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Odvážný mladý muž na létající hrazdě
Jak jsme se ocitli na tomto světě? Je možné se uživit jen psaním? Jak žít smysluplně a nezpronevěřit se vlastní duši? Tyto otázky si klade hlavní hrdina titulní povídky „Odvážný mladý muž na létající hrazdě“, mladík, který se podobá Williamu Saroyanovi, a udává tón celé sbírce: „Jsem vypravěč a mám jen jediný příběh – člověka. Miluji život a před smrtí jsem pokorný. Jsem proti prostřednosti. Je-li někdo poctivý idiot, mohu ho milovat, nemohu však milovat nepoctivého génia. Co živ jsem se smál pravidlům a posmíval se tradicím, stylům i manýrám. Jak je možno dávat pravidla tak nádhernému vynálezu, jako je člověk?“ William Saroyan se narodil roku 1908 v kalifornském Fresnu v rodině arménského původu. Když mu byly tři roky, zemřel mu otec a William byl i se sourozenci umístěn do sirotčince. Později se rodina v čele s matkou znovu spojila a dospívající William začal brzy pracovat. Když doma narazil na několik otcových povídek, rozhodl se, že se stane spisovatelem. Kritiky zaujal především humanistickou povídkou „Odvážný mladý muž na létající hrazdě“, posléze se na literární scéně etabloval emotivními knihami Lidská komedie, Tracyho tygr, Tati, tobě přeskočilo, Mami, mám tě ráda či dramatem Čas tvého života. William Saroyan zemřel v roce 1981. Jedna polovina jeho popela byla pohřbena v Kalifornii, druhá na jerevanském Komitasově panteonu, spolu s Aramem Chačaturjanem a jinými slavnými arménskými rodáky. Sbírka povídek „Odvážný mladý muž na létající hrazdě“ je meditací přemýšlivého mladíka, muže i starce, meditací nad lidským údělem, civilizací, spiritualitou a smyslem spisovatelského umění."
Sbírka povídek „Odvážný mladý muž na létající hrazdě“ je meditací přemýšlivého mladíka, muže i starce, meditací nad lidským údělem, civilizací, spiritualitou a smyslem spisovatelského umění.
Sbírka povídek „Odvážný mladý muž na létající hrazdě“ je meditací přemýšlivého mladíka, muže i starce, meditací nad lidským údělem, civilizací, spiritualitou a smyslem spisovatelského umění.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1934
71 people are currently reading
1644 people want to read
About the author
William Saroyan
349 books643 followersWilliam Saroyan was an Armenian-American writer, renowned for his novels, plays, and short stories. He gained widespread recognition for his unique literary style, often characterized by a deep appreciation for everyday life and human resilience. His works frequently explored themes of Armenian-American immigrant experiences, particularly in his native California, and were infused with optimism, humor, and sentimentality.
Saroyan's breakthrough came with The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), a short story that established him as a major literary voice during the Great Depression. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for The Time of Your Life, though he declined the award, and in 1943, he won an Academy Award for Best Story for The Human Comedy. His novel My Name Is Aram (1940), based on his childhood, became an international bestseller.
Though celebrated for his literary achievements, Saroyan had a tumultuous career, often struggling with financial instability due to his gambling habits and an unwillingness to compromise with Hollywood. His later works were less commercially successful, but he remained a prolific writer, publishing essays, memoirs, and plays throughout his life.
Saroyan's legacy endures through his influence on American literature, his contributions to Armenian cultural identity, and the honors bestowed upon him, including a posthumous induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame. His remains are divided between Fresno, California, and Armenia, reflecting his deep connection to both his birthplace and ancestral homeland.
Saroyan's breakthrough came with The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), a short story that established him as a major literary voice during the Great Depression. He went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for The Time of Your Life, though he declined the award, and in 1943, he won an Academy Award for Best Story for The Human Comedy. His novel My Name Is Aram (1940), based on his childhood, became an international bestseller.
Though celebrated for his literary achievements, Saroyan had a tumultuous career, often struggling with financial instability due to his gambling habits and an unwillingness to compromise with Hollywood. His later works were less commercially successful, but he remained a prolific writer, publishing essays, memoirs, and plays throughout his life.
Saroyan's legacy endures through his influence on American literature, his contributions to Armenian cultural identity, and the honors bestowed upon him, including a posthumous induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame. His remains are divided between Fresno, California, and Armenia, reflecting his deep connection to both his birthplace and ancestral homeland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 24, 2022
I read on the Internet that this collection of short stories hit the best seller lists in the USA when first published in 1934. If so it’s an indication of how much the tastes of the reading public have changed. It’s a quite unusual set of stories and I can’t imagine it getting anywhere close to being a best seller today.
Saroyan was born in California to Armenian parents, and most of these stories are set in San Francisco. As the author says himself, he doesn’t really bother with plot, character, atmosphere, style, or any of the other things a writer is supposed to:
“all I do is walk around in my city and keep my eyes open.”
In many of these stories Saroyan tells us about ordinary events, the sort of things that happen day to day. Quite a lot of them feature a struggling writer, which I suppose was Saroyan himself before this collection was published. A Cold Day was one of my favourites in this category. The narrator has no heating in his room and considers burning his books to get warm. Will he part with them?
There are 26 stories in this collection, so I’m not going to describe them all. They are a mixed bag so I’ll just highlight some of my favourites. Among the Lost, and The Man with the French Post Cards, are both set among men who frequent a gambling den. They are jobless in the middle of the Great Depression and lose what little money they have through betting. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or where they will sleep tonight - a portrait of life’s losers. At the other extreme, Harry is a portrayal of a “natural” salesman, with an obsession about selling and making money. Almost all the characters in the collection are male. Women feature only incidentally.
I liked the story entitled “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8” about a man who works in a telegraph office. He has a sense of absurdity about his job.
“All day I used to sit at the machine, being a great help to American industry. I used to send important telegrams to important people accurately. The things that were going on had nothing to do with me, but I was sitting there, working for America.”
One day the man gets a message from someone working in another branch. It is strictly forbidden to use the machine for personal use…
A Curved Line, is a story about a man who goes to an art class at night school, just to observe the other people attending.
