Gabrielle's comments (member since Aug 23, 2009)

Gabrielle's comments from the Short Story lovers group.

Geoff wrote: "Joseph wrote: "Just as disconcerting is the type of short story that gets published. Am I the only one who detects a preference for a kind of pro forma short story,quick on action and short on mean..."

The kind of stories the NEW YORKER seems to publish now are bland, about almost wealthy suburbanites who have schedules that are too full and whose only problem is a lack of sexual variety. I hate those stories.

Personally, I think William Trevor's best stories are found in AFTER RAIN and THE HILL BACHELORS. CHEATING AT CANASTA is a pretty good volume, too.

I love James Joyce and Kafka.

I haven't read Joyce Carol Oates in a long time. I found her writing "cold" about ten years ago, so didn't read anything else. If I can find "Family," I'll give it a try, though.

Unfortunately, you are right, Zybahn. My writing partner, who is a dean, hired a new English professor and he (the dean) came to find out that the new professor didn't even know who Katherine Mansfield was.

I have this book: http://www.amazon.com/Collected-Katherin...

and I love it because it contains all of Katherine Mansfield's stories.

I agree, "The Daughters of the Late Colonel" is brilliant, as is "The Garden Party," "Miss Brill," and "Prelude." I think "Prelude" is my favorite Mansfield story.

I also like the short stories of D.H. Lawrence, in particular "The Horse Dealer's Daughter."

Terrific! Let us know what you think. :)

Harley wrote: "Gabrielle wrote: "I'm not fond of the direction in which the short story seems to be moving today. The upper class, ennui-ridden person, who just thinks he/she has problems. I find it boring."

I l..."

I have to admit, I haven't read enough Lorrie Moore to be a good judge of her work, but I do know my writing partner, whose views I share, just loves Lorrie Moore's work.

So glad to find fellow William Trevor fans in here.

Does anyone have a favorite William Trevor story? So far, besides the novel THE STORY OF LUCY GAULT, my favorite "William Trevor's" are READING TURGENEV and MY HOUSE IN UMBRIA, but those are novellas, so I guess those don't count.

For short stories, I'd have to go with those in AFTER RAIN.

Rose wrote: "Yes, it looks like I have a lot of reading to do. I have just learned to appreciate short stories through the recent Pulitzer winners."

I'm looking forward to reading OLIVE KITTERIDGE. So glad it won the Pulitzer this year.

William Trevor, Anton Chekhov, and Katherine Mansfield are my all time favorites. Also like Angela Carter, Tobias Wolff, Daphne du Maurier, Edgar Allen Poe, Alice Munro. I also like Flannery O'Conner and I love Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." I think it's a true masterpiece. I'm not generally fond of Hemingway, but "Hills Like White Elephants" is as good as a story gets. I think I like Hemingway's stories better than his novels.

With a few exceptions, such as Alice Munro and William Trevor, I'm not fond of the direction in which the short story seems to be moving today. The upper class, ennui-ridden person, who just thinks he/she has problems. I find it boring. Perhaps I'm just reading the wrong stories! LOL I don't know. I just know I like my stories full and rich.