Named one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by
The New York Times
,
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
is an event in American letters.
Lydia Davis is one of our most original and influential writers. She has been called "an American virtuoso of the short story form" (
Salon
) and "one of the quiet giants . . . of American fiction" (
Los Angeles Times Book Review
). Now, for the first time, Davis's short stories are collected in one volume, from the groundbreaking
Break It Down
(1986) to the 2007 National Book Award nominee
Varieties of Disturbance
.
Praise for
Critics unanimously praised this extraordinary (and extraordinarily hefty) collection, in which Davis masterfully taps into myriad emotions—from melancholy to hilarity, empathy, and apathy. Each voice is unique; each story is equally difficult to categorize . . . Davis steadfastly refuses to adhere to any kind of prescribed formula, with stunning and original results. Whatever label readers decide to attach to her work, critics agreed that Davis is one of American literature’s best-kept secrets.”
—
Bookmarks Magazine
"Among the true originals of contemporary American short fiction.”
San Francisco Chronicle