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My Sunday School class is titled "Faith and Literature", in order to stay flexible and inclusive for people who drop in and out depending on their schedules, we only read short stories. There are several good collections that include stories that lend themselves to interpretation and discussion on faith based topics.
I have been so surprised about how much I am enjoying the short story genre. I have been gobbling up stories - many of which I read once in school.
So far, my favorite authors are Tobias Wolff, Flannery O'Connor and Raymond Carver. My favorite story that we have discussed in our class is probably "The Shawl" by Cynthia Ozick.
Are there any other short story lovers here? What are your favorites?
I once had a book that was lost in a house fire that was the collection of short stories bought by Rod Serling for the original Twilight Zone series. I should see if I can locate it somewhere. Sometimes the stories were altered somewhat for the screenplays, but they were pretty close.
They were very good stories and contained truths about humanity.
If you look in the writers sections of bookstores, you often can find anthologies of short stories, too.
There is an author whose name I cannot recall at the moment. He served during the Vietnam conflict and his short stories center around Vietnamese immigrants in America. Maybe someone else can come up with the name--anyway, the stories I read of his were very good.
On the subject of Faith and Literature I'd suggest Isak Dinesen's "Sorrow-Acre" from Winter's Tales. Bear in mind that it was written during Germany's occupation of Denmark, so although immediately the roundtable discussion will revolve around the tableau of a mother's sacrifice for her son, the story's center is really the tyrant who demanded it. His self-isolation appoints him spectator to a theater of poverty yet he himself, allegorically, is the protagonist of the set piece. It should engender good talk, and the prose is really lovely and painterly.
I second Olive Kitteridge. Reading Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, especially while on the train, made me forget I was on my way to work. LOL. Two others that come to mind: Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. I still love Chekhov's short stories.
"death of ivan illyich" by leo tolstoy/ "at the cadian ball"-"the storm"-kate chopin/alice walker "everyday use".. Just to name a few of my favorites...
There is an author whose name I cannot recall at the moment. He served during the Vietnam conflict and his short stories center around Vietnamese immigrants in America. Maybe someone else can come up with the name--anyway, the stories I read of his were very good.
Are you thinking of Thom Jones? Love his stuff.
Another favorite: Somerset Maugham
I usually pick up the yearly anthologies as well (Pushcart, PEN/O. Henry etc).
The Most Dangerous Game and The Skeleton Key come to mind. Flowers for Algernon too
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