The Complete Stories of Bernard Malamud is "an essential American
book," Richard Stern declared in the Chicago Tribune when the
collection was published in hardcover. His praise was echoed by other
reviewers and by readers, who embraced the book as they might a
displaced person in one of Malamud's stories, now returned to us,
complete and fulfilled and recognized at last.
The volume gathers together fifty-five stories, from "Armistice" (1940)
to "Alma Redeemed" (1984), and including the immortal stories from The
Magic Barrel and the vivid depictions of the unforgettable Fidelman. It
is a varied and generous collection of great examples of the modern
short story, which Malamud perfected, and an ideal introduction to the
work of this great American writer.