50 Great Short Stories

by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Alexander Pushkin

Fifty Great Short Stories is a comprehensive selection from the world's finest short fiction. The authors represented range from Hawthorne, Poushkin, Maupassant, Poe, through Henry James, Conrad, Katherine Mansfield, Aldous Huxley, James Joyce, to Hemingway, Saroyan and Salinger. The variety in style and subject have one point in common - the enduring quality of the writing, which places the among the masterpieces of the world's fiction.

Genres: Short Stories

470 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1952

About the author

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history.

Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin College, Hathorne changed his name to Hawthorne. Hawthorne anonymously published his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828. In 1837, he published Twice-Told Tales and became engaged to painter and illustrator Sophia Peabody the next year. He worked at a Custom House and joined a Transcendentalist Utopian community, before marrying Peabody in 1842. The couple moved to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels. A political appointment took Hawthorne and family to Europe before returning to The Wayside in 1860. Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, leaving behind his wife and their three children.

Much of Hawthorne's writing centers around New England and many feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His work is considered part of the Romantic movement and includes novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend, the United States President Franklin Pierce.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this used old book as a present and for me, it's like I'm holding history between my own hands. The version I got was most probably printed in 1967 or 1968. and god knows how many have read that book?
So this book is a collection of 50 short stories with a variety of writing techniques and ideas. Frankly speaking, I didn't continue reading some stories after finishing the first paragraphs and enjoyed others.
The stories I like are:
1) The Standard of living
2) The Shot
3) Putois
4) Looking Back

[Alexandra LaPore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to sparknote the meaning behind some of these stories. Loved Steinbeck’s and Aldous Huxley’s pieces in here

[Rocio Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este librito es parte de una serie de re-lecturas que me motivan. Es una compilación interesante, aunque alguno de los cuentos pueden sentirse sosos, pesados y muy anticuados. En general, la recomiendo si no tienes nada más que leer y quieres pasarla bien.

[Mrs. Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in this anthology, 50 Great Short Stories, edited by Milton Crane,

I gave this book 5 stars because....

[Angel P.]

disliked this book because it was very slow paced. Also, I got confused at the first short story,The Garden Party because the morale didn't seem good.