In “Seventy Thousand Assyrians”, the narrator (presumably meant to be Saroyan himself) goes to get a haircut, and finds his barber is an ethnic Assyrian, who lived in the same region as the Armenians. The two men talk about the fate of their peoples, who were persecuted and massacred by their more powerful neighbours, the survivors scattered to every part of the globe. The barber says:
“We went in for the wrong things. We went in for the simple things, peace and quiet and families. We didn’t go in for machinery or conquest or militarism. We didn’t go in for diplomacy or deceit and the invention of machine-guns and poison gases. Well, there is no use being disappointed.”
While the narrator talks up his Armenian identity, the Assyrian wants to forget his past. For him the Middle East is a place of bad memories, and he wants to become an American.
There were another group of stories that were more introspective and philosophical, but these didn’t resonate as well with me.
I really enjoyed about half of the stories. They didn’t all succeed with me, but I’m glad I’ve now introduced myself to Saroyan’s writing.
Saroyan was born in California to Armenian parents, and most of these stories are set in San Francisco. As the author says himself, he doesn’t really bother with plot, character, atmosphere, style, or any of the other things a writer is supposed to:
“all I do is walk around in my city and keep my eyes open.”
In many of these stories Saroyan tells us about ordinary events, the sort of things that happen day to day. Quite a lot of them feature a struggling writer, which I suppose was Saroyan himself before this collection was published. A Cold Day was one of my favourites in this category. The narrator has no heating in his room and considers burning his books to get warm. Will he part with them?
There are 26 stories in this collection, so I’m not going to describe them all. They are a mixed bag so I’ll just highlight some of my favourites. Among the Lost, and The Man with the French Post Cards, are both set among men who frequent a gambling den. They are jobless in the middle of the Great Depression and lose what little money they have through betting. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or where they will sleep tonight - a portrait of life’s losers. At the other extreme, Harry is a portrayal of a “natural” salesman, with an obsession about selling and making money. Almost all the characters in the collection are male. Women feature only incidentally.
I liked the story entitled “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8” about a man who works in a telegraph office. He has a sense of absurdity about his job.
“All day I used to sit at the machine, being a great help to American industry. I used to send important telegrams to important people accurately. The things that were going on had nothing to do with me, but I was sitting there, working for America.”
One day the man gets a message from someone working in another branch. It is strictly forbidden to use the machine for personal use…
A Curved Line, is a story about a man who goes to an art class at night school, just to observe the other people attending.
In “Seventy Thousand Assyrians”, the narrator (presumably meant to be Saroyan himself) goes to get a haircut, and finds his barber is an ethnic Assyrian, who lived in the same region as the Armenians. The two men talk about the fate of their peoples, who were persecuted and massacred by their more powerful neighbours, the survivors scattered to every part of the globe. The barber says:
“We went in for the wrong things. We went in for the simple things, peace and quiet and families. We didn’t go in for machinery or conquest or militarism. We didn’t go in for diplomacy or deceit and the invention of machine-guns and poison gases. Well, there is no use being disappointed.”
While the narrator talks up his Armenian identity, the Assyrian wants to forget his past. For him the Middle East is a place of bad memories, and he wants to become an American.
There were another group of stories that were more introspective and philosophical, but these didn’t resonate as well with me.
I really enjoyed about half of the stories. They didn’t all succeed with me, but I’m glad I’ve now introduced myself to Saroyan’s writing.
March 14, 2025
Mar 13, 7pm ~~ Continuing my William Saroyan author project with his first collection of short stories. The title story was first published in 1934, then reprinted in this collection in 1941.
That story is not about a circus performer, by the way. I had not realized that until I began to read and I was surprised to find the story taking place in a city, with a young writer as the main character. I kept thinking maybe he would run off to join the circus, but finally I understood what was happening. This is one of the most moving stories in the book.
You have to have silence and pay attention when reading this book. The stories are not once upon a time type of tales. They can be gritty, and sometimes you will wonder where WS is taking you, but nearly always by the end you will understand, and always along the way you will appreciate the flow of the words.
As I said, I thought the title story was the most moving, but I also liked Myself Upon The Earth where our young writer/narrator is typing with the simple and pure joy at being able to type.
There is no set formula for these stories, the way there often is in such a collection. And this is also one of the rare story collections where I liked each and every offering. I intend to keep this book nearby and reread unofficially during quiet evenings and insomnia nights. I am not ready to let it go just yet.
"Night came and he sent his sadness into his sleep, weeping softly there without shedding tears." ~~ The Earth, Day, Night, Self
That story is not about a circus performer, by the way. I had not realized that until I began to read and I was surprised to find the story taking place in a city, with a young writer as the main character. I kept thinking maybe he would run off to join the circus, but finally I understood what was happening. This is one of the most moving stories in the book.
You have to have silence and pay attention when reading this book. The stories are not once upon a time type of tales. They can be gritty, and sometimes you will wonder where WS is taking you, but nearly always by the end you will understand, and always along the way you will appreciate the flow of the words.
As I said, I thought the title story was the most moving, but I also liked Myself Upon The Earth where our young writer/narrator is typing with the simple and pure joy at being able to type.
There is no set formula for these stories, the way there often is in such a collection. And this is also one of the rare story collections where I liked each and every offering. I intend to keep this book nearby and reread unofficially during quiet evenings and insomnia nights. I am not ready to let it go just yet.
"Night came and he sent his sadness into his sleep, weeping softly there without shedding tears." ~~ The Earth, Day, Night, Self
January 10, 2010
it has been some time since i have read a voice with such clarity of character. saroyan is my new best friend.
December 21, 2024
“I am not using great material for a short story. Nothing is going to happen in this work. I am not fabricating a fancy plot. I am not creating memorable characters ... I am out here in the far West, in San Francisco, in a small room on Carl Street, writing a letter to common people, telling them in simple language things they already know.” from Seventy Thousand Assyrians
When I was young and just beginning to try reading adult books, somewhere around 10 as I remember it, I read three life-changing books, all recommended by my older brother, of course. They are still my most-cherished favorites, partially because of a lifetime of thinking about them, I’m sure. They are: Dandelion Wine, The Once and Future King, and this book of William Saroyan’s short stories.
