Short Stories

The Dover Thrift Edition of "Short Stories" by Theodore Dreiser contains five tales by this important American writer. The copyright page notes that the stories are reprinted from Dreiser's 1918 volume "Free and Other Stories." This Dover edition includes a historically relevant 1918 introduction by Sherwood Anderson.The stories are as follows: "Free," in which an architect, facing the serious illness of his wife, reflects on his life and the choices he has made; "Nigger Jeff," a stunning tale that opens with a reporter getting a tip on a possibly imminent lynching; "The Lost Phoebe," a moving story that follows an elderly man after the death of his wife; "The Second Chance," in which a young woman is torn between two men, one exciting but impulsive, one dull but dependable; and finally "Married," about the conflict between a musician and his wife.Dreiser's prose style is clear and strong. I was particularly intrigued by the problematic, ironic portrayal of the journalist in "Nigger Jeff." Overall, Dreiser demonstrates that he is an insightful and compassionate observer of the human condition.

The book consists of five stories.Especially the first three are so heartrending.The Lost Phoebe;the third story,is one of the most poignant and touching stories I have ever read.Being a naturalist,Dreiser's stylie is sometimes rather intricate and you may have to struggle with ambigious sentences,but it delves into human spirit deeply.At the very beginning Sherwood Anderson gives an introduction to the stories praising Dreiser's works.I guess it is a book worth reading.