Ten Modern American Short Stories

by David A. Sohn, Pearl S. Buck, John Knowles

Introduction by David A. Sohn
A Turn with the Sun by John Knowles
The Scarlet Letter by Jean Stafford
The Valentine by James Jones
A Sense of Shelter by John Updike
Michael Egerton by Reynolds Price
Sucker by Carson McCullers
Antaeus by Borden Deal
A Field of Rice by Pearl S. Buck
A Night of Vengeance by Paul Darcy Boles
Bounty Hunters by Don Trompeter

Genres: Short Stories

154 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1984

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection features some excellent descriptive writing that captures a mostly-twentieth-century mood. High school love, the awkwardness of youth, people's relationships with eachother and with nature - all are explored with penetrating focus. There's even a harrowing story about life in Mao's China, and another on life aboard a Roman slave vessel that really socked me in the gut. Those two in particular come near the end of the collection and are a breath of fresh air after a wave of stories that strictly take place in the US. If you're looking for a good short story collection to pass the time on the bus or on a beach somewhere, or if you want to experience ten distinct moods captured in their own individual snow globes, this is a pretty solid bet.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

7 short stories about edgy teenagers hitting puberty, 1 about a Chinese guy's love for rice, 1 about Greek slaves on a ship, and 1 about two guys shooting wolves for fun
Either this collection didn't age well (it's from the 60s) or it wasn't good in the first place. Parts of it were fine but I hardly remember which ones