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The O. Henry Prize Stories 2005
The prestigious annual story anthology includes prize-winning stories selected by Cristina Garcia, Ann Patchett, and Richard Russo.
"Widely regarded as the nation's most prestigious awards for short fiction." — Atlantic Monthly
Continuing a century-long tradition of cutting-edge literary excellence, this edition contains twenty prizewinning stories chosen from the thousands published in magazines over the previous year.
THE WINNING
Mudlavia
Elizabeth Stuckey-French
The Brief History of the Dead
Kevin Brockmeier
The Golden Era of Heartbreak
Michael Parker
The Hurt Man
Wendell Berry
The Tutor
Nell Freudenberger
Fantasy for Eleven Fingers
Ben Fountain
The High Divide
Charles D’Ambrosio
Desolation
Gail Jones
A Rich Man
Edward P. Jones
Dues
Dale Peck
Speckle Trout
Ron Rash
Sphinxes
Timothy Crouse
Grace
Paula Fox
Snowbound
Liza Ward
Tea
Nancy Reisman
Christie
Caitlin Macy
Refuge in London
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
The Drowned Woman
Frances De Pontes Peebles
The Card Trick
Tessa Hadley
What You Pawn I Will Redeem
Sherman Alexie
"Widely regarded as the nation's most prestigious awards for short fiction." — Atlantic Monthly
Continuing a century-long tradition of cutting-edge literary excellence, this edition contains twenty prizewinning stories chosen from the thousands published in magazines over the previous year.
THE WINNING
Mudlavia
Elizabeth Stuckey-French
The Brief History of the Dead
Kevin Brockmeier
The Golden Era of Heartbreak
Michael Parker
The Hurt Man
Wendell Berry
The Tutor
Nell Freudenberger
Fantasy for Eleven Fingers
Ben Fountain
The High Divide
Charles D’Ambrosio
Desolation
Gail Jones
A Rich Man
Edward P. Jones
Dues
Dale Peck
Speckle Trout
Ron Rash
Sphinxes
Timothy Crouse
Grace
Paula Fox
Snowbound
Liza Ward
Tea
Nancy Reisman
Christie
Caitlin Macy
Refuge in London
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
The Drowned Woman
Frances De Pontes Peebles
The Card Trick
Tessa Hadley
What You Pawn I Will Redeem
Sherman Alexie
417 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Laura Furman
69 books59 followersLaura J. Furman (born 1945) is an American author best known for her role as series editor for the O. Henry Awards prize story collection. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Mirabella, Ploughshares, Southwest Review.
She has written three collections of stories (The Glass House, Watch Time Fly, and Drinking with the Cook), two novels (The Shadow Line and Tuxedo Park), and a memoir (Ordinary Paradise).
She founded American Short Fiction, which was a three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award. She is currently Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in writing. Most recently, she has announced that she has submitted a collection of short stories to her agent, and the subsequent collection will be her first new work to follow the release of 2001's Drinking with the Cook.
She has written three collections of stories (The Glass House, Watch Time Fly, and Drinking with the Cook), two novels (The Shadow Line and Tuxedo Park), and a memoir (Ordinary Paradise).
She founded American Short Fiction, which was a three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award. She is currently Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in writing. Most recently, she has announced that she has submitted a collection of short stories to her agent, and the subsequent collection will be her first new work to follow the release of 2001's Drinking with the Cook.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 20, 2007
Some fiction you enjoy because it makes you believe you too, maybe, could write good fiction. This collection is great and does precisely the opposite.
Want to Read
July 14, 2015Mudlavia Elizabeth Stuckey-FrenchThe Brief History of the Dead Kevin BrockmeierThe Golden Era of Heartbreak Michael Parker The Hurt Man Wendell BerryThe Tutor Nell FreudenbergerFantasy for Eleven Fingers Ben FountainThe High Divide Charles D�AmbrosioDesolation Gail JonesA Rich Man Edward P. JonesDues Dale PeckSpeckle Trout Ron Rash Sphinxes Timothy Crouse Grace Paula FoxSnowbound Liza WardTea Nancy ReismanChristie Caitlin MacyRefuge in London Ruth Prawer JhabvalaThe Drowned Woman Frances De Pontes PeeblesThe Card Trick Tessa HadleyWhat You Pawn I Will Redeem Sherman Alexie
Mudlavia Elizabeth Stuckey-FrenchThe Brief History of the Dead Kevin BrockmeierThe Golden Era of Heartbreak Michael Parker The Hurt Man Wendell BerryThe Tutor Nell FreudenbergerFantasy for Eleven Fingers Ben FountainThe High Divide Charles D�AmbrosioDesolation Gail JonesA Rich Man Edward P. JonesDues Dale PeckSpeckle Trout Ron Rash Sphinxes Timothy Crouse Grace Paula FoxSnowbound Liza WardTea Nancy ReismanChristie Caitlin MacyRefuge in London Ruth Prawer JhabvalaThe Drowned Woman Frances De Pontes PeeblesThe Card Trick Tessa HadleyWhat You Pawn I Will Redeem Sherman Alexie
Mudlavia Elizabeth Stuckey-FrenchThe Brief History of the Dead Kevin BrockmeierThe Golden Era of Heartbreak Michael Parker The Hurt Man Wendell BerryThe Tutor Nell FreudenbergerFantasy for Eleven Fingers Ben FountainThe High Divide Charles D�AmbrosioDesolation Gail JonesA Rich Man Edward P. JonesDues Dale PeckSpeckle Trout Ron Rash Sphinxes Timothy Crouse Grace Paula FoxSnowbound Liza WardTea Nancy ReismanChristie Caitlin MacyRefuge in London Ruth Prawer JhabvalaThe Drowned Woman Frances De Pontes PeeblesThe Card Trick Tessa HadleyWhat You Pawn I Will Redeem Sherman Alexie
Mudlavia
Elizabeth Stuckey-French
The Brief History of the Dead *
Kevin Brockmeier
The Golden Era of Heartbreak
Michael Parker
*
The Hurt Man*
Wendell Berry
The Tutor
Nell Freudenberger
Fantasy for Eleven Fingers*
Ben Fountain
The High Divide**
Charles D’Ambrosio
Desolation
Gail Jones
A Rich Man *
Edward P. Jones
Dues
Dale Peck
*
Speckle Trout*
Ron Rash
Sphinxes
Timothy Crouse
Grace*
Paula Fox
Snowbound
Liza Ward
*
Tea *
Nancy Reisman
Christie
Caitlin Macy
Refuge in London*
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
The Drowned Woman
Frances De Pontes Peebles
*
The Card Trick *
Tessa Hadley
What You Pawn I Will Redeem
Sherman Alexie
*
From the Trade Paperback edition.
June 4, 2009
So far, there have been three stories in this that have really stuck out to me. I didn't read or finish all of them. Some were not my thing so I didn't complete or read all of them.
The first is about a man who gets his bike stolen after buying it off of someone who stole it in the first place. He comes across the original owner, gets beat up and goes back to his apartment. He begins to read books he purchased from a used book store when the girl who sold the books to the store sees him reading her old book. And as everything usually happens in threes, he realizes that his boyfriend's ex wants him back. He comes to realize this coincidence and the connections between people and life that can be made. At first he sees everything as a redundant cycle for everyone but then he puts things into context. The twin towers are destroyed and he goes to the center where missing loved ones pictures are hung on the walls. It is there where he connects with the boy who beat him up for his bike. The guy is so happy to see someone familiar and alive. Who knows what happens next, but its a nice comment on how things that are used are not necessarily tarnished in a bad way.
Another story from this that I really liked was about the orphan boy who's father is in a mental institute and he now lives with Nuns. Once again, the orphan boy gets in a fight with a fat public school kid. He calls him a bastard and the head Nun ends up giving the orphan her rosary. Eventually, the orphan and the bully befriend each other. The bullies father even takes them both on a camping trip. This is where the boy and the orphan learn the bully's father is divorcing the mother. He's found someone else. The bully calls his father a bastard. I guess no one's parents are perfect.
There was also the first we read called Snowbound about a girl who's mother leaves. She discovers a man's phone number in her room and calls the old lover. Her and her father are locked into the snowbound house. He tells her stories about growing up in the snow- how his sister tried to bury herself and cut off all her dolls hair, how she wanted to be rescued by someone who loved her. The father is depresses as is his daughter. They want to be rescued as well, but there is only one place to go in the snow- home.
The first is about a man who gets his bike stolen after buying it off of someone who stole it in the first place. He comes across the original owner, gets beat up and goes back to his apartment. He begins to read books he purchased from a used book store when the girl who sold the books to the store sees him reading her old book. And as everything usually happens in threes, he realizes that his boyfriend's ex wants him back. He comes to realize this coincidence and the connections between people and life that can be made. At first he sees everything as a redundant cycle for everyone but then he puts things into context. The twin towers are destroyed and he goes to the center where missing loved ones pictures are hung on the walls. It is there where he connects with the boy who beat him up for his bike. The guy is so happy to see someone familiar and alive. Who knows what happens next, but its a nice comment on how things that are used are not necessarily tarnished in a bad way.
Another story from this that I really liked was about the orphan boy who's father is in a mental institute and he now lives with Nuns. Once again, the orphan boy gets in a fight with a fat public school kid. He calls him a bastard and the head Nun ends up giving the orphan her rosary. Eventually, the orphan and the bully befriend each other. The bullies father even takes them both on a camping trip. This is where the boy and the orphan learn the bully's father is divorcing the mother. He's found someone else. The bully calls his father a bastard. I guess no one's parents are perfect.
There was also the first we read called Snowbound about a girl who's mother leaves. She discovers a man's phone number in her room and calls the old lover. Her and her father are locked into the snowbound house. He tells her stories about growing up in the snow- how his sister tried to bury herself and cut off all her dolls hair, how she wanted to be rescued by someone who loved her. The father is depresses as is his daughter. They want to be rescued as well, but there is only one place to go in the snow- home.
