At times experimental, witty and profound as in “Talking Horse”. At times depressing as hell as in “The German Refugee”; my favorite story.

It is interesting that Flannery O'Connor felt Malamud was even better than she at writing short stories. Perhaps it is the subject matter of the stories (immigrant Jews in urban America) but it just didn't grab my attention (like O'Connor's stories, for example). This is a situation where I would love to take a short story course that discussed Malamud (and O'Connor, Monroe, Carver, Lahiri) so that I could better understand and thereby appreciate his work.

I enjoyed Bernard Malamud's collection of stories, which run the gamut from sad to surreal to very funny. The Sad:

The Mourners - the eviction of a long-term tenant provoked by a minor argument between him and the superintendent.

Black Is My Favorite Color - a Jew feels a connection with his black neighbors that will never be reciprocated.

The German Refugee - The King's Speech with no happy ending.

And there's also The Loan, The Cost of Living - still relevant today with its tale of a Mom and Pop store threatened by a Big Box chain moving next door, and The Bill.

The Surreal:

Magic Barrel - a matchmaker with a special power.

Angel Levine - a black angel comes to help a dying Jew but can't earn his wings unless the Jew believes he can help him.

God's Wrath - an orthodox Jew stalks his wayward daughter who turns to prostitution.

The Funny:

Idiots First - a Hasid hocks anything he can get his hands on so he can get his son to the train on time.

The Letter - a man, yes probably a Jew, surprise! is accosted by the inmates at a sanatorium to mail an unaddressed, unstamped letter.

The Jewbird - a torn up Jewish bird with a taste for schmaltz herring drops by and never leaves.

Mr. B only gets three stars because his Italian tales are just as dull as John Cheever's Italian tales. I don't fully comprehend their love for Italy, but it's just a minor complaint, for the most part there's some good stories here. Enjoy.

I've been told I like movies that have no plot. I suppose one could make the same indictment of my taste in books. Malamud's novels often seem to have no solid beginning or end, and some of his short stories share this quality. But in this way they feel more real, more lifelike. Malamud is an expert at showing us parts of ourselves that we'd rather not face. His characters make terrible choices and the reader is left wondering if they'd possibly do any better.

"Life, despite their frantic yoohooings, had passed them by." Well said, Mr. Malamud.

it's his complete works--whats not to love?

This is a beautiful story about guilt; not overdramatic, not grand, just the level of guilt that most of us feel on the regular.

He sure can write!

Mr Malamud is a great short-story writer. His characters are so human that you can feel and meet them in any society you go to. His stories represent an astonishing abundance of narrative smarts and brilliant prose.

Αν και δεν διαβαζω αυτη την έκδοση αλλά το ΚΑΠΕΛΟ ΤΟΥ ΡΕΜΠΡΑΝΤ στις εκδόσεις Καστανιώτη και σε μετάφραση της κας Κοβαλένκο, που δεν εχει ακομη εισαχθεί στο σάιτ αυτό, ενθουσιάστηκα με αυτόν τον μοντέρνο διηγηματογραφο ο οποιος άλλαξε την άποψη που είχα για το διήγημα σαν ημιτελή και αποτυχημένη προσπαθεια να γραψει κάποιος μυθιστόρημα. Μάλλον είχα ατυχήσει στις προηγούμενες επιλογές μου αν και τα τελευταία διηγήματα του Μάλαμουντ, επίσης τα κατατάσσω σε αυτήν την κατηγορία διηγημάτων. Όσα έγραψε ομως στις δεκαετίες 60 και 70 είναι εκπληκτικά μπιζουδάκια, συμπυκνωμένα μυθιστορήματα σε 10-15 σελίδες. Απόλαυσα την ανάγνωση, την καλαίσθητη έκδοση και την μετάφραση!

There are many memorable and heartbreaking stories in a vast collection that spans Malamud's 40-year writing career. The stories are arranged chronologically and the reader experiences his maturation as both an author and a man. While tragedy and loss are themes that run through much of the work, Malamud can also be darkly funny (see the "Jewbird") and delicately sentimental (see "Angel Levine").

This a lengthy anthology and some stories drag -- especially the ones from his protracted Italian phase -- but as a collection this contains some truly remarkable work. Recommended!

Malamud is een van de grootste verhalenvertellers. Ik las deze bundel al eens in 2000, maar ook nu - na herlezing - genoot ik minstens zo intens van de verhalen. De verhalen zijn chronologisch gebundeld. Ze gaan vaak over joden in New York, maar een aantal verhalen speelt ook in Italië waar Malamud een tijd verbleef. Wat mij vooral boeit in zijn verhalen is dat Malamud in een enkele zin een hele situatie kan schetsen. Neem het verhaal 'De toorn Gods' over een 26-jarige jonge vrouw: 'Ze was van nature een lelijk, eenzaam meisje dat leed onder haar eigen gedachten; als kind was ze vaak depressief geweest. De telefoon in huis ging zelden.' Het meisje zal zich in alle opzichten ontpoppen tot het tegenovergestelde, maar alleen al die laatste zin over de telefoon: scherper kun je haar isolement niet neerzetten. Briljant schrijverschap.

I think the Jewbird short story is in this. That is an amazing piece. It still touches me.