Winner of the National Book AwardThe publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all, including twelve that do not appear in the only two story collections O'Connor put together in her short lifetime--Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Good Man Is Hard to Find. O'Connor published her first story, "The Geranium," in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, "Judgement Day"--sent to her publisher shortly before her death—is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of "The Geranium." Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Also included is an introduction by O'Connor's longtime editor and friend, Robert Giroux.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - One of Two Must Own Collection of Short Stories
The other is Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. I know this may seem odd to have O'Connor, the genius of revealing the inner workings of the human, beside Gaiman, but if you read Gaiman the connections are ... Read More
Rating: - Completely Unique
This is my favorite book of short stories. I am amazed at how the author can blend such a diverse mixture of feelings into a story. Each story is humorous and heartbreaking. O'Connor has a knack for examining ... Read More
Rating: - Flannery O'Connor, one twisted sister
This was my first introduction to O'Connor's work. Had I known how thoeoughly I would enjoy, I would have read her years ago. I grew up in the South and always thought I got a pretty good education. But I was ... Read More
Rating: - American Sophocles
Thomas Merton said of O'Connor that when he thought of her, he did not think of her in terms of her peers in contemporary fiction (i.e., Hemingway, Faulkner, Steinbeck) but rather, he thought of Sophocles or Aeschylus. ... Read More
Rating: - The Devil's In The Details
"Grace changes us, and change is painful."
O'Connor, a delicate Southern Catholic who lived a third of her life ravaged by lupus, was certainly acquainted with pain. Her stories reveal this much. Many readers ... Read More
- One of Two Must Own Collection of Short Stories
- American Sophocles