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The Accomplished Guest
The Accomplished Guest: Stories | Ann Beattie
5 posts | 1 read | 7 to read
A magnificent new collection from award-winning author Ann Beattiefeaturing recent O. Henry, Pushcart, and Best American Short Story selections. Surprising and revealing, set along the East Coast from Maine to Key West, Ann Beatties astutely observed new collection explores unconventional friendships, frustrated loves, mortality, and aging. One theme of The Accomplished Guest is people paying visits or receiving visitors, traveling to see old friends, the joys and tolls of hosting company (and of being hosted). The occasion might be a wedding, a birthday, a reunion, an annual Christmas party, or another opportunity to gather and attempt to bond with biological relatives or chosen families. In some stories, as in life, what begins as a benign social event becomes a situation played for high stakes. The stories in The Accomplished Guest are marked by an undercurrent of loss and an unexpected element of violence, with Beatties signature mordant humor woven throughout. Some characters provide welcome diversions, others are uninvited interruptions, all are indelibly drawn by the endlessly amusing and accomplished Ann Beattie. Beatties debut collection Distortions was published forty years ago, but her writing is as fresh, funny, and relevant as ever. She is a national treasure, the author of short stories that will endure and continue to inspire (Jay McInerney, The New York Times Book Review).
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Megabooks
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1. Probably not. I may tune in for a bit.
2. 29 but ☀️
3. Tagged 👍🏻 I‘m really enjoying short stories now!
4. Cuba 🇨🇺
5. 👍🏻😀

heidisreads 🙋🏼‍♀️ I just read a couple of John Steinbeck‘s short stories and remembered how much I love short stories, too! 6y
DebbieGrillo 🖐 6y
See All 8 Comments
OrangeMooseReads ✋🏼 6y
hes7 🖐🏻 6y
MaureenMc 🖐😁 6y
minkyb 🖐🏻 6y
88 likes8 comments
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catiewithac
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Pickpick

I received this from my #justtherightbook subscription. All of the stories in the collection had been previously published but they were all new to me. Ann Beattie‘s subjects took some getting used to. The characters were all white, middle-aged or older, wealthy folks. But I enjoyed these stories nonetheless.

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catiewithac
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2 stories in. I didn't realize that Ann Beattie is somewhat of a female, contemporary John Cheever! So far all the stories feature rich, Ivy League characters.... 🍸

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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post 7! Released in June. A collection of short stories, these from whom the NYTBR declared "a national treasure". Among the group are O. Henry, Pushcart, and Best American Short Stories selections. Set along the East Coast from Maine to Key West, occurring at birthday & Christmas parties, reunions, and exploring friendship, mortality, aging, & love. They're marked by loss, violence, & mordant humor. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook ?

Readingrobin Just saw this mentioned in Shel Awareness this morning! 7y
minkyb She is an amazing writer. 7y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 7y
64 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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readingallthetime
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Considering this book.