The Complete Short Stories Of Thomas Wolfe

Wolfe is truly one of the most brilliant authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

His sentences are not just beautiful; they are works of art. The way he chooses his words is simply amazing, creating a vivid and engaging world on the page.

Sometimes, I find myself having to read a sentence several times just to fully savor its meaning and beauty.

This particular collection of stories is a long one, clocking in at 621 pages. But don't let the length deter you; it is an absolute gem.

I was so captivated by the stories that I have already decided to read this book again.

Each story is unique and offers a different perspective on life, love, and everything in between.

If you are a fan of great literature, then you simply must give this book a try. You won't be disappointed.

Shamefully, I have to admit that I've never managed to read Look Homeward Angel from start to finish. However, I have an intense love for Wolfe's short stories.

It is truly a pity that he has fallen out of fashion in recent times. This is a great loss because in the realm of short stories, he very much rivals Fitzgerald and Hemingway.

Wolfe's short stories are a treasure trove of vivid characters, rich emotions, and powerful narratives. His writing style is unique, with a lyrical quality that draws the reader in and keeps them engaged until the very end.

Despite his lack of popularity today, Wolfe's short stories continue to stand the test of time. They are a testament to his talent as a writer and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience.

It is my hope that more people will discover and appreciate Wolfe's short stories, and that he will once again receive the recognition and acclaim that he so richly deserves.

I firmly believe that Thomas Wolfe's works are always captivating, and discussing him is truly a precious and delightful experience. When a friend inquired if I had read the novella "The Lost Boy", I was overjoyed as it presented an opportunity for me to seek it out. Lacking a copy of "The Web and the Rock" and not having read it, I scoured the surroundings and discovered this hefty volume filled with numerous stories I had yet to encounter. I then wondered if I should once again take the plunge into the complex world of Wolfeland. It was a brief internal debate that I inevitably won.

As it happened, this book was edited by my undergraduate American literature professor at Miami, the remarkable and inspiring Dr. Francis Skipp. He imparted a wealth of knowledge to me, such as the correct pronunciation of "Thoreau", and also inspired me to read and write about life. Naturally, I purchased a used copy, which curiously originated from another library. I cringe at the thought that this wonderful piece of literature was removed and replaced by some inferior drivel in popularity.

Regrettably, the story for which I bought this book is incomplete. The editor utilized what he deemed the best available information, but "The Lost Boy" is divided into 4 parts, and in this book, it is severely edited, almost completely lacking one part as it was directly sourced from a magazine publication. This is significant for several reasons, primarily because Wolfe was experimenting with techniques towards the end of his life, and I firmly believe that this is among the finest examples of the finished product. Without the fourth part, the story, so to speak, feels somewhat unfinished.

I have extensively contemplated the technique Wolfe effectively employed towards the end of his life. One may either attribute magic to it or scoff at it as one deems fit, but I wholeheartedly believe that it is more than just a literary device. Much of Wolfe's writing is a kind of quantum portrayal of life, and I greatly prefer this way of thinking to the overused "stream of consciousness" terminology that lumps him in with individuals who are incapable of constructing coherent sentences.

In fact, during a time when literary heavyweights like Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald dominated, Wolfe's pure description of activity paled in comparison. For instance, Hemingway was constantly getting drunk in and out of bars, volunteering for foreign wars, and flaunting his virility in countless ghastly ways that bordered on the brink of death, making Wolfe seem rather meek in contrast. I think Hemingway was not sparing in his words when he called him "Little Abner" after his death, essentially denigrating his writing. Faulkner initially offered some praise, but later seemed to retract it for some reason. The point is not about literature's penchant for testosterone-fueled excess or even if some of it is blatantly silly. The greater issue is that Wolfe appeared to be a fully functioning individual, albeit somewhat broken in some respects, exploring subtler aspects of the world that it was not yet quite ready to embrace. The more profound question is whether one needs to travel extensively around the world, trying to impress others, in order to possess an incredibly敏锐的 understanding of the human condition.

By using the example of "The Lost Boy", I can illustrate a technique I have named "Recovering Unexperienced Memories". Imagine a young child, the third child of a couple, who has been regaled with tales of his older brother who died at a very young age when the family visited the St Louis World's Fair in 1904. This young boy was only 3 or 4 (while his older brother was 12) at the time, so all the things he "remembers" are actually stories that have been told to him, first by his father, then his mother, and finally his much older sister. The genius lies in piecing it all together as if it were a genuine memory. However, the fourth part of the story is about the now grown-up young boy returning to St Louis, retracing the family's steps, finding the house, and attempting to relive those memories.

Now, one might wonder why anyone would want to revisit this tragic event in which their own brother died. But then, he has had to listen to his mother constantly talk about the boy and how he was the best of all her children. Perhaps there is no one who does not know or understand someone who has had to bear the burden of such a loss for a lifetime and thus seek some form of relief. Upon finding the house, he is able to sit with the occupant and talk for a while, but for the most part, they sit in silent sympathy with each other. In my opinion, Wolfe is revealing to us that this is not a contrived form of sympathy but a kind of universal, quiet empathy, an acknowledgement of each other's pain and a willingness to endure as best as possible.