November 17, 2014
This collection, as with any such anthology, has a mix of stories and styles. I found some of the pieces stylistically pretentious or overly dark. The ambiguous endings weren't always ambiguous in a good way. However, most of the tales were really engaging and skillfully told, with out-of-the ordinary subjects.
My favorites:
Kevin Brockmeir: "The Brief History of the Dead"
Timothy Crouse: "Sphinxes"
Ben Fountain: "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers"
Nell Freudenberger: "The Tutor"
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: "Refuge in London"
Frances De Pontes Peebles: "The Drowned Woman"
Elizabeth Stuckey-French: "Mudlavia"
Tessa Hadley: "The Card Trick"
Sherman Alexie: "What you Pawn I Will Redeem"
My favorites:
Kevin Brockmeir: "The Brief History of the Dead"
Timothy Crouse: "Sphinxes"
Ben Fountain: "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers"
Nell Freudenberger: "The Tutor"
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: "Refuge in London"
Frances De Pontes Peebles: "The Drowned Woman"
Elizabeth Stuckey-French: "Mudlavia"
Tessa Hadley: "The Card Trick"
Sherman Alexie: "What you Pawn I Will Redeem"
March 13, 2008
It is truly amazing the realities each of us can create in such few words. This is a fine and varied collection of short stories and for those seeking new authors and new novels, a great way to get your feet wet before you dive into another novel. I particularly liked how history works as a realistic backdrop in Ben Fountain's "Fantasy for Eleven Fingers." I also enjoyed the clear and engaging narration of Sherman Alexie's "What You Pawn I Will Redeem."
Read
March 18, 2011Mudlava, The Brief History of the Dead, The Golden Era of Heartbreak, The Hurt Man, The Tutor, Fantasy for 11 Fingers, The High Divide, Desolation, A Rich Man, Dues, Speckle Trout, Sphinxes, Grace, Snowbound, Tea, Christie, Refuge in London, The Drowned Woman, The Card Trick, What You Pawn I Will Redeem.
May 9, 2008
Read "Speckle Trout" by Ron Rash--incredible!
Other creative stories in this book: Sherman Alexie's "What You Pawn I Will Redeem", Kevin Brockmeier's "A Brief History of the Dead" and Charles D'Ambrosio "The High Divide"
Other creative stories in this book: Sherman Alexie's "What You Pawn I Will Redeem", Kevin Brockmeier's "A Brief History of the Dead" and Charles D'Ambrosio "The High Divide"
February 5, 2008
This was a touch-and-go collection. I thought that the best story by far was Sherman Alexie's "What You Pawn I Will Redeem." He is a very good at writing about the Native American experience in a humorous and touching way.
April 4, 2009
Mikey Parker is in here!
Hey guys! Our old story class teacher is in this book!
Fuckin' good story too.
Good job, Mikey! You rule, as always!
"Thasssss a dahhhhhhk soul, sugeh."
-Fred Chappell to Carnessa Ottelin
Hey guys! Our old story class teacher is in this book!
Fuckin' good story too.
Good job, Mikey! You rule, as always!
"Thasssss a dahhhhhhk soul, sugeh."
-Fred Chappell to Carnessa Ottelin
July 21, 2009
Standouts in this volume:
Mudlavia (Elizabeth Stuckey-French)
The Tutor (Nell Freudenberger)
Fantasy for Eleven Fingers (Ben Fountain)
Tea (Nancy Reisman)
The Drowned Woman (Frances de Pontes Peebles)
The Card Trick (Tessa Hadley)
What You Pawn I Will Redeem (Sherman Alexie)
Mudlavia (Elizabeth Stuckey-French)
The Tutor (Nell Freudenberger)
Fantasy for Eleven Fingers (Ben Fountain)
Tea (Nancy Reisman)
The Drowned Woman (Frances de Pontes Peebles)
The Card Trick (Tessa Hadley)
What You Pawn I Will Redeem (Sherman Alexie)
August 31, 2007
My favorite story in here: "Speckle Trout," by Ron Rash.
July 14, 2008
Loved the commentary on the stories from their authors. Nice collection.
February 12, 2009
I read this stellar collection in the backseat on a long car-trip to Berkeley. It definitely helped pass the time.
July 12, 2010
Its like reading preview of various great works... Enjoyed various types of writing short fiction...
November 3, 2013
Loooong (goodreads has this as 400+ pages but it was actually 500+)
Lots of good stories but I forgot them as fast as I read them... but that's on me. The last story was really really really good.
Lots of good stories but I forgot them as fast as I read them... but that's on me. The last story was really really really good.
February 14, 2021
Some of the best short stories I have ever read. Much better than I expected.
November 29, 2017
a couple of really fine stories in here: Sherman Alexie, Ruth Jhabvala, Elizabeth Stuckey-French.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews