggers, man. He sure is awesome, getting young kids involved in the selection and keeping an open mind to the up and comers. Great stuff.
Sep 16, 2009
K.B.L.
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The following are the stories I most enjoyed in order of appearance:
"Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"City of Clowns" by Daniel Alarcón
"What You Eat" by Ben Ehrenreich
"The Minor Wars" by Kaui Hart Hemmings
"Bones" by Tom Kealey
"Secret Names" by David Mamet
"The Smoothest Way Is Full of Stones" by Julie Orringer
"Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
"City of Clowns" by Daniel Alarcón
"What You Eat" by Ben Ehrenreich
"The Minor Wars" by Kaui Hart Hemmings
"Bones" by Tom Kealey
"Secret Names" by David Mamet
"The Smoothest Way Is Full of Stones" by Julie Orringer
Jul 17, 2009
JM
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Worth it for "Half of a Yellow Sun" as that story still haunts me. The choices in this collection perfectly suited my mood when I read them, so you can't go wrong with that. If I were working and all tense and focused, this might not be the book for me. I enjoyed the writing in all of these stories very much. Very enriching.
Jun 29, 2010
Jillian
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The stories were good, especially the disturbing and well-crafted "What You Eat" by Ben Ehrenreich and the narration of "Big Brother," but what I loved most about this collection were the introductory materials by Eggers and Viggo Mortensen.
Aug 08, 2009
trisha
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"What You Eat"by Ben Ehrenreich is one of the best short stories I have read recently. It is disturbing with an ambiguous ending, and I can't stop thinking about it. I think it is a modern, dysfunctional retelling of "The Most Dangerous Game."
Apr 14, 2010
Amber
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I like that this book was assembled by high school kids. I think that have weird taste, good taste, taste that is trying to be too mature, and bad taste. My favorite essay in here that is pretty much near life changing is "The Futile Pursuit of Happiness". It sounds pretty much like a bummer but I promise it's not! You can find it online if you Google the title. It's something that would be on RadioLab or something, not some emo album (they were still making those in 2004, right?). I a
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Apr 13, 2008
sydney
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I always love these books, so it seems fairly pointless to review them. Favorites here: "We Have a Pope!" (about a failed PR campaign to appoint an American pope), "What You Eat" (about a boy whose father makes him eat anything he kills-- less gross and more poignant than it sounds), "Hidden Lives of Lakes" (about a town where the dead go to live underneath the ice in a frozen-over lake), "Sixteen Jackies" (Jackie Kennedy splits into 16 different Jackies
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Jun 19, 2009
Stephanie
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Five years from the only time I read through this, I still vividly remember and frequently recall bits of "We Have a Pope" and "The Futile Pursuit of Happiness."
To me, that's damn good reading.
To me, that's damn good reading.
Mar 04, 2009
Jarod
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Hit or miss. Write any short story about the plight in a 3rd world country and Dave Eggers will publish you. And what the hell was with the poorly drawn comic? You call that literature?
Oct 12, 2008
Paul (formerly known as Current)
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Always good to read something not required.
In a world populated with large quantities of excellent writing buried among the even larger quantities of words-words-words, it is wonderful to sit down and read through a selection of materials that others have culled and find a number of stories and essays that expand your own reading horizons, that are interesting, moving, and remarkable.
My particular favorites are: Zoanthropy by David Benioff, The Minor Wars by Kaui Hart Hem More...
In a world populated with large quantities of excellent writing buried among the even larger quantities of words-words-words, it is wonderful to sit down and read through a selection of materials that others have culled and find a number of stories and essays that expand your own reading horizons, that are interesting, moving, and remarkable.
My particular favorites are: Zoanthropy by David Benioff, The Minor Wars by Kaui Hart Hem More...
Feb 09, 2012
Sara
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A good way to sample a lot of different writers and writing. Particularly enjoyed the stories by David Benioff and John Haskell and would like to check out more of their work.
Feb 12, 2008
Ines
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I'll admit it - I bought this book for two reasons. 1 - to read something nonrequired was going to be such a relief. 2 - the introduction was written by Viggo Mortensen, to whom I am forever grateful for not screwing up on Aragorn. I have not finished it yet, probably because I got stuck in a story that I wasn't really feeling, but I remember there were other pieces that I really liked. And when I read that it was a committee consisting of high-school students who made the choices about the stor
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Aug 10, 2011
Karis
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Picked this book up because it was cheap at Half-Price Books and found nearly every essay to be fantastic.
May 15, 2009
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2004 (The Best American Series) by Dave Eggers (2004)
Nov 20, 2010
Eggers explains this series, now in its third year: "The purpose of this book is to collect good work of any kind—fiction, humor, essays, comics, journalism—in one place, for the English-reading consumer." The editor founded a San Francisco writing lab, w
Oct 07, 2010
Kaethe
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The non-fiction was really good, the fiction was kind of hip Oprah book club. A consistently good series, though. Even when I don't love individual selections, I like the diversity of the choices. Most of the stuff that gets included I would have missed, otherwise. I have a big old crush on Eggers that has nothing to do with his writing and everything to do with his work creating writing centers for kids. (Really, how cool is it to get Viggo Mortenson in as guest editor?)
Dec 12, 2008
Heather
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first time I read one of these editions - good reading, if you like short stories and essays and such
Dec 22, 2010
Peacegal
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Quite a bit more fiction in this go-round. I’m glad the authors are getting away from the nonsensical idea that these books should be read only by the “25-and-under” set. I’m also glad that Dave Eggers reigned in his ego a little bit in the introduction. I enjoyed virtually every story collected here.
Oct 19, 2007
Amy
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the thing i love the most about the nonrequired reading is that you're introduced to all these authors that maybe you've never read before, but they're totally awesome. it's how i found one of my absolute favorite authors ever: david sedaris. thank you, best american nonrequired reading! i love you!
Jul 15, 2008
Marie
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This books was alright, but I was expecting it to be a little bit better. Some of the stories like "The Fast Runner" were inspiring, while others were so so. I think my favorite part of the book was the introduction by Viggo Mortensien. I never knew he was such a gifted writer.
Mar 10, 2011
The "Forward" is one reason to pick up this book (or at least read that part online for free via Amazon), but the rest of the book isn't shaping up to be that great. I'm about half-way through, though, so maybe I'll change my mind later.
