The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis

Back of the Book

Lydia Davis is one of our most original and influential writers. She has been called "an American virtuoso of the short story form" (Salon) and "one of the quiet giants . . . of American fiction" (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Now, for the first time, Davis's short stories are collected in one volume, from the groundbreaking Break It Down (1986) to the 2007 National Book Award nominee Varieties of Disturbance.

Why You Should Read It

Lydia Davis rejoices in the absolute obliteration of literary convention. Her eclectic observations and sparseness of affect make for deeply stimulating and affecting reading experiences. Davis’s short stories – ranging from almost painfully by the book (formally speaking) to genius bordering on inscrutability – have made an oeuvre worth exploring for any aspiring writer, critic or human being looking to understand the sheer power and flexibility of narrative. While her openness to experimentation is often used as a selling point, it is Davis’s sheer attention to the nuances of the human experience that make even her one line stories worth a read – an absolute master of the relationship between the Word and the development of human emotion, Davis blesses her readers with an insight into her almost preternatural eye for detail.

Memorable Passage

Nearly every morning, a certain woman in our community comes running out of her house with her face white and her overcoat flapping wildly. She cries out, "Emergency, emergency," and one of us runs to her and holds her until her fears are calmed. We know she is making it up; nothing is has really happened to her. But we understand, because there is hardly one of us who has no been moved at some time to do just what she has done, and every time, it has taken all our strength, and even the strength of our friends and families, too, to keep us quiet.

About the Author

Lydia Davis is an American author renowned for her extraordinary contributions to the realms of short fiction and translation. Born in 1947, Davis has crafted a remarkable literary career marked by precision, brevity, and a keen observational prowess. Her minimalist and experimental approach to short stories, often distilled to their essential elements, has earned her widespread acclaim. Davis's groundbreaking collection Varieties of Disturbance exemplifies her ability to illuminate the ordinary with profound insight. Beyond her own writing, Davis is celebrated for her translations of French literature, including the works of Gustave Flaubert and Marcel Proust. Her influence extends beyond genre boundaries, positioning Lydia Davis as a literary luminary whose work, both as an author and translator, continues to enrich and redefine the landscape of contemporary literature. Her impact lies in her mastery of language, her innovative storytelling, and her commitment to pushing the boundaries of literary form.

Recommended By

Sophia June

“I don’t think you’re supposed to say this, but Lydia Davis would have killed it on Twitter! She is a master of economy; her prose has the effect of a gut-punch or an espresso shot (depending on which story you read). Every word in a Lydia Davis story from her Collected Stories has a purpose; yet so much of her work is absurd, her humor as dry as a martini. Mostly, Lydia Davis taught me the power of white space on a page, how you can say just as much with a lack of words.”