![Selected Shorts: American Classics | [Amy Tan, Donald Barthelme, Eudora Welty, Edgar Allan Poe, Joyce Carol Oates, John Sayles, Alice Walker]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51v-CVCi7xL._SL175_.jpg "Selected Shorts: American Classics | [Amy Tan, Donald Barthelme, Eudora Welty, Edgar Allan Poe, Joyce Carol Oates, John Sayles, Alice Walker]")
Selected Shorts: American Classics
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- Regular Price :$19.60Special Offer: Learn how to get this for $7.49 !
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Average Customer Rating
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LENGTH3 hrs and 45 mins
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RELEASE DATE04-01-10
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AUDIO FORMATS
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Program TypeSpeech
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PUBLISHER
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Publisher's Summary
A compilation of classic tales by great American writers performed by terrific actors, with a lineup including Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and PEN Award winners.
- Amy Tan's "Rules of the Game", performed by Freda Foh Shen. A strict Chinese mother bedevils her chess prodigy daughter.
- Donald Barthelme's "Game", performed by David Strathairn. Playing cosmic chicken in a nuclear bunker.
- Eudora Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O.", performed by Stockard Channing. Hilarious story of an independent young woman striking out on her own.
- Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" performed by René Auberjonois. Terrifyingly delicious Poe masterpiece.
- Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" performed by Christine Baranski. Sly, creepy tale of a teenage girl’s seduction by a dangerous drifter.
- John Sayles' "At the Anarchists’ Convention", performed by Jerry Stiller. Laugh-out-loud classic.
- Alice Walker's "Everyday Use", performed by Carmen de Lavallade. Siblings disagree about a precious piece of their family heritage.
- John Cheever's "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor", performed by Malachy McCourt. A high-rise elevator operator is overwhelmed by his riders’ holiday generosity.
©2010 Symphony Space (P)2010 Symphony Space
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What Members Say
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Michael Walnut Creek, CA, United States 08-30-12 Member Since 2002I focus on fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, science, history, politics and read a lot. I try to review everything I read.
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"Classic classics"
I am a very big fan of short stories and have listened to the Selected Shorts program for over 20 years. Any collection can be hit or miss, but this selection of american classics are all big hits. I liked every story and every reader. The stories range from funny to outrageous and touching to creepy. What more could one ask for?
3 of 3 people found this review helpful -
"Classics, indeed."
Where does Selected Shorts: American Classics rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?One of the best Audible selections of the dozens in my library.
What other book might you compare Selected Shorts: American Classics to and why?A unique experience. Inspired pairing of readers and texts.
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?Rene Auberjonois' masterful, remarkable delivery of an Edgar Allen Poe story is worth the purchase price on its own. In his hands, the minute joys of Poe's writing are presented to their best advantage. Stockard Channing's similarly spellbinding performance in a Eudora Welty selection will make you want to read everything (or re-read) Welty ever wrote--her mastery of Welty's prose is astounding.
Any additional comments?I can't recommend this highly enough.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful -
"Such a fun and entertaining listen!"
All of the stories were done with a live audience so the listening experience puts you in their presence too. All the readers/actors were fantastic. Stories were classics in every way.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
Barbara Cliff, NM, United States 12-20-11 Member Since 2009
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- HELPFUL VOTES
- 20
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"FANTASTIC"
What a great surprise! To hear these stories, most of which I had read before, performed by good actors before a live audience! I laughed--a lot. The stories really cam alive in a new way.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful -
"Spectacular"
Would you listen to Selected Shorts: American Classics again? Why?Yes, I'm pretty sure I'll return to it more than once.
Who was your favorite character and why?This is worth buying for Stockard Channing's reading of 'Why I live at the PO' and Joyce Carol Oates' disturbing 'Where are you going, where have you been' read so well by Christine Baranksi. I loved Jerry Stiller's reading of At the Anarchist's Convention too. But really, the whole collection is outstanding and every reader is brilliant.
Which scene was your favorite?I kept laughing out loud on the bus listening to 'Why I live at the PO', and ended up in a foetal position listening to 'Where are you going ...'
0 of 0 people found this review helpful -
Noreen WICHITA FALLS, TX, United States 07-08-12 Member Since 2011
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"Shorts are Super!"
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?Yes! An excellent variety of stories I would not have read otherwise.
What did you like best about this story?Every story had an outstanding reader, even if the story was not my style, all stories were entertaining and thought provoking.
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?Everything!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?Story-time shorts are super!
0 of 1 people found this review helpful