College readings in the modern short story [antikvár]

Foreword rrrmE art of the short story continues to be so much alive, . so spirited and venturous, that it is always inviting some fresh illustration of what may seem to be its happiest or most arresting phases. To provide materials for a studv.of such phases, materials of intrinsic valuejn substance as well as in "IOT^ is the aim of the present collection of stories by cdn^ Temporary and recent writers. Variety is a principal element of interest in these specimens, ^t^^ould be too much to ex-'^pectTHâT anr'Rîrias^rshiDft""^^ should be exemplified in a volume of this size ; but each of the stories chosen is believed ^ have^_special significance of its ov^^in method, in structure, and in style. Someof the authors represented are celebrities of today or of the not-far-distant past ; others, young in their careers or for whatever reason not widely known, deserve a place, nevertheless, because of their having contributed something distinctive to this branch of contemporary literature. Eleven of the authors are American, ten English, two French, and two Russian. ^somewhat detailed review of the technique ofIhe^modern short story has been included, to provide the student with a ^efinite guidance for critical appreciation of the stories themselves! In this review of "theory and practice" plentiful illustrative references are made to the contents of the collection and to other stories and other authors as well. The student may derive the largest benefit from the plan of the volume if he reads first the discussion of principles and features, and then, as he reads the stories, turns back to such sections of the introduction as bear on whatever particular questions arise in his mind concerning characterization, plot development, and the like. The_order_of the stories has been determined by the point ofview^hich the editors take to be one of the most important iii