Monday, November 30, 2009

Ten best short-story collections of the ’00s

One title on the A.V. Club's list of the 10 best short-story collections of the ’00s:
My Father’s Tears And Other Stories, John Updike (2009)

The decade saw a minor resurgence in interest in the work of John Updike, as many of his earliest short stories came back into print. His death this year similarly prompted an interest in his novels, particularly his towering Rabbit books. But his final publication was this spare volume that provided a fitting companion to his earlier stories. While a bit repetitious, My Father’s Tears was a solid reminder of just why Updike became one of the go-to chroniclers of American life in the 20th century and beyond, as his aging characters confront the change that faces them as they turn toward mortality.

Best story: “Blue Light” turns Updike’s gaze even farther forward in time, as his characters examine just how their children will remember them.
Read about the other collections on the list.

(h/t: escapegrace)

--Marshal Zeringue