The New Granta Book of the American Short Story
Edited and introduced by Richard Ford
Granta, 756 pages, $18.95 paper
In the holiday countdown, rather than spend even a moment seeking the perfect novel, grab this astonishing anthology. This collection builds on the much-lauded one published 15 years ago, which was the gold standard of story collections. This one, also edited by Richard Ford, contains work by the masters — Eudora Welty, Richard Yates and Raymond Carver — but it also features the best work of a new generation — Lorrie More, Julie Orringer and Edward P. Jones, for starters. Only one caveat in this recommendation: There’s no Ford story here. His essay about the craft of the short story is wonderful, but please pick up one of his collections — start with “A Multitude of Sins” — to enhance the richness of this collection.