2007 Short Stories Read
Sunday, December 9th, 2007Short Stories Read in 2007
Listed here are the short stories I read in 2007. Collections of short stories are also recorded under Books Read in 2007. Individual short stories will only be found in this post.
Short Stories are rated as follows:
5 = Excellent; a must read; highly recommended
4 = Good/Very good; recommended
3 = Okay; Pretty good
2 = Not recommended; boring; didn’t hold my interest
1 = Awful; hated it; probably didn’t even finish the darn thing
Glimmer Train Stories (Issue #51 - Summer 2004)
Read for: Mostly Books book group. To read my thoughts on these short stories, click here.
Started: February 4, 2007
Finished: February 4, 2007
Finished February 4, 2007
Started: February 4, 2007
Finished February 4, 2007
Finished: February 6, 2007
Among the Living Amidst the Trees, by Bruce Machart
Started: February 6, 2007
Finished: February 6, 2007
Everything’s Eventual, by Stephen King (A Collection of Stories)
Number of Pages: 459
Read for: RIP Challenge
Started: October 13, 2007
Finished: October 29, 2007
To read a review click here.
A Beneficiary, by Nadine Gordimer
Number of Pages: This was a short story, read on line at The New Yorker
Read for: Read the Nobels Challenge AND 21st Fiction yahoo group
Started: November 22, 2007
Finished: November 22, 2007
To read a review, click here.
Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera, by Ben Fountain
Number of Pages: This was a short story, read on line at Zoetrope
Read for: 21st Fiction yahoo group
Started: December 16, 2007
Finished: December 16, 2007
To read a review, click here (as part of my Sunday Salon reading)
Keeping it Short - A Beneficiary, by Nadine Gordimer
Caches of old papers are like graves; you shouldn’t open them. -From A Beneficiary, by Nadine Gordimer-
I am a bit embarrassed that I have never read anything by Nadine Gordimer until now. This wonderful short story was published in the New Yorker earlier this year and I read it as part of the 21st Fiction Yahoo Group who are reading one on-line short story each month in addition to their regular schedule of novel reads.
The story opens by introducing the main character, Charlotte (aka Charlie) whose mother, an actress, has just died. While packing up her mother’s belongings, Charlie stumbles upon an old letter which becomes the catalyst for the rest of the story. The ending is immensely satisfying with a bigger message about what it means to be a parent.
Gordimer is an artist with words, painting her characters so lifelike that the reader forgets they are reading fiction. I was completely entranced by this story which I read in less than an hour.
After reading this little gem, I am motivated to pick up other works of this South African Nobel Laureate (Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991). Gordimer has written 14 novels and 11 short story collections.
I rate this one a 5/5 and highly recommend it!