When you love something this much, it’s hard to explain to someone else why this is “the one.” All I can say is there is more heart, more soul, more depth in these stories than I’ve found anywhere else inside of a book. There is such a shallowness in the world today. I’m not saying everyone individually is shallow, but I feel bombarded with shallowness at every turn: sound-bites and throw-aways, emphasis on surface objects, impatience with anything meaningful.
You don’t have to be super-wise or a brilliant intellectual to crave depth or to find it. That’s what I learn from Saroyan. He shows me meaning is there in everything, if we only stop and consider it. So reading these stories gives me a chance to do just that, and every time I do, I came away feeling larger, weightier, safer, more grounded to the things that matter, and more content.
Just a few of my favorites:
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze
A story about dying of hunger. The last line is one of the most achingly beautiful I’ve ever read.
Seventy Thousand Assyrians
“I was getting a fifteen-cent haircut and I was doing my best to learn something at the same time, to acquire some new truth, some new appreciation of the wonder of life, the dignity of man.”
This has long been my favorite short story. I love every single word of this story. I could almost cry over every word. I know it’s a personal thing, because I’ve given it to many people, and while some like it, no one seems to have the strong reaction I do. It’s just my story, and I cherish it.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
The title refers to a jazz piece a man listens to: eight chords on the banjo, repeated fourteen times. This eight chord sequence would come to him on and off after hearing it, when he was feeling particularly alive.
“Everything for a moment is thus; then when one looks again, everything is changed and is now thus … Only art is precise and everlastingly itself: everlastingly dependable.”
And Man
“One morning, when I was fifteen, I got up before daybreak, because all night I hadn’t been able to sleep, tossing in bed with the thought of the earth and the strangeness of being alive, suddenly feeling myself a part of it, definitely, solidly.”
If you can relate at all to this sentence, then this book might be for you.
Laughter
A substitute teacher keeps a boy after school because he laughed at her during class, telling him he must sit by himself and laugh for an hour. The boy is ten, and he laughs until he sees her stifling a sob, then he cries. Then she feels better and lets him go. He runs out of the school, and in the end he cries more because: The whole world, in a mess.”
If you enjoyed Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, you might try this collection. For me there is a connection, which is something about exposing the beautiful/painful/confusing life that we all share, from the viewpoint of a wise man but told from the eyes of a young person.
I’m going to be re-reading The Once and Future King soon, the third book on my list. I wonder if there will be some similar connection with that one? All I know is I’m forever grateful these three books came into my life when they did.
“… in this very story I am trying to restore man to his natural dignity and gentleness. I want to restore man to himself. I want to send him from the mob to his own body and mind. I want to lift him from the nightmare of history to the calm dream of his own soul, the true chronicle of his kind. I want him to be himself.” from Myself Upon the Earth
When I was young and just beginning to try reading adult books, somewhere around 10 as I remember it, I read three life-changing books, all recommended by my older brother, of course. They are still my most-cherished favorites, partially because of a lifetime of thinking about them, I’m sure. They are: Dandelion Wine, The Once and Future King, and this book of William Saroyan’s short stories.
When you love something this much, it’s hard to explain to someone else why this is “the one.” All I can say is there is more heart, more soul, more depth in these stories than I’ve found anywhere else inside of a book. There is such a shallowness in the world today. I’m not saying everyone individually is shallow, but I feel bombarded with shallowness at every turn: sound-bites and throw-aways, emphasis on surface objects, impatience with anything meaningful.
You don’t have to be super-wise or a brilliant intellectual to crave depth or to find it. That’s what I learn from Saroyan. He shows me meaning is there in everything, if we only stop and consider it. So reading these stories gives me a chance to do just that, and every time I do, I came away feeling larger, weightier, safer, more grounded to the things that matter, and more content.
Just a few of my favorites:
The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze
A story about dying of hunger. The last line is one of the most achingly beautiful I’ve ever read.
Seventy Thousand Assyrians
“I was getting a fifteen-cent haircut and I was doing my best to learn something at the same time, to acquire some new truth, some new appreciation of the wonder of life, the dignity of man.”
This has long been my favorite short story. I love every single word of this story. I could almost cry over every word. I know it’s a personal thing, because I’ve given it to many people, and while some like it, no one seems to have the strong reaction I do. It’s just my story, and I cherish it.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
The title refers to a jazz piece a man listens to: eight chords on the banjo, repeated fourteen times. This eight chord sequence would come to him on and off after hearing it, when he was feeling particularly alive.
“Everything for a moment is thus; then when one looks again, everything is changed and is now thus … Only art is precise and everlastingly itself: everlastingly dependable.”
And Man
“One morning, when I was fifteen, I got up before daybreak, because all night I hadn’t been able to sleep, tossing in bed with the thought of the earth and the strangeness of being alive, suddenly feeling myself a part of it, definitely, solidly.”
If you can relate at all to this sentence, then this book might be for you.
Laughter
A substitute teacher keeps a boy after school because he laughed at her during class, telling him he must sit by himself and laugh for an hour. The boy is ten, and he laughs until he sees her stifling a sob, then he cries. Then she feels better and lets him go. He runs out of the school, and in the end he cries more because: The whole world, in a mess.”
If you enjoyed Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, you might try this collection. For me there is a connection, which is something about exposing the beautiful/painful/confusing life that we all share, from the viewpoint of a wise man but told from the eyes of a young person.
I’m going to be re-reading The Once and Future King soon, the third book on my list. I wonder if there will be some similar connection with that one? All I know is I’m forever grateful these three books came into my life when they did.
“… in this very story I am trying to restore man to his natural dignity and gentleness. I want to restore man to himself. I want to send him from the mob to his own body and mind. I want to lift him from the nightmare of history to the calm dream of his own soul, the true chronicle of his kind. I want him to be himself.” from Myself Upon the Earth
May 9, 2009
Si bien al libro 'El joven audaz sobre el trapecio volante' (magnífico título) le pongo cuatro estrellas, a William Saroyan como escritor le pondría cinco estrellas como cinco soles, a pesar de que éste es el primer libro que leo de él (aunque ya vendrán más). No sé si sabré explicar el por qué. No es sólo que William Saroyan sea uno de esos escritores que caen bien, a los que te hubiera encantado poder conocer en persona para poder charlar sobre libros y sobre la vida mientras de fondo sonaba jazz en un antiguo fonógrafo. En este libro hay una gran cantidad de cuentos maravillosos, algunos buenos y otros que no están tan conseguidos, pero incluso en estos cuentos que no te gustan tanto notas que los ha escrito una persona con la que conectas a un nivel muy profundo.
Un buen número de cuentos están protagonizados por niños introspectivos que empiezan a tomar conciencia de ellos mismos y de la belleza y la tristeza que los rodea. Puede que haya muchas historias sobre niños introvertidos, pero hay pocas que realmente sepan transmitir lo que de verdad es ser una persona introvertida. Y esto Saroyan lo hace como nadie. Otro gran número de cuentos están protagonizados por personajes que durante la gran depresión no tienen un mendrugo de pan que llevarse a la boca, la mayoría de los cuales son escritores que viven en habitaciones alquiladas amuebladas sólo con libros que quieren por encima de todas las cosas y si tienen suerte también disponen de un viejo fonógrafo. Y finalmente hay los cuentos no tan conseguidos que se pierden en marasmos demasiado experimentalistas y abstractos.
Sin embargo, en todos los cuentos de Saroyan se desprende un immenso e incontenible amor por la vida y por la literatura. Son cuentos de una intensidad y un vitalismo extemos. Con una pizca de sentido del humor y una gran capacidad de transmitir los sentimientos y las sensaciones que tenemos todos nosotros. Son historias sobre soledad, incomunicación, tristeza, amistad, amor, monotonía, pobreza, literatura, cine, frío... historias sobre todo lo humano. Historias escritas con mucho amor (por cursi que suene esto). Y si digo historias es porque realmente antes que cuentos o relatos son historias. Mi favorita es 'Risa' sobre la incomunicación entre una profe sustituta y un alumno suyo. Pero también la historia de amor que es '1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8' y la metaficcional 'Un día de frío' y en realidad hay tantas de magníficas... Todo un descubrimiento. Ya desde el tercer relato supe que Saroyan iba a ser uno de esos escritores de los que me querría leer todo lo que ha escrito. Así de magnífico es, asi de cercano y de immenso es.
Un buen número de cuentos están protagonizados por niños introspectivos que empiezan a tomar conciencia de ellos mismos y de la belleza y la tristeza que los rodea. Puede que haya muchas historias sobre niños introvertidos, pero hay pocas que realmente sepan transmitir lo que de verdad es ser una persona introvertida. Y esto Saroyan lo hace como nadie. Otro gran número de cuentos están protagonizados por personajes que durante la gran depresión no tienen un mendrugo de pan que llevarse a la boca, la mayoría de los cuales son escritores que viven en habitaciones alquiladas amuebladas sólo con libros que quieren por encima de todas las cosas y si tienen suerte también disponen de un viejo fonógrafo. Y finalmente hay los cuentos no tan conseguidos que se pierden en marasmos demasiado experimentalistas y abstractos.
Sin embargo, en todos los cuentos de Saroyan se desprende un immenso e incontenible amor por la vida y por la literatura. Son cuentos de una intensidad y un vitalismo extemos. Con una pizca de sentido del humor y una gran capacidad de transmitir los sentimientos y las sensaciones que tenemos todos nosotros. Son historias sobre soledad, incomunicación, tristeza, amistad, amor, monotonía, pobreza, literatura, cine, frío... historias sobre todo lo humano. Historias escritas con mucho amor (por cursi que suene esto). Y si digo historias es porque realmente antes que cuentos o relatos son historias. Mi favorita es 'Risa' sobre la incomunicación entre una profe sustituta y un alumno suyo. Pero también la historia de amor que es '1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8' y la metaficcional 'Un día de frío' y en realidad hay tantas de magníficas... Todo un descubrimiento. Ya desde el tercer relato supe que Saroyan iba a ser uno de esos escritores de los que me querría leer todo lo que ha escrito. Así de magnífico es, asi de cercano y de immenso es.
April 10, 2007
Wait, I take back what I said about Nine Stories. This is my favorite collection of short stories. They aren't really stories in a traditional sense, however. It seems like not many people read Saroyan anymore and I think they should. His plays are also brilliant. Wow, I really think you should read this book. Writers especially. What makes Saroyan stand out to me his unabashed sentimentality- that combined with wit, humor, and prodigious talent (I believe he wrote this when he was twenty three or something) make for one great writer, and one great humanist. If you can your hands on his plays, please read "The Beautiful People." Thank you.
March 15, 2019
3.75 stars
It can always be a bit of a risk reading a short story collection as your first book by a particular author, but I think the stories in this collection gave me a great taste for William Saroyan’s style and the themes he addresses in his work! While I wasn’t blown away by every one, there was more than enough tucked away in this collection to make me eager to read one of his novels one day... and there is the fact that he’s very well known for his short stories, so maybe it wasn’t that much of a risk after all...
.
Born to Armenian parents in California, a lot of Saroyan’s stories deal with immigration in some way, with feelings of displacement and not belonging running through them, but I thought he really excelled when writing about the struggles of being a writer and of America during the Great Depression. A lot of the stories in this collection would appeal to those of you who harbour ambitions to become a writer, and a lot of my favourites were on that topic, including Fight Your Own War (a young writer steadfastly refusing to be conscripted for the war), A Cold Day (a poor writer reflects on the necessity of writing every day no matter your circumstances) and Myself Upon the Earth (a reflection on the need to write for yourself and not to be published).
.
A few of the stories were forgettable or a bit hard to follow, but for the most part they were enjoyable and his style is very readable! Although a lot of his characters are writers, they all feel individual and very well developed considering you’re only with them for ten pages or so - it makes me think that the characters in his novels will be the kind that will stay with you for a long time!
