Thematic Guide to Popular Short Stories

(Hardback)

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An indispensable guide to nearly 450 short stories, with full annotations, identification of thematic elements, and bibliographic information on the anthologies where the stories can be found. Providing easy access to information on nearly 450 short stories, this unique guide surveys a wide spectrum of world literature, canonical works and contemporary fiction. Librarians and teachers alike will find multiple purposes for this resource which has been expertly compiled and can be utilized in much the same way as a standard bibliography. Educators will appreciate the concise annotations, arranged alphabetically by author, that form the core of this work. These insightful critical statements synthesize plot summaries and identify thematic content of each short story. A theme guide, utilizing the nearly 100 theme headings matching those found at the start of each entry, allows the user to quickly find titles of stories on related themes and construct reading lists based on individual interests and needs. Another component designed to aid librarians offers separate bibliographies listing both the anthologies from which the stories are drawn (Works Cited) as well as a Further Reading section comprised of a number of recent anthologies that might be adaptable to the classroom. In addition to the theme index, the general subject and author indexes make this a user-friendly and invaluable resource for all professionals. The selection of short stories examined in this guide were made in consultation with numerous experts in the education field, and includes the most frequently taught short stories by canonical writers such as Poe, Hemingway, DeMaupassant, and Flannery O'Connor. Teachers will be aided in both their efforts to help students better appreciate these works as well as their task of building upon these core reading lists with additional stories that may have still greater resonance with readers. Stories from the arena of young adult literature, such as Todd Strasser's "On the Bridge" and a generous sampling of world literature selections, including works by Achebe, Cisneros, and Marquez will help teachers reinforce and make connections between certain universal themes, as well as introduce new themes and ideas.

Author Bio

PATRICK A. SMITH is on faculty in the Department of English at Bainbridge College in Bainbridge, Georgia. His most recent work is The True Bones of My Life: Essays on the Fiction of Jim Harrison (2002).