Product Description
A collection of short stories dealing with a small town in Ohio. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I'm pretty sure Anderson never wrote a book of toasts
I'm not sure how this happened, but it's kind of crazy. I previously ordered "The Egg and Other Stories" and throughly enjoyed it. I thought "Winesburg Ohio" would be a good follow-up. When I received the book, I paged through and thought it was odd that there was a lot of poetry in the book. My understanding was that Winesburg was a collection of short stories...Anyway, I just got back to the book and found out that it's really a book of toasts by Jennifer Conover published by New American Library. However, the cover is clearly the one for "Winesburg Ohio." And the great part is that the book is repeated so the number of pages fits in the cover.

I'd return it, but it's pretty cool. Maybe I'll auction it on ebay. If anyone knows how this could happen, let me know.

+3 stars for the novelty; -2 stars because I still have to order the book (it won't be Penguin this time)

Stories that interrelate in surprising, often brilliant ways
When I discovered this book, I was already writing a story cycle of my own, The Acorn Stories. Winesburg, Ohio became a strong influence on that book, and also led me to write New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio. In Sherwood Anderson's acclaimed story cycle, a small town finds itself entering the twentieth century with loneliness and confusion. The same industrialism that Anderson would explore so well in his novel Poor White also asserts itself constantly here, turning a beautiful landscape into a sometimes desecrated one.

The young reporter George Willard appears in most of the stories, providing a connection for people who feel they lack connection and a voice for people who feel they lack a voice. Though many readers consider this book a bleak and disjointed novel, I consider it a collection of stories that interrelate in surprising, often brilliant ways. As for the bleak part, please also look at the many moments of comfort, the many sparks of inspiration.

I eventually lost track of how many times I read Winesburg, Ohio. I just know I'll read it again.

a benevolent look at the grotesque nature of human beings
This book from 1919 really deserves to be read more often and by more people.It is a collection of 23 linked short stories, and is prefaced by a very strange frame narration called "The Book of the Grotesque."Anderson's basic premise is that any time a person clings to a notion of truth, he or she becomes grotesque.This is an interesting rallying cry for cultural relativism, particularly given the time period in which it was written.The stories themselves, which tend to have a quiet, almost meditative tone reflective of small town life in the midwest, are subtle.They usually concern only one or two people in the town of Winesburg, and usually depict a point where the character goes wrong, usually because of stubbornly clinging to a misguided belief or idea.The stories are further linked by the young man George Willard, who for a while serves as the town's newspaper reporter.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
'Here [is] a new order of short story,' said H. L. Mencken when Winesburg, Ohio was published in 1919. 'It is so vivid, so full of insight, so shiningly life-like and glowing, that the book is lifted into a category all its own.' Indeed, Sherwood Anderson's timeless cycle of loosely connected tales--in which a young reporter named George Willard probes the hopes, dreams, and fears of the solitary people in a small Midwestern town at the turn of the century--embraced a new frankness and realism that ushered American literature into the modern age. 'There are moments in American life to which Anderson gave not only the first but the final expression,' wrote Malcolm Cowley. 'Winesburg, Ohio is far from the pessimistic or morbidly sexual work it was once attacked for being. Instead it is a work of love, an attempt to break down the walls of loneliness, and, in its own fashion, a celebration of small-town life in the lost days of good will and innocence.'Amazon.com Review
Library Journal praised this edition of SherwoodAnderson's famed short stories as "the finest edition of thisseminal work available." Reconstructed to be as close to theoriginal text as possible, Winesburg, Ohio depicts the strange,secret lives of the inhabitants of a small town. In "Hands,"Wing Biddlebaum tries to hide the tale of his banishment from aPennsylvania town, a tale represented by his hands. In"Adventure," lonely Alice Hindman impulsively walks nakedinto the night rain. Threaded through the stories is the viewpoint ofGeorge Willard, the young newspaper reporter who, like his creator,stands witness to the dark and despairing dealings of a community ofisolated people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

Winesburg, Ohio
I tried and tried, but I could not get into this book.Finally gave up about half-way through.Couldn't see wasting any more time when I have tons of books that I want to read.

Strange editing
This edition of "Winesburg, Ohio" was edited in a very bizzare manner.It seemed as though the text from another edition was brought over and simply pasted to this edition, which caused words to be hyphenated in the middle of paragraphs.In other words, what seemed to happen was where a word that might have been at the end of a line in one previous edition was now positioned in the middle of a line, but it was still hyphenated as it had been.This was very distracting and after the second page I had to stop reading, because the hyphen-ation was break-ing words that should not have been bro-ken and, in effect, alter-ing the em-phasis and meaning of the text.Very shoddy editing.

Falls short of expectations
It isn't often I get frustrated with any classics, but Winesburg, Ohio was different. It has some moments where it just seems to get lost in the prose (the only problem is that I mean this literally). While, there are some interesting moments about George Willard, his family and those who live in the same town, the story just didn't take off like some books do.

