2024 the best 2022 review

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A collection of the year’s best short stories, selected by Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer and series editor Heidi Pitlor.

Andrew Sean Greer, “an exceptionally lovely writer, capable of mingling humor with sharp poignancy” (Washington Post), selects twenty stories out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year. 

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books (November 1, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0358664713
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0358664710
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
Reviewer: G. Miller
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Solid, varied set of stories well worth reading
Review: I read this set most years, but usually wait for it to be offered in one of the "pick of the days" so I pay a $1.99 or $2.99. Every year there are enough stories to make it a deal at that price. But this year I would have felt it was a deal at full price. It was a nicely varied set of stories with several I really enjoyed and found myself thinking about as I went about my day (for example, "Elephant Seals" or "The Ten Year Affair" or "The Sins of Others") a lot that were solidly done and just a few that I thought were Ok, but on balance I could have done without.In recent years I have felt like a lot of short story collections, whether from this series or O'Henry etc. have been at attempt to curate a "view" or a political stance. Often, those collections feel strident and kind of defeat the purpose of going for breadth - I want variety in something like this. If I wanted more of a singular feel, I would look for a set of stories from a single author or explicitly with a perspective. The current collection avoids all of this - it manages to give us stories that make us reflect on today, but from a wide perspective. A gift of fiction is helping us see the world through another person's eyes and the variety here gives us many different sets of eyes to see through.

Reviewer: AnnieB
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wide ranging often gloomy anthology of 2021/2022 short fiction from North America
Review: Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.The Best American Short Stories 2022 is a well curated anthology edited by Andrew Sean Green (guest editor for 2022) & Heidi Pitlor (series editor). Released 1st Nov 2022 by HarperCollins on their Mariner imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.This is an extremely engaging and thought provoking anthology of short fiction published in North American magazines in Jan 2021-Jan 2022. It's a wide ranging collection with a darker character and more dystopian feel than in earlier years. It's not a surprise, given the world situation with the pandemic, upheaval, economic uncertainty, and much of the world *literally* on fire as these stories were being born. Nevertheless, gloomy outlooks aside, the quality of the writing is undisputedly top shelf. The authors (many of whom were previously unfamiliar to me) are well versed in the subtleties of their craft. All 20 stories are supremely readable, some of them are sublime.The lead story, A Ravishing Sun , by Leslie Blanco, was a definite high point of the anthology and stuck in my mind long after reading. All of the selections were in the 3-5 star range, but that one really stood out for me.One reason I like collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. The guest editor for this volume provides a well written intro and commentary and, as always, the background comments are interesting and informative. I enjoyed and used the "Other Distinguished Stories of 2021" lists included in the volume for even more good recommendations for further reading.Four stars on average. It's a diverting and worthwhile read to be savored like a box of chocolates. This would make a good selection for public library acquisition as well as for home readers looking for a solid anthology of stories which will also likely serve as an introduction to lots of new authors to search out.Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reviewer: B. Rosenthal
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great series
Review: Book in new condition. Arrived quickly and nice collection to have around my vacation home

Reviewer: .
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Buy this every year
Review: This book is one compilation I make sure to buy annually. I love short stories and like to see what is being written nowadays vs typical volumes of classic short stories. While disappointed isn’t the right word- these writers are talented & great at their craft- I wasn’t wowed. My personal opinion is that I am tired of the overused “twenty-something deeply affected by the pandemic by not leaving their urban apartment.” If you’re going to use the pandemic as part of your story, show me stories of people who had to work through it: people who were knee deep in sick patients, or watched their small business evaporate overnight. The stories often just feel like they were handpicked to accommodate Iowa students or New Yorker critics. These compilations will pepper in some tales of another country to show diversity, but even those can often feel forced in just for clout. “A Ravishing Sun” was amazing. “The Wind” made me cry. “The Souvenir Museum” successfully whisked me away to another land without being preachy. “Ten Year Affair” was probably my favorite- it touched on a taboo topic tastefully and fully explained. “Elephant Seals” had a twisted narrative that kept me reading. It was a good read, but only a few stayed with me.

Reviewer: Sofia
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I love it!
Review: This book was recommended by my Harvard teacher. It’s very good and it has a great selection of stories.

Reviewer: Richard Bakare
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Reality in Doubt
Review: I’ve looked forward to this edition of the American Short Story collection for a while. I envisioned it would capture the best reflective story telling on the turbulent years that were 2020 & 2021. I was not disappointed. Every story thoughtfully navigated the balancing act between hope and despair. The common way finder being how hope helps us navigate the space between.Additionally, there is the thread on how the power of mystery can keep us going. Especially when existing in the limbo of life in between what was and what will be during a Pandemic; our very reality in doubt. A myriad of characters are presented to us in disparate stories dreaming of the world as it should be against the painful backdrop of how it is.Surprisingly, the existence of Covid and its challenge to reality as we know it unearthed two other compelling themes. One being the spiraling madness of anti-intellectualism and hate. The other being the multiple references to a multi-verse of possibilities. Maybe the entropic madness of those years had us longing for a fork in a road that we could have taken to a different outcome. Overall, a compelling collection.

Reviewer: Sharon Z
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Dependable, prompt.
Review: Book Club selection.