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Rating: 
Summary: Good stories with commentaries by their writers
Review: Ann Charters has done a wonderful job of compiling a variety of great works of short fiction. There's Oates, Chekhov, Borges, Updike, Bierce, Carver, Cheever, and MANY others.There is also an extended amount of commentary on the works themselves. You'll read about Flannery O'Connor's "Reasonable Use of the Unreasonable," John Cheever's "Why I Write Short Stories," and more. You often get a candid response from writers about not only their writing, but other writers as well. It is a very nice touch. Before each story, there is a small biography of the writer, often informing the reader about the origin of the story that follows. Last, the appendices to the book are quite good as well. They cover the basic "Elements of Fiction" and "A Brief History of the Short Story" as well as a glossary of literary terms that are handy for students of short fiction and helpful for those simply interested in the technique behind the art. The book doesn't pretend to present everything about short fiction, but gives you a taste for the good stuff out there.
Rating:
Summary: Good stories with commentaries by their writers
Review: Ann Charters has done a wonderful job of compiling a variety of great works of short fiction. There's Oates, Chekhov, Borges, Updike, Bierce, Carver, Cheever, and MANY others. There is also an extended amount of commentary on the works themselves. You'll read about Flannery O'Connor's "Reasonable Use of the Unreasonable," John Cheever's "Why I Write Short Stories," and more. You often get a candid response from writers about not only their writing, but other writers as well. It is a very nice touch. Before each story, there is a small biography of the writer, often informing the reader about the origin of the story that follows. Last, the appendices to the book are quite good as well. They cover the basic "Elements of Fiction" and "A Brief History of the Short Story" as well as a glossary of literary terms that are handy for students of short fiction and helpful for those simply interested in the technique behind the art. The book doesn't pretend to present everything about short fiction, but gives you a taste for the good stuff out there.
Rating:
Summary: A good anthology
Review: This anthology belongs on the shelves of any serious reader of literary fiction. The short stories in it are among the highest caliber and are often used by professors to teach students how to write. If you enjoy reading good fiction, or want to study how good authors write so you can write like them, then this book is one you ought to consider getting from your library or owning.
Rating: 
Summary: Amy Charters smacks a grand slam.
Review: This is such a great book -- one of the most valuable on my shelves. Amy Charters has made wonderful choices here -- she's managed to create an anthology that simultaneously does justice to the classics while remaining hip and accessible. For those who like background information, there's a handy appendix filled with writers either talking about their own work or commenting on a selection in the book. For those who have not "taken" to short stories, I suggest you consider The Story and its Writer. For teachers, this is simply a great resource -- I use it all the time.
Rating:
Summary: Amy Charters smacks a grand slam.
Review: This is such a great book -- one of the most valuable on my shelves. Amy Charters has made wonderful choices here -- she's managed to create an anthology that simultaneously does justice to the classics while remaining hip and accessible. For those who like background information, there's a handy appendix filled with writers either talking about their own work or commenting on a selection in the book. For those who have not "taken" to short stories, I suggest you consider The Story and its Writer. For teachers, this is simply a great resource -- I use it all the time.
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