Indeed, one could interpret this story as a broader allegory for life, but I leave the meaning open to others. It is the technique that I find truly astonishing here, with Wolfe compelling the character to unearth the clues to that life. It is not so much about piecing together the past as it is about weighing its significance in our own lives. In the end, I suggest that it takes a greater person to be able to live with the weight of their sins rather than succumbing to them because they are too heavy a burden. Whether this makes Thomas Wolfe a better writer than others, he has undeniably crafted some exceptional short stories in this collection.

It took me years to get through this book.

Frankly speaking, a little bit of Thomas Wolfe can have a profound impact.

However, I really enjoyed it and kept persevering.

I would read a story here and a story there, in between my other readings.

Finally, I managed to finish it.

This book is truly well worth the read.

It offers a unique and engaging experience that makes it a valuable addition to any bookshelf.

The writing style of Thomas Wolfe is captivating, and the stories he tells are both thought-provoking and entertaining.

Although it may have taken me a long time to complete, the journey was well worth it.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good literature and is willing to invest the time and effort to fully appreciate it.

The title here is something of a misnomer.

This collection of masterpieces and misfires (the former outweighs the latter) would be better styled THE THOMAS WOLFE READER.

For much of the sketches and essays-cum-stories were culled from THE OCTOBER FAIR, that mighty and massive book which was later carved out into three posthumous works.

Postwar critics, such as humorless husks like Stanley Edgar Hyman, James Wood, and Harold Bloom, have been too quick to write off Wolfe's clear poetic talent on the page.

Yes, it is true that Wolfe needed to be managed by editors.

Yes, it is true that Wolfe wrote too much for his own good.

But he was not merely some hopped up literary man with a word-streaming firehose, as these works demonstrate.

If "Death the Proud Mother" represents Wolfe at his most prolix (although, even here, there are great moments of beauty), then "The Dark Messiah" represents one of the best short stories ever written about the allure of fascism.

"The Return of the Prodigal" (taken from OCTOBER) reveals the direction he was heading in with the Gant chronicles: a leaner and less modifier-heavy voice that was tragically cut short at the age of thirty-seven.

I also feel obliged to stump for "The Bums of Sunset," in which Wolfe follows a number of downtrodden types, and "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn," an impressionistic tale on what was then considered a lowlife borough.

While Wolfe's "fiction" works better in third person than first person, the sheer range and breadth he had as a writer has been well represented by Francis E. Skipp.

Thomas Wolfe was a genius and deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as Hemingway and Fitzgerald.

He captured life like no other writer in the 20th century.

The Complete Short Stories of Thomas Wolfe

In my view, Thomas Wolfe's short stories haven't endured as well as one might have hoped. With a few exceptions, they don't quite measure up to the caliber of, say, Hemingway's short stories. This is somewhat disappointing considering that "Look Homeward Angel" by Thomas Wolfe is still regarded as one of the greatest American novels of all time.

That being said, there are three short stories that stand out above the rest.

1. "An Angel on the Porch" - This is a semi-autobiographical tale about a woman who desires to buy an extremely expensive headstone.

2. "Chickamagua" - Here, an elderly Confederate veteran recalls the famous Civil War battle, which was the second bloodiest after Gettysburg.

3. "The Plumed Knight" - In this story, a man, driven partly by jealousy and disdain, attempts to correct his brother. The brother is a delusional Confederate veteran who, as each year passes, seems to transform into the very embodiment of a hero from "The Lost Cause," despite his cowardice and incompetence in battle.

Short stories that are wonderful and have a very distinctive style in narration.

It relies on emphasizing and repeating events as if it is talking to one of its friends.

And all the stories are real and you feel that it is telling about the same person.

But in different stages of life.

This is the first time I have read this author, but I was very impressed!

"The Lost Boy" and "Circus At Dawn" are truly remarkable works that possess a unique and captivating beauty. The titles alone evoke a sense of mystery and wonder, piquing the reader's curiosity. "The Lost Boy" might suggest a tale of a child adrift in a strange world, seeking his way home. The concept of a lost boy is both poignant and enchanting, drawing the reader in and making them eager to discover his fate.

Similarly, "Circus At Dawn" conjures up images of a magical and colorful place, emerging from the darkness of night. The idea of a circus at dawn adds an element of rarity and excitement, as if this is a moment that only occurs once in a blue moon. The combination of the circus and the dawn creates a vivid and unforgettable scene in the reader's mind.

Both of these works have the power to transport the reader to another world, filled with beauty, mystery, and adventure. Whether it's following the journey of the lost boy or experiencing the magic of the circus at dawn, these stories are sure to leave a lasting impression.