Rating: 
Summary: The Story is the Meaning
Review: Flannery O'Connor's The Complete Stories puts the reader in possession of a superb collection of all her short stories, including those published posthumously. Each story looks at humanity in grit and detail. With a passion for the absurd, O'Connor explores the condition of the South, sparing no character's flaw and yet making the reader sympathize and care for the people she creates. Like Faulkner, O'Connor seems to feel a sadness and passion for the South and its often crazy citizens. While many read "Good Country People" or "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" in high school, there are other stories less well-known that reward attention. "The River" and "Revelation" are two personal favorites. In "The River" looks at child neglect, baptism and death simultaneously. "Revelation," which was her last finished published work before she died ends on a hopeful note-the protagonist actually seems to have learned and changed at the end of the story- a rare thing in her work. O'Connor has been a particularly influential writer among American authors, and her theories about short stories are regularly taught in the classroom. She was a great advocate for allowing the story to be the meaning, and not candy-coating for a moral. However, her concerns are woven into the fabric of each story, and the flaws in ourselves are revealed through her characters. While O'Connor is known the best for her short stories, she also wrote two novels and some literary criticism, which are not included in this volume, but are also well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Cruelty
Review: For her narrative talent, the lady gets at least 4 stars. But be forewarned: her stories can be cruel (e.g. the murder of children). In O'Connor's world, there is neither justice nor forgiveness for those who do evil, nor healing for those who suffer. This is nihilism. Surely, great writing is something more than skill; and her theological ornaments do not make these horror stories profound. A writer should be compassionate. O'Connor was not.
Rating:
Summary: Cruelty
Review: Genius! These stories remind me how much we can learn from people very different from ourselves. A Southern American white woman, O'Conner offers invaluable gems on American culture, racism and classism. When I read newer stories by our best young writers (people like Sherman Alexie), I am reminded of her. She writes the truth. It is often funny, sad and ugly at the same time-but it is the truth, and it is beautiful to witness. She is a true master of the short story.
Rating:
Summary: Finding the truth
Review: Genius! These stories remind me how much we can learn from people very different from ourselves. A Southern American white woman, O'Conner offers invaluable gems on American culture, racism and classism. When I read newer stories by our best young writers (people like Sherman Alexie), I am reminded of her. She writes the truth. It is often funny, sad and ugly at the same time-but it is the truth, and it is beautiful to witness. She is a true master of the short story.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpieces of rising action and epiphany
Review: I cannot believe that I'm the first to review this, but then again, perhaps O'Connor's work is so ubiquitously acknowledged and praised that no review is actually necessary. For those who aren't familiar with her, you would do well to acquaint yourself with "the greatest short-story writer since the (second world) war." Although her settings are somewhat limited (for the most part, the stories are placed in the rural American South), she manipulates atmosphere to embody a wide array of tensions and meanings. Her grossly exaggerated characterizations generally represent the grotesquerie of self-important, prideful, and perhaps most importantly to O'Connor, Godless people who seem to walk the Earth in greater numbers in the modern age. Even for readers who aren't particularly religious--as I myself am not--the stories fascinate with their merciless wisdom and impact. Subtlety is not an issue for O'Connor. Read these pieces one at a time, allowing the ensui! ng shock to settle into some sort of self-incriminating revelation. Then proceed to the next painful, cleansing lesson.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing stories that will reach to your very core.
Review: I cannot praise Flannery O'Connor enough. Though I have read a couple of her novels, I find her most effective in her short stories. This collection of short stories by Flannery O'Connor is one of my favorite books. She is unquestionably one of the best American authors of the twentieth century. Each story gives insight to another of humanity's secrets. O'Connor investigates the very nature of humans and paints a disturbing picture. Her stories look at what makes us tick, what haunts us, and how we give meaning to our lives. Each account gives another glimpse into O'Connor's mind. Some stories, particularly "A Good Man is Hard to Find" make me shiver to even think about. A highly recommended book that contains memorable stories and a beautiful writing style.
Rating:
Summary: Decent as long as you don't read more than one at a time
Review: I highly suggest that if you wish to enjoy this woman's stories you follow the advice of an earlier review. Read them one at a time. If you don't you'll figure out the same thing I did, it's really basically one story about a woman who screws up everything for her family over and over again with the names changed. Whether it's the dead daughter in "The Artificial Nigger," the too astute grandmother in "A Good Man" or the embarrassingly incompetent farm women, or the despicable mothers and their even more flat and dreary college educated children, Flannery can't seem to do anything other than recycle herself and the people that annoyed her into the same drek over and over. (Yes, I realize that was a run on sentence). Just remember, the writer being dead doesn't mean their work is great.
Rating:
Summary: Great collection
Review: I personally like her novel Wise Blood better than the stories, and would suggest that the casual reader check out 3 by Flannery O'Connor which contains the novel and several short stories. It is a bit cheaper and will let you know what you're getting yourself into. But by all means purchase this book also, which contains my favorite story, "Good Country People." Perhaps she did recycle her material, but so did Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Joyce. I guess they're all just anthologized because they're dead too.
Rating:
Summary: Lessons to be learned here--O'Connor was no fool
Review: I read this collection during college, in my senior literature seminar. I find O'Connor's stories to be the best, most brutally honest, thought-provoking and attitude-altering work out there. One piece deserving of mention are the classic "A Good Man is Hard to Find", the last line of which reasonates long after the reader closes the book. O'Connor craftily delivers messages about racism, elitism and other problems of the deep South in her stories, and beautifully maintains the Southern Gothic texture in each one. I can't recommend this book any more enthusiastically!
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Collection!
Review: I was lucky enough during one semester in college to be forced to read several works by Flannery O'Connor. After hearing her stories, I fell in love with her, so I read this collection. This is probably the most amazing collection of short stories I have ever read. O'Connor presents Southern people at their best and worst. Adding a hint of religion, O'Connor conveys the idea of salvation and how life affects those who do and do not have this. My favorite stories include: "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," a shocking story about a criminal and an unusual family; "Revelation," a humorous work about people who view themselves as superior to others; "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," another hilarious and shocking piece describing how a woman decides to seduce a Christian man; and "Good Country People," a story describing how people fulfill their wants and desires at others cost. These stories are easy to read and fairly short! Highly recommended.
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