Decent submissions from Tom Drury, Jeffrey Eugenides, Melanie Rae Thon and Jonathan Franzen, but overall the choices don't really smack of greatness. Plus, many of the entries feel too much like bits of novels yanked out of the overall context of the novel itself, so that in a vacuum, they pretty much whither away. There's also some fairly glaring omissions here (no David Foster Wallace or Richard Powers? What planet are these people from???), but I guess beauty's in the eye. Or whatever

I've lost my first copy, because it's been loaned out innumerable times. Finely crafted writing (after all, Tobias Wolff was one of the judges), a broad variety of styles--all surprisingly accessible. My favorites include Tony Earley, Mona Simpson, and Sherman Alexie. This volume has been a great springboard for further browsing adventures in the fiction section.

Some of the best American writers got a boost here. I found the stories great in and of themselves, but it also led me to try out novels of the best authors. (I've lost my copy--perhaps another reviewer can leave a list?) A rare find, and a real bargain.

I read Granta because it has great fiction writing and reporting. It reminds me of the New Yorker's longer pieces in it's glory days. Number 61 was no different with the glaring exception of "Taking the Air" a photo essay.

Imagine my surprise tucked into between pieces by Haruki Murakami and Paul Theroux is a picture of one old guy performing fellatio on another old guy at the Christopher St. Pier.

I can't figure out the reason why they put the whole 3 page piece in. (there is a 3 paragraph history about rereation piers in NYC and a historical photo plus the infamous photo by Michael Ackerman). The piece is completely incongruous with the rest of the volume.

The question is why? What does this have to do with "The Sea?" Why in a lit quarterly aimed at a middle-class, middle of the road readership? Is Granta going after that elusive "Honcho" readership? Readers outside the USA beware, such material (completely unexpected in the case of Granta-until now) can get you in very hot water with customs, the post office, or the police.