It can always be a bit of a risk reading a short story collection as your first book by a particular author, but I think the stories in this collection gave me a great taste for William Saroyan’s style and the themes he addresses in his work! While I wasn’t blown away by every one, there was more than enough tucked away in this collection to make me eager to read one of his novels one day... and there is the fact that he’s very well known for his short stories, so maybe it wasn’t that much of a risk after all...
.
Born to Armenian parents in California, a lot of Saroyan’s stories deal with immigration in some way, with feelings of displacement and not belonging running through them, but I thought he really excelled when writing about the struggles of being a writer and of America during the Great Depression. A lot of the stories in this collection would appeal to those of you who harbour ambitions to become a writer, and a lot of my favourites were on that topic, including Fight Your Own War (a young writer steadfastly refusing to be conscripted for the war), A Cold Day (a poor writer reflects on the necessity of writing every day no matter your circumstances) and Myself Upon the Earth (a reflection on the need to write for yourself and not to be published).
.
A few of the stories were forgettable or a bit hard to follow, but for the most part they were enjoyable and his style is very readable! Although a lot of his characters are writers, they all feel individual and very well developed considering you’re only with them for ten pages or so - it makes me think that the characters in his novels will be the kind that will stay with you for a long time!
January 26, 2016
Saroyan reminds me of some great writers like John Fante, or J.D Salinger, maybe because of his view of the world. His thoughts on love, peace, war, humanity, politics, are a celebration of the human spirit. He has humor, sadness, compassion, and he's sassy too.
October 13, 2014
Maybe the best book of fiction I've ever read! It bleeds with emotion and desire to strike a chord of compassion. And all the while it's funny! It's Salinger before Salinger. Kerouac before Kerouac. I mean it! When you read this, chances are you will understand that those voices you read in Salinger and Kerouac didn't just materialize out of thin air, they came from this genius with a type-writer.
It's a book of short stories, but they all feel like the same 1st-person character narrating similar events, so in a way, it can be read as a novel.
It's a book of short stories, but they all feel like the same 1st-person character narrating similar events, so in a way, it can be read as a novel.
March 15, 2025
Recent, am pomenit despre istorisirile evreiești - cât de limpede scrise și ce tâlcuri ascunse sau vizibile pot avea!
Poveștile armenilor nu-s mai prejos! Dovada este însăși selecția asta din opera inepuizabilului Saroyan.
Încă de la primele rânduri, deși scrie cât se poate de modern, se remarcă însușirea excepțională a scriitorului de a păstra o anumită conexiune cu modul tradițional de a povesti al strămoșilor săi.
Poveștile armenilor nu-s mai prejos! Dovada este însăși selecția asta din opera inepuizabilului Saroyan.
Încă de la primele rânduri, deși scrie cât se poate de modern, se remarcă însușirea excepțională a scriitorului de a păstra o anumită conexiune cu modul tradițional de a povesti al strămoșilor săi.
April 5, 2019
I remember loving this at the time but when was the time? early 80s I think.
Little more than anecdotes, some of them, but always clever and sharp. Vigour, exuberance. Characters trick, make money, help out; there's camaraderie, jealousy, ambition.
They're fun. Ideal for short commuting, each story like an injection of energy.
Little more than anecdotes, some of them, but always clever and sharp. Vigour, exuberance. Characters trick, make money, help out; there's camaraderie, jealousy, ambition.
They're fun. Ideal for short commuting, each story like an injection of energy.
August 21, 2018
da: http://capitolo23.com/2018/08/21/rece...
Difficile che io ascolti musica mentre sto leggendo. Ma se la musica non arriva da una cassa stereo o da Spotify, ma sorge spontanea nel tuo cervello mentre stai assaporando i racconti di William Saroyan, quante chance hai di resistere? Nessuna.
Ragazzo coraggioso ha fatto scaturire nella mia scatola cranica una serie di note che rimbalzavano di sinapsi in sinapsi e non andavano via, senza per questo togliere un briciolo di piacere alla lettura della prosa apparentemente semplice e in realtà semplicemente cristallina di Saroyan. E se era inevitabile che "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8" - secondo racconto della raccolta - richiamasse alla mia memoria Giovanni telegrafista di Jannacci, suggestioni musicali che sono seguite sono state quasi infinite: dai Sessantamila armeni raccontati da un semplice barbiere, ecco (l’umanità stanca di una ballata di De André) alla fiera arrabbiatura mista a desolazione di Io sulla terra (ascolti L'avvelenata e Canzone di notte n. 2 del maestro di Pavana), dalla strugente nostalgia di Sergio Endrigo a una melanconia di fondo in cui si sente echeggiare Luigi Tenco.
Ragazzo coraggioso mi ha regalato moltissime emozioni. E l'introduzione dello stesso Saroyan è fra le più belle introduzioni che io abbia mai letto.
Difficile che io ascolti musica mentre sto leggendo. Ma se la musica non arriva da una cassa stereo o da Spotify, ma sorge spontanea nel tuo cervello mentre stai assaporando i racconti di William Saroyan, quante chance hai di resistere? Nessuna.
Ragazzo coraggioso ha fatto scaturire nella mia scatola cranica una serie di note che rimbalzavano di sinapsi in sinapsi e non andavano via, senza per questo togliere un briciolo di piacere alla lettura della prosa apparentemente semplice e in realtà semplicemente cristallina di Saroyan. E se era inevitabile che "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8" - secondo racconto della raccolta - richiamasse alla mia memoria Giovanni telegrafista di Jannacci, suggestioni musicali che sono seguite sono state quasi infinite: dai Sessantamila armeni raccontati da un semplice barbiere, ecco (l’umanità stanca di una ballata di De André) alla fiera arrabbiatura mista a desolazione di Io sulla terra (ascolti L'avvelenata e Canzone di notte n. 2 del maestro di Pavana), dalla strugente nostalgia di Sergio Endrigo a una melanconia di fondo in cui si sente echeggiare Luigi Tenco.
Ragazzo coraggioso mi ha regalato moltissime emozioni. E l'introduzione dello stesso Saroyan è fra le più belle introduzioni che io abbia mai letto.
November 4, 2010
Part of a self-created syllabus: I'm studying the short story form, in particular the short-short. Reading The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, said writer Robert Fox (in Sudden Fiction: American Short-Short Stories), "freed me. I no longer needed character, plot, conflict, resolution, and phallic symbolism. Saroyan's work made me less serious, as well. I enjoyed myself in a new way, improvising on ideas. ... I don't think Saroyan thought about form--what I learned from him was tone. Short-shorts can be tone pieces, much like poems." When I read these remarks I ran right out (to Amazon.com) and ordered a used edition and gobbled it up. I have the Bantam Classic paperback from 1961. It's held together pretty well, although its pages are brown and the cover is worn at the edges and corners. I knew Saroyan a little from other long-ago reading, and I expected the stories to feel a little dated, and they do. The rhythm of his language is of its literary time, and the innocence of his themes. But I believe he has something here very worth learning about.
November 18, 2015
Saroyan is known for his free style writing. All of his works are very autobiographical. Very raw,unpolished and ungroomed are his writings. There is an intricate prose. There is comedy. I never expected comedy from some one who see’s life so tragically. These short stories are to be read alone and out loud. I often felt that someone was talking to me.His tone is amazing. Very innocent. Saroyan has a command on the craft of writing that seems lost in today's works. Short and a sweet read. This book left me in awe. It will be shelved on my most hugs given book. Also, I bought this brown, edge worn, darkened, fading, damp stained and shaken book. That made the read even sweeter. "The time of your life” is next.
January 6, 2010
I already like William Saroyan before I read "The Daring Young Man..." and now I'm even more impressed. These stories are funny, sad, odd, and refreshingly singular. Saroyan keeps reminding us that he is there, the author himself, pounding out a string of words on his manual typewriter before he has to hawk it again or his fingers freeze. And we still manage to laugh with him.
November 6, 2024
Saroyan is at his superlative best when describing the struggles faced by the ordinary man in Depression-era Northern California. It's fully deserved that he's mentioned in the same breath as writers like Steinbeck.
This is a wholly uneven set of short stories, however. The best of them are really, really good. 'Seventy Thousand Assyrians', the second story in this collection, was my favourite - it couples the experiences of men in the Depression with musings on writing as an art form, as the narrator struggles to decide on the descriptions of the men he observes and interacts with in a barber shop, and their own stories.
There were, however - for my taste at least - just too many stories that got overly philosophical without any real structure, particularly in the second half of this book. One of Saroyan's hallmarks is a lack of plot in many of his stories, and while this sometimes works well, delivering a clear focus on character, sometimes it got too much for me.
Saroyan's writing comes at you like a torrent. Sometimes this is thrilling, and makes for an arresting story (or character study). Other times, again, it becomes too much - there were several stories I got to the end of without any idea of what they were saying to me, and even one I skipped after a page.
This is a style that lends itself perfectly to the short story form - and ultimately, I think the main problem with this collection is a lack of editing and quality control. If this book comprised the best 10 or 12 stories, I wouldn't hesitate to give it a 4* or even a 5*. However, as a reading experience, it really dragged for me, especially as most of the best stories are at the start.
Recommended, but be selective.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a wholly uneven set of short stories, however. The best of them are really, really good. 'Seventy Thousand Assyrians', the second story in this collection, was my favourite - it couples the experiences of men in the Depression with musings on writing as an art form, as the narrator struggles to decide on the descriptions of the men he observes and interacts with in a barber shop, and their own stories.
There were, however - for my taste at least - just too many stories that got overly philosophical without any real structure, particularly in the second half of this book. One of Saroyan's hallmarks is a lack of plot in many of his stories, and while this sometimes works well, delivering a clear focus on character, sometimes it got too much for me.
Saroyan's writing comes at you like a torrent. Sometimes this is thrilling, and makes for an arresting story (or character study). Other times, again, it becomes too much - there were several stories I got to the end of without any idea of what they were saying to me, and even one I skipped after a page.
This is a style that lends itself perfectly to the short story form - and ultimately, I think the main problem with this collection is a lack of editing and quality control. If this book comprised the best 10 or 12 stories, I wouldn't hesitate to give it a 4* or even a 5*. However, as a reading experience, it really dragged for me, especially as most of the best stories are at the start.
Recommended, but be selective.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2015
"I am out here in the far West, in San Francisco, in a small room on Carl Street, writing a letter to common people, telling them in simple language what they already know."
For a while I thought of "Five Star" books as the ones that must simply be perfect, but then you have to have room for writers like William Saroyan. Loud, brash, sometimes messy, Saroyan's short stories are a true American treasure. They read much like Joyce's "Dubliners" stories with a similar sense of lusty humanism and unforced epiphany. Saroyan even quotes "Finnegans Wake" at one point.
But lest you take that to mean that this is a didactic and over-intellectualized collection let me say that Saroyan IS the great American humanist author you've been looking for without knowing it. His brilliance is passion and his passion is brilliant. These writings get under the fingernails of real people. There are no stereotypes and the embrace of the human condition is honest and effusive. Almost giddy at some points.
You might occasionally feel that Saroyan's prose is over the top, but you'll never doubt his sincerity. He would be saying those exact things to you about homeless Russian gamblers, San Francisco prostitutes, the Depression and Armenian immigrants and the movies in that exact way if you met him on the street.
This is also one of the best views of the 30s from the ground floor you'll ever see.
"Try to learn to breathe deeply; really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell." - Saroyan
For a while I thought of "Five Star" books as the ones that must simply be perfect, but then you have to have room for writers like William Saroyan. Loud, brash, sometimes messy, Saroyan's short stories are a true American treasure. They read much like Joyce's "Dubliners" stories with a similar sense of lusty humanism and unforced epiphany. Saroyan even quotes "Finnegans Wake" at one point.
But lest you take that to mean that this is a didactic and over-intellectualized collection let me say that Saroyan IS the great American humanist author you've been looking for without knowing it. His brilliance is passion and his passion is brilliant. These writings get under the fingernails of real people. There are no stereotypes and the embrace of the human condition is honest and effusive. Almost giddy at some points.
