This is an anthology of short stories that originally appeared in The Paris Review. Each story is chosen by a contemporary author and introduced by them. As with most anthologies, I found it to be a mixed bag. Fortunately, the pieces that I really disliked were generally fairly short and over with pretty quickly. ;)

My favorite stories in the collection were:

-- "Pelican Song" by Mary-Beth Hughes
-- "The Palace Thief" by Ethan Canin (this story was made into a film, "The Emperor's Club," which I also enjoyed)
-- "The Beau Monde of Mrs. Bridge" by Evan S. Connell

Reserving for the General Literature VBB.

Description from Amazon:

"What does it take to write a great short story? In Object Lessons, twenty contemporary masters of the genre answer that question, sharing favorite stories from the pages of The Paris Review. Over the course of the last half century, the Review has launched hundreds of careers while publishing some of the most inventive and best-loved stories of our time. This anthology---the first of its kind---is more than a treasury: it is an indispensable resource for writers, students, and anyone else who wants to understand fiction from a writer's point of view.

'Some chose classics. Some chose stories that were new even to us. Our hope is that this collection will be useful to young writers, and to others interested in literary technique. Most of all, it is intended for readers who are not (or are no longer) in the habit of reading short stories. We hope these object lessons will remind them how varied the form can be, how vital it remains, and how much pleasure it can give.'―from the Editors' Note"

This is headed out to tabby-cat-owner, who selected it from the General Literature VBB. Enjoy!

I received this book in the mail from ReallyBookish of Horsham, Pennsylvania. I chose it from the General Literature VBB organized by bookstogive.

Thank you for this book, ReallyBookish. I look forward to reading it.