Great Short Books, Kenneth C. Davis
Great Short Books, Kenneth C. Davis
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Great Short Books
A Year of Reading—Briefly

Author: Kenneth C. Davis

Narrator: Adenrele Ojo, Leon Nixon

Unabridged: 11 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/22/2022


Synopsis

This entertaining guide to some of the best short novels of all time, from a bestselling historian, is the “perfect gift for busy bibliophiles” (BookPage).

Experience the joys of literature with this this “exciting guide to all that the world of fiction has to offer” (The New York Times Book Review): a compulsively readable, deeply engaging discussion of great short novels. A journey into fiction designed with our contemporary attention spans in mind, Great Short Books suggests fifty-eight excellent short novels, all under 200 pages—easily readable in a week or less—a fresh approach to a fun, fascinating year of reading.

From hard-boiled fiction to magical realism, the 18th century to the present day, Great Short Books spans genres, cultures, countries, and time to present an enchanting and diverse selection of acclaimed and canonical novels. From works in translation like Yu Miri’s Tokyo Ueno Station and Marguerite Duras’s The Lover to popular, acclaimed authors like Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, this compilation is a celebration of classics from the historic to contemporary—plus a few bestsellers, including Stephen King and Colson Whitehead. Each entry includes the novel’s opening lines, a spoiler-free plot summary, a “why you should read it” section, and suggestions for what to read next.

“An entertaining journey with a fun, knowledgeable guide” (Booklist), this eclectic collection is a fun and practical book for any passionate reader hoping to broaden their literary IQ—or anyone who wants to find an effortless reentry into reading.

About Kenneth C. Davis

Kenneth C. Davis has lived a life in books. He is the New York Times bestselling author of America’s Hidden History and Don’t Know Much About History, which gave rise to his series of books and audiobooks on a range of subjects, including mythology, the Bible, geography, and the Civil War. Davis’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Smithsonian magazine, among other publications. He has appeared on national television and radio shows, including CBS Mornings, Today, and NPR. He lives in the West Village of New York City with his wife, Joann Davis. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Deb (Readerbuzz) on January 26, 2023

It's obvious I should keep this short. Books under 200 pages and tell a powerful story...that's the criteria Kenneth C. Davis uses to make his list of great short books. He also chose to skip books he'd already read and short story collections. There is, then, this list. For each of the fifty-eight boo......more

Goodreads review by Laura on February 09, 2023

Great Short Books is perfectly adequate and provides information, however dryly, about fifty-eight (Why 58?) books under two hundred pages selected by the author. What it lacked was a pulse.......more

Goodreads review by Kirsti on May 16, 2023

Fifty-eight recommendations of books that are roughly 200 pages or fewer. This is a mainstream book with mainstream choices. Includes some works in translation (including Italian, French, and Japanese), but most of these were originally written in English. I was glad to see some sentimental favorite......more

Goodreads review by Steve on May 20, 2022

First off, my thanks to Scribners and NetGalley for the ebook ARC. Davis reads, and writes mostly non-fiction (I was surprised to find I knew of him - from his very very first book from way way back when - "Two-Bit Culture", on the paperback book in America). But with the pandemic lockdown he found......more

Goodreads review by Keely on February 13, 2023

In Great Short Books, writer and passionate reader Kenneth C. Davis shares his favorite books of fewer than 200 pages (with a few slightly longer exceptions). His list spans the centuries, from Candide (1759) to The Nickel Boys (2019). It includes a number of books in translation and a diverse rang......more