You might occasionally feel that Saroyan's prose is over the top, but you'll never doubt his sincerity. He would be saying those exact things to you about homeless Russian gamblers, San Francisco prostitutes, the Depression and Armenian immigrants and the movies in that exact way if you met him on the street.
This is also one of the best views of the 30s from the ground floor you'll ever see.
"Try to learn to breathe deeply; really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell." - Saroyan
August 6, 2018
https://hosemprevissutonelcastello.wo...
Ragazzo Coraggioso, uno di quei libri che ti fanno vedere il mondo da un’altra prospettiva: uno sguardo che scava a fondo e spoglia la realtà da tutte le sue ipocrisie per andare dritto all’essenza delle cose. Williams Saroyan è uno scrittore degli anni 30 americano, che rifiutò il pulitzer e questo la dice lunga su di lui: si percepisce subito leggendo la volontà onesta e umile di raccontare l’uomo così com’è, ponendosi allo stesso livello dell’altro senza giudizi o forme di superiorità. Tanti piccoli racconti ambientati in un America passata popolata da personaggi di ogni tipo, non brilla per tecnica ne per stile ma per contenuto. Link alla recensione completa all'inizio :)
Ragazzo Coraggioso, uno di quei libri che ti fanno vedere il mondo da un’altra prospettiva: uno sguardo che scava a fondo e spoglia la realtà da tutte le sue ipocrisie per andare dritto all’essenza delle cose. Williams Saroyan è uno scrittore degli anni 30 americano, che rifiutò il pulitzer e questo la dice lunga su di lui: si percepisce subito leggendo la volontà onesta e umile di raccontare l’uomo così com’è, ponendosi allo stesso livello dell’altro senza giudizi o forme di superiorità. Tanti piccoli racconti ambientati in un America passata popolata da personaggi di ogni tipo, non brilla per tecnica ne per stile ma per contenuto. Link alla recensione completa all'inizio :)
December 5, 2024
Another 're-release from Faber Editions, first published in 1934. I have never heard of this author, but I find that they always pick interesting books for these editions so I was really pleased to be approved for an eARC.
I must admit that I am completely unfamiliar with the settings for these short stories, being set in the US during the depression, and when I read the first story, I wondered what I had let myself in for. I really enjoyed the second story however, so I was happy to carry on. The time can be quite depressing so I wouldn't read too many in one go, but it was great to dip into for something completely different to my usual fare.
*Many thanks to Netgally and Faber for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
I must admit that I am completely unfamiliar with the settings for these short stories, being set in the US during the depression, and when I read the first story, I wondered what I had let myself in for. I really enjoyed the second story however, so I was happy to carry on. The time can be quite depressing so I wouldn't read too many in one go, but it was great to dip into for something completely different to my usual fare.
*Many thanks to Netgally and Faber for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
January 14, 2018
O culegere de povestiri simpatice, care împrumută mult din tiparele unei comunități mici, dar importante, din SUA, și anume armenii.
Aceștia sunt oameni muncitori, mereu cinstiți, care încearcă să-și construiască o comunitate unită, departe de țara natală, la acea dată o mică țărișoară în cuprinsul URSS.
Povestirile lui Saroyan sunt impregnate de autenticitate și par, în multe locuri, autobiografice, tânărul armean fiind în centrul acțiunii sau măcar un bun observator a tot ce se întâmplă prin statele Americii, cu un accent important asupra Californiei și dealurilor pe care se cultivă struguri, stafide sau rodii.
Aceștia sunt oameni muncitori, mereu cinstiți, care încearcă să-și construiască o comunitate unită, departe de țara natală, la acea dată o mică țărișoară în cuprinsul URSS.
Povestirile lui Saroyan sunt impregnate de autenticitate și par, în multe locuri, autobiografice, tânărul armean fiind în centrul acțiunii sau măcar un bun observator a tot ce se întâmplă prin statele Americii, cu un accent important asupra Californiei și dealurilor pe care se cultivă struguri, stafide sau rodii.
February 12, 2021
Libro recomendado por un excelente lector. No soy una gran fanática de los libros de cuentos, pero este libro en específico me atrapó con el primer cuento.
Muy entretenido, me encantaron estas tres citas en particular
"Creí que todo iba a venirse abajo, y notaba la inmensidad del mundo, y la existencia de otra gente que nada tenía que ver con él."
"... Y al terminar el día me asaltaba ese insoportable vitalidad, pero al mismo tiempo me sentía perdido".
"Leer hace sabio a un hombre, escribir lo hace minucioso".
Es bastante fácil de leer, lo recomiendo.
Muy entretenido, me encantaron estas tres citas en particular
"Creí que todo iba a venirse abajo, y notaba la inmensidad del mundo, y la existencia de otra gente que nada tenía que ver con él."
"... Y al terminar el día me asaltaba ese insoportable vitalidad, pero al mismo tiempo me sentía perdido".
"Leer hace sabio a un hombre, escribir lo hace minucioso".
Es bastante fácil de leer, lo recomiendo.
December 30, 2008
all time favorite collection of short stories
September 18, 2025
Three overall. Some of the stories were fantastic and others I just couldn't wrap my head around.
March 17, 2013
Hopper con fiori e giardini
Molti di questi racconti sono stati pubblicati da Saroyan nel 1934, quindi in piena Grande Depressione. Narrano piccole, in genere intime storie di personaggi marginali, ragazzi indecisi sulla vita, scrittori che non pubblicheranno mai, immigrati che galleggiano nella grande città.
Emerge dai racconti l'amore dell'immigrato armeno nei confronti dell'America che lo ha accolto, e quasi mai, se non indirettamente, i personaggi di Saroyan si scontrano con le contraddizioni, pur fortissime, di quella società. Pur essendo in genere dei reietti, hanno una visione ottimistica e consolatoria della loro condizione, trovano il bene ovunque e non mettono mai in discussione la condizione che gli è assegnata. Se avesse dipinto quadri, probabilmente Saroyan avrebbe fatto qualcosa di simile ad Hopper, usando però colori pastello e mettendo dei fiori e dei giardini qua e là.
La scrittura di Saroyan, che pure è brillante, a tratti ironica e molto americana, risente infatti di una visione molto paternalistica delle cose.
Per questo, a mio avviso, il miglior racconto è il penultimo, Combattetela voi, la vostra guerra, che esce da questo schema e presenta la situazione quasi kafkiana di chi verrà giustiziato per non essersi presentato quando chiamato.
Molti di questi racconti sono stati pubblicati da Saroyan nel 1934, quindi in piena Grande Depressione. Narrano piccole, in genere intime storie di personaggi marginali, ragazzi indecisi sulla vita, scrittori che non pubblicheranno mai, immigrati che galleggiano nella grande città.
Emerge dai racconti l'amore dell'immigrato armeno nei confronti dell'America che lo ha accolto, e quasi mai, se non indirettamente, i personaggi di Saroyan si scontrano con le contraddizioni, pur fortissime, di quella società. Pur essendo in genere dei reietti, hanno una visione ottimistica e consolatoria della loro condizione, trovano il bene ovunque e non mettono mai in discussione la condizione che gli è assegnata. Se avesse dipinto quadri, probabilmente Saroyan avrebbe fatto qualcosa di simile ad Hopper, usando però colori pastello e mettendo dei fiori e dei giardini qua e là.
La scrittura di Saroyan, che pure è brillante, a tratti ironica e molto americana, risente infatti di una visione molto paternalistica delle cose.
Per questo, a mio avviso, il miglior racconto è il penultimo, Combattetela voi, la vostra guerra, che esce da questo schema e presenta la situazione quasi kafkiana di chi verrà giustiziato per non essersi presentato quando chiamato.
August 9, 2012
Troppo sentimentale e bozzettistico per i miei gusti. San Francisco tra le due guerre, vitaccia squattrinata di scrittore, bordelli e corse dei cavalli, musica jazz, tutti temi che mi lasciano fredda. E maestro di John Fante, che francamente detesto. Promosso a pieni voti (solo) per il tocco leggiadro che gli permette a volte di fermare l'attimo bello.
Un'affermazione eterodossa da vero uomo di fede:
"Quando l'individuo si perde, per aggregarsi alla massa, Dio soffre fisicamente."
Una grande verità sulla musica:
"... la musica della giostra era meccanica, era molto brutta e molto bella, perché è la musica che i bambini sentono quando cavalcano i cavalli, le capre, i leoni e i cammelli della giostra, ed è la musica della memoria, così scadente, così difficile da descrivere, eppure meravigliosa..."
Una notizia da diffondere:
"La vera notizia non è sul giornale del lunedì. Né su quello del martedì. Non sarà mai su nessun giornale. Passa inosservata. Non è nemmeno una notizia, è il centro di tutto, dimenticato perché fa paura: il folle desiderio umano di perfezione o di morte, possedere tutta la meraviglia o scomparire."
Un'affermazione eterodossa da vero uomo di fede:
"Quando l'individuo si perde, per aggregarsi alla massa, Dio soffre fisicamente."
Una grande verità sulla musica:
"... la musica della giostra era meccanica, era molto brutta e molto bella, perché è la musica che i bambini sentono quando cavalcano i cavalli, le capre, i leoni e i cammelli della giostra, ed è la musica della memoria, così scadente, così difficile da descrivere, eppure meravigliosa..."
Una notizia da diffondere:
"La vera notizia non è sul giornale del lunedì. Né su quello del martedì. Non sarà mai su nessun giornale. Passa inosservata. Non è nemmeno una notizia, è il centro di tutto, dimenticato perché fa paura: il folle desiderio umano di perfezione o di morte, possedere tutta la meraviglia o scomparire."
October 1, 2007
William Saroyan's first collection of short stories published during the Great Depression details immigrants in the U.S. through a variety of characters (Armenian, Jewish, Polish, Irish). Many of the stories reflect the times, centering around characters concerned with money, starvation, integration, etc.
Not knowing anything about the author I wonder how many of the experiences the characters share are Saroyan's own. Several of his stories are told from the perspective of a writer, and many are told from the perspective of children just trying to fit in with their peers.
While interesting and easy to read and enjoy, a lot of the stories were remniscent of other American writers I can not bring myself to appreciate (ahem, Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson) as their writing is almost too simplistic, bordering on boring. What Saroyan maintains that Lewis and Anderson did not is a life philosophy, a writing philosophy, an experience philosophy, all of which is apparent in each of the characters.
Not knowing anything about the author I wonder how many of the experiences the characters share are Saroyan's own. Several of his stories are told from the perspective of a writer, and many are told from the perspective of children just trying to fit in with their peers.
While interesting and easy to read and enjoy, a lot of the stories were remniscent of other American writers I can not bring myself to appreciate (ahem, Sinclair Lewis, Sherwood Anderson) as their writing is almost too simplistic, bordering on boring. What Saroyan maintains that Lewis and Anderson did not is a life philosophy, a writing philosophy, an experience philosophy, all of which is apparent in each of the characters.
August 3, 2012
Like the other books by Saroyan that I've read ("My Name is Aram" and "Fresno Stories") I really don't know what I'm supposed to be getting. Maybe I had to live in the time period. Some of the stories were interesting (such as the book's namesake) but others I really didn't get. A lot of it is stream of consciousness and it seems a little reminiscent of Schopenhauer. The funny thing is that Schopenhauer is mentioned in this book. Maybe not a coincidence? Anyway, if anybody could comment on this review to give me some general insight into the book, that would be great!
January 30, 2022
Minunat. Sunt 24 de povestiri, câteva se citesc din automatism, dar cele mai multe își păstrează farmecul și prospețimea chiar și la a treia sau la a patra lectură. Uneori m-a dus cu gândul la tinerețea lui Arturo Bandini, dar Saroyan e cu o treaptă mai sus.
August 20, 2010
i've just started reading this, and lord is it refreshing. i'd forgotten how much i love Saroyan. i'm excited to fly through this...
October 4, 2009
This is my favorite book of all time
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