Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #119546 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Customer Reviews

The good, the bad and the downright terrible... certainly not the BEST
If this is really the BEST collection of American Essays, then American literature is lost in the wilderness and in dire need of a map and compass.

Firstly, change the title! What is the 'best'? What are the parameters for electing such an ambiguous adjective? The 'best' does not and cannot ever exist, neither in Art nor in Literature; not in any realm that deals with self-expression and subjectivity. By choosing such a vague adjective, the publishers are setting themselves up for a fall, and the readers for a state of confusion, wondering if this is REALLY the 'best', which of course it is not.

Secondly, define 'American'. Given the title, it would seem appropriate to assume that these essays were penned by Americans, that somehow this series was trying to promote great AMERICAN writing, not merely works that by whatever convoluted and devious associations and friendships found themselves in print, in America and thereby eligible for inclusion in this series.

That brings us to the third point. With the publishing/editing world as exclusionary, and egotistical as it is, in trying to set a defining 'standard' for the year, to record for posterity what was really the best of a year's offerings, wouldn't it be appropriate to also try to champion new writers, not just the established names or those with publishing deals? Assuming that to be a reasonable argument, it would then seem appropriate to have a better selection process whereby REAL people could also submit essays. if that occurred, it would surely result in a bigger catch-net and ultimately widen the scope of this quite myopic anthology.

Next, ESSAYS - not short stories... there is a whole other book dedicated to the best American short stories, it is cyan with gold trim and this is not it. In the foreword, series editor Atwan tries to pin-down and define just what an 'essay' is... yes you read that correctly! he tries to define an essay...? One might interject at this point a suggestion that he might not be the best person to be overseeing such a volume... So after defining his terms, what happens? Foster Wallice ignores them and puts a SHORT STORY as the lead 'essay'! Essay #1 (Werner) is not an essay, it is a short work of fiction, as is #12 (Shakers). In amongst this collection are various memoirs which I too would exclude from a volume dedicated to the essay; because, by their inclusion they somehow lead the reader astray and ultimately detract from what should be great ESSAY writing.

Thus far I have been rather critical, but I did give it three stars (an average, 'C' grade), so to that point I shall move. In this bag of fish-eyes, there are indeed some remarkable pearls of great writing, and that is what is always what is ultimately going to sustain such a volume as this; the chance of coming across greatness, the Picasso tucked away in your garage or the Lalique vase found in a box at a flea market.
In no particular order I would cite the following as being worth the purchase and henceforth the three stars:

i) Werner (despite it not being a bone-fide essay per se.)
vi) What the dog saw (for content rather than style)
viii) Operation Gomorrah (more of a memoir than an essay, but still stunning)
x) Petrified
xii) Shakers (again, despite it not being a bone-fide essay per se.)
xvii) In the Mosque of Iman Ali
ixx) Disappointment
xx) Rules of Engagement (perhaps the 'best' actual essay in the entire collection)
xxi) A Carnevor's Credo (another excellent example of what an essay is)

Following that selection I would add these as being of interest, but not outstanding in any way:

iv) Fathead's Hard Times
ix) Loaded
xi) Name That Tone
xxii) Apocalypse Now

And ultimately the rotten eggs. These were actually shockingly poor in every sense: literary style, content, idea and originality, and should have never made the printed page in anything other than an aircraft carrier's complementary magazine:

vii) Afternoon of the Sex Children
xiii) Out of Xanadu
xvi) Onward Christian Liberals
xx) What a Billionaire Should Give (the only unreadable essay in the whole book)

All-in-all, I have to say I feel glad I purchased this collection and will (have) continued to purchase others. Anyone with a keen mind and an interest in Literature should enjoy the opportunity to read the bad as well as the good, because it helps define and clarify what good really is - unless of course, it is essay #20, which was just so poor that it was simply not worth pursuing.

Brilliant essays on many subjects
The American Best of... series are matchless. Beautifully written in that readable, pacey style peculiar to many American writers. These essays are outstanding and cover a multitude of topics: from Iraq - will it ever be over - to 'Werner' caught in a NY fire; from a story of the firebombing of Hamburg in WW11 to a story about stagefright and on to the story of Mrs. Mary Delany who started her life's work at 73! And many more. Endless imaginative essays as the editor rightly insists.