I enjoy symbolism and other literary elements in books, and try to read between the lines in books, but I just couldn't figure out where Anderson was going with the stories. Each story paints a picture of a resident of Winesburg, their struggles, their family history, etc, but the tales just seem to lack much coherence with the previous story. I was waiting for the "aha" moment, the epiphany of what was trying to be the point, but it never seemed to come. Moments and events about George Willard, and the local townspeople, and all their dreams and failures, seem to be understated to the point where their significance becomes a mute point. I felt myself going over passages again, feeling as though I missed something significant.

I can see how Anderson could have inspired authors such as Hemingway and Steinbeck in his style, as he has a simple approach in his prose, and he is able to carry a story. However, Anderson doesn't seem to have the ability to deliver the punch that Hemingway or Steinbeck did. Winesburg, Ohio is about as good as an early, unpolished Steinbeck novel. It has some moments where you really feel like something significant is about to happen, but then it kind of fades. While there is a basis for each character's story, there wasn't enough build up to care enough about the characters or their actions.

Some have found this book quite satisfying, which is great, but I feel as though the novel is average in its delivery.

A fine piece of writing for the most part
The best part about these sketches of citizens of the mythical village of Winesburg is the simple but often lovely prose. The best told parts of the story and the parts with the best prose,deal with the Bentley family, the pastor who is unable to repress his sexual voyeuristic tendencies, the young gal who on a whim runs outside naked into the rain hoping it would relieve her mental strain, and some other parts.

The book is full of gloomy individuals dealing with dashed hopes,unfullfilled emotional needs, sexual repression, etc. Some of the characters suffer to some degree from psychological imbalance. Anderson focuses a great deal on the inner psychology of these characters. His presentation is reasonably realistic and effective though he loses his effectiveness somewhat toward the end. It may be difficult for a 21st century reader to recognize behavior and ways of thinking from late 19th century rural Ohio, but I think they are recognizable enough. Jesse Bentley is an interesting character. It is understandable, I think, how a man like him, facing the harsh conditions of rural Ohio in the19th century, might developa religious fanatacism that crosses the border into insanity.

One thing that struck me about the book is the meager insight the reader gets into George Willard's thoughts about the sometimes mentally unstable people who make rambling speeches to him about their philosophies of life, dashed hopes, etc. Perhaps George is too naive and has not seen much of the world in his 18 years of life, all of it spent in a rural village,and so he thinks the people he talks to are merely interesting folks and very ood people. Anderson does provide psychological insight into George's striving to find love and his struggles to reach adulthood, though I don't think this insight is always well presented toward the end of the book.

Anderson clearly shows the dashed hopes of some of the female characters in the book who are looking for real love but have husbands who don't share their particular conception of love.

An honest depiction of the emptiness of humanity
Often credited as an inspiration by the renowned literati of the 20th century, Sherwood Anderson exhibited his subtle fineness and simple genius when he penned `Winesburg, Ohio' in 1919.Told as a collection of short stories, the `grotesque' inhabitants of the secluded town of Winesburg begin to relate to a young reporter, George Willard, and open up from the confinements of their society, revealing their inner hopes that will never be fulfilled, and their true sentiments that will remain repressed.

In each story, the reader is invited to observe the attempts by different townsfolk--of all social class--attempting to seek recognition, respectability and happiness within the community, while all the time internally seeking to justify their own existence in a society that does not seem to befit the effort.Cynicism abounds, as the characters either accept their failed hopes, or are seen to shrilly grasp onto the last motivation for any seemingly purposeful existence.While each character has the potential to be of some significance, all fail in achieving this, remaining inconsequential to the wider world.The opening up to George can be seen as a desperate to attempt to inject solid meaning onto their lives; unintentionally offering George (and the reader) a glimpse into the likely the future for the majority.

A book which explores the emotions behind failed ambition, despair and social cohesion, `Winesburg, Ohio' is a classic cogitation on the American Dream and the place of the individual in the greater world.
... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Columbus : F. J. Heer Print. Co.Publication date: 1914Subjects: Ohio. Supreme Court. Law LibraryLawNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Columbus, F. J. Heer, state printerPublication date: 1902Subjects: Libraries -- OhioAmerican newspapers -- Ohio BibliographyNewspapersPeriodicalsNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Lists Ohio's libraries with special or unusual collections. Includes activities that teach students about the importance of libraries,the Dewey Decimal System, the Library of Congress, Books-in-Print,contributions of Andrew Carnegie and how and why to use libraries. Listing includes many libraries with special collections about Ohio.Freeteacher's guide. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: Cincinnati; Publication date: 1893; Subjects: Ohio; History / United States / State ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: The Library; Publication date: 1861; Subjects: Libraries; Language Arts ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1893.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more