Dumped: An Anthology

By Steve Almond

Book Overview

Literature is full of lyrical odes to the glory of falling in love. But what of its opposite -- the moment when it becomes clear that things are indisputably over? Dumped is a survey of every type of romantic crack-up, a group of stories full of the hilarity, wisdom, insight, and sometimes, yes, fierce revenges of some of the most memorable broken hearts in recent literature. Dumped sheds light on what can be the toughest part of human relations -- whether newly elucidating the misery we've all endured, or merely reminding us that others have had it far worse -- from the mother in Elizabeth Berg's Open House absurdly attempting to tell her son his father has left, to the betrayed wife in Roald Dahl's "Lamb to Slaughter," who beats her husband to death with a leg of lamb, then cooks it for the police. With contributions from such notable authors as Will Self, Saul Bellow, Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Lorrie Moore, Dorothy Parker, Andre Dubus, and Tobias Wolff, as well as rising stars like Lucinda Rosenfeld and Steve Almond, Dumped spans every variety of romantic catastrophe and every possible response to it; from the wise to the hilarious, the bitter to the bittersweet. This book is the panacea for problems of the heart.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802139612
• ISBN13: 9780802139610
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

i could completely understand this!

Dumped is a great book to read if you have just been dumped or if you are still hurting from a dump in the past....The stories are really sad but they are enjoyable to read....it is nice to read that these characters are going through the same emotions that i am going through right now.... one of my favorite stories in the book is "lamb for a slaughter" (or something like that)....you will be surprised with the wife's reaction when her husband tells her that he is leaving her.

Beautiful, lyrical and wise!

Nothing says "hell hath no fury" quite like this wonderful and literary collection of short stories. Dumped is a brokenhearted person's legacy. After all, the stories illustrate the pain, anguish and vengeful feelings that people experience after being chucked. They also address various ways in which romantic relationships deteriorate. But the aforementioned things are done with earnest humor and bittersweet language. The authors -- Saul Bellow, Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, Dorothy Parker, Raymond Carver, etc -- are second to none. My favorite story is Roald Dahl's "Lamb to Slaughter." Said story spoke to me. I recommend this wonderful effort to anyone who's ever been "dumped." In other words, I recommend this to everyone.

A Hoot Of A Book

Will Self. Raymond Carver. Dorothy Parker. Roald Dahl. OMG could we get a better collection of the best writers ever! I was reticent about the book's topic - relationship meltdown - but it's not a downer at all. It's a hoot! My absolute favorite writers are Carver, Parker and Dahl so I new from the get go that this book would be a good read. Then to discover the inclusion of Will Self, whose name I'd oft heard but who I'd never read, was a treat. Another plus - I found a whole bag of cool writers to add to my favorites list: Self, Almond, Angguish. This book rocks!!

Laughter and Tears

This anthology of stories about the end of romantic relationships made me laugh, a lot, and even made me cry. There is a wide range of authors, from famous literati such as Dorothy Parker and Tobias Wolff to relative newcomers. I loved 99% of these stories, which for an anthology is an impressive strike record. I particulalrly liked the stories by the newcomers, notably Dallas Angguish. Who is this person? His story is poignant to the point of heartbreak, and really funny. A quick search of the web finds Dallas Angguish's poetry wedsite 'Prose Machine' (members.fortunecity.com/powaboy), a bit rough around the edges design-wise but with illuminating poems similar to Sylvia Plath and Allen Ginsberg. Buy this book - it'll give your Valentine's Day teeth.