"These beautifully crafted fictions seem like the offspring of the perfect marriage of style and substance. Eugenides’s personal and passionately partisan choices.., are eclectic and original This collection makes us remember how powerful and essential the best short stories are."

--Francine Prose, O, The Oprah Magazine

"The mix chosen by Eugenides is wonderful It is a bigger thrill to realize that however painful the heartbreak, love offers real rewards--and these stories are among them."

--Los Angeles Times

INTRODUCTION

FIRST LOVE AND OTHER SORROWS

THE LADY WITH THE LITTLE DOG

LOVE

A ROSE FOR EMILY

THE DEAD

DIRTY WEDDING

NATASHA David

SOME OTHER, BETTER OTTO

THE HITCHHIKING GAME

LOVERS OF THEIR TIME

MOUCHE

THE MOON IN ITS FLIGHT

SPRING IN F1ALTA 

HOW TO BE AN OTHER WOMAN

YOURS

THE BAD THING

FIRST LOVE

TONKA

JON

RED ROSE, WHITE ROSE

FIREWORKS

WE DIDN’T

SOMETHING THAT NEEDS NOTHING

THE MAGIC BARREL

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOVE

INNOCENCE

THE BEAR CAME OVER THE MOUNTAIN

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS