Saroyan has a rare sense of language usage and introduces thoughts and ideas causing you to stop and realize how the grind of everyday life can be refreshing, moving, and humorous. His writings represent a slice of life in everyday America as well as amusing insights into the wacky right braininess of a writer. Once you get through the first chapter and can stand up again, the rest of the book is one deeper-than-real-life-story after another. Like Edith Wharton, Saroyan has a command of the craft of writing that seems lost in today's works.

A masterful work. Most of them written in a thirty day period, in which Saroyan promised to send the editors od Story magazine a story a day for thirty days. He proceeded to do this and this book made Saroyan an instant celebrity.

Saroyan eventually went on to win the Pulitzer for his play "The Time of You Life", but turned it down.

This book was a stunner when it first appeared. The simple yet poetic language ran against the trend of the times.

Saroyan is a nearly forgotten genius, yet his influence is evident in even his enemies, like Ernest Hemingway.

Buy this book, read it, and then give it to somebody. They will thank you and so will I.

I think there are not many books, that can change your life. This is one of them. I was sixteen when I read this book for the first time. I was not very happy in that time and I was rather confused by life but it has changed. In these short stories I could read about thoughts and feelings, that were similar to mine, but I had not be able to express them. But angle of wiev was new. It made me to live in spite of the world.

This little book released by New Directions is bright-eyed and youthful, with hardly any of the rancor contained in Saroyan's other tales. Written all before 1940, these short pieces pick you up quickly, drop you in the middle of a bunch of scrappy kids in Fresno/San Fransisco in the depression era, and then take you back home with hardly any jet-lag.

Saroyan goes back in time effortlessly, describing a game of leap-frog (remember that game, where a line of kids crouch on the ground and one kid hops over the whole line and crouches in the front, and then the last kid gets up and hops over the whole line, to infinity...) where a tough boy and a tough girl compete brutally, leaping and crouching, all the way out into the country and to the next town, ending in a bloody brawl. And in "The Messenger", a young boy gets hilariously distracted from his extremely important mission to send a message to the town doctor. Most of the stories are light, funny and non-ironic, but at times the customary Saroyan bile simmers to the top. Like in "The Living and the Dead", where a reluctant young Communist writer, is walking down the road to town, whistling happily, and suddenly "...the whole world, caught in time and space, seemed to me an absurdity, and insanity, and instead of being amused, which would have been philosophical, I was miserable and began to ridicule all the tragic straining of man, living and dead." Like I said, MOST of the stories are light and funny...

What I like most about these is the sense of respect and compassion Saroyan shows his characters, no matter how young, simple or strange they are. He describes their lives like he was there experiencing the same bittersweet mini-tragedies and absurdities simultaneously, right along with them. He uses the vernacular of the day to write the most endearing dialogue ever, bringing these superbly-drawn characters to luminous life. Saroyan's early stories here reflect the same kind of innocent humor and subtlety as the brief output of another American master, Nathaniel West. If you liked "The Day of the Locust" or "Balso Snell", then these little classics will bring you a similarly delightful reading experience. I strongly believe Raymond Carver to be a literary son, or at least nephew, to William Saroyan here in his best form, the short story.

this saroyan collection gathers together some of the stories he wrote while living in san francisco. besides the fact that they are beautiful short stories (one of my favorites: "the mother"), they are all set in san francisco. for a sense of place circa 1930s, a great book. also, the herb caen introduction is a nice addition. makes it a piece of SF literature worth holding onto, i think.

review of: William Saroyan, An Armenian Trilogy, edited by Dickran Kouymjian William Saroyan (1908-1981) was a major voice in American literature during the 1930's and 40's. He had a brief influence on theatre, with his Pulitzer-prize winning play, "The Time of Your Life," in 1940, and other lesser plays. He wrote and produced several others, then fell into obscurity as a playwright. The "Armenian Trilogy," edited by Dickran Kouymjian, marks a departure in play writing for Saroyan, from theatrics to introspection. The three plays contained in this volume are the most "Armenian" of his writings. "Armenians," the first play, is about countrymen in diaspora, in Fresno, CA in 1921, six years after the last round of atrocities by the Turks against Armenians. Saroyan deals with regional stereotypes and larger issues of diaspora. "Bitlis," is a one-act play that features Bill Saroyan, the Armenian-American writer and his pilgrimage to his ancestral home in what was once Armenia. "Haratch," the most political of the three, Saroyan takes the stage in a visit to the Armenian daily newspaper in Paris. As strong as the plays, is Kouymjian's brilliant introduction that provides the perceptive explanation of Saroyan, the writer and the Armenian. The book is a necessity for fans of his dramatic works and those that enjoy the writings of William Saroyan, the "Buffalo Bill, " of American letters. -Y. Stephan Bulbulian, Fowler, CA

Open City consistently publishes great stories, poems, essays, and artwork. I look forward to each issue, because each one is so different, and because this magazine continues to be vital and relevant, esp. because many literary magazines are so staid and dull....

This is a marvelous and simple book. William Saroyan paints a delightful picture of what he imagines life for his son is like when they spend summers together. Whether or not Aram Saroyan actually perceived anything like his father's description is irrelevant. I first read this story a a boy of 13 or 14 years of age and always remembered it vividly. The book is a wonderful instruction manual for how a father should teach his children about the beauty and celebration of life. When I became a father 25 years after first reading the book I searched my family's house for the story. It remained as vital as I remembered. The book taught me at an early age that a good parent must permit children to see you as you truly are. And thus, one must strive to be a good and generous person.

Since I am mentioned in the book, page 105 unnamed and having had the pleasure of knowing Bill Saroyan, I find that the son very accurately chronicled his father's life.. In later years, I made no effort to see Saroyan since I was sure he was not the same G.I. I had known in 1944. People change unfortunately.Great Book and a good tribute son to father...

This is among the best of Kerouac's works, revealing the competing world views of the beat rebels. Tristessa is a Mexico City junkie whom Kerouac loves; a junkie he sees in the Buddhist light "life is suffering." The book opens in her home - a hovel in disarray populated by chickens, dog, junkies, an altar to Our Lady, and a dove. It ends with the recognition that only fellow junkies can truly understand another junky - that a vagabond, drunk artist may depict and love but never truly understand.

The book's strength is in the passages that reflect most directly the author's mental life - coherent or incoherent - and the role of Buddhism and Catholicism in that mental life. The book also has a secondary strength of providing insight into the beatniks' rebellion - the shape in took in those who, like Kerouac, seem never to have found a peaceful relationship to the world (in conparison to Gary Synder or Phillip Whalen, for example).

Not a book destined to be "top ten of the century", but an interesting read.

Amidst the chaos and debris of dismal Mexico City Kerouac tells us the stroy of his most intense love for the lovely but flawed Junky, Tristessa. This is Kerouac at his most poignant and this is the best glimpse he ever gave his readers into his soul. But don't read this book if you're a manic depressive, it might drive you over the edge. One has to wonder if Tristessa could have made Jack happy. Some people are addicted to self-destruction.

Kerouac has fallen in and out of cult hero worship, for many reasons. He was the forefather of the spectacularly popular Beat Generation, his books are full of raw energy and rebellion, and he died of a brain hemorrhage watching "The Galloping Gourmet". These are all wonderful reasons to read "On the Road" or "Subterraneans". Do not read "Tristessa" for these reasons. Read "Tristessa" for its pure Kerouac voice, for its wonderful hollow music which echoes the wildest romantic poets, the heroin-desperate streets of Mexico City, and the soul of Kerouac himself. This is Kerouac's most haunting, melodic, and starkly religious work, the story of true love and the lie of love, the story of hope and of the crush of drugs, poverty and despair. To read this book is to be Kerouac, to be crazy-drunk with no place to sleep and no money to eat, but to be crying with happiness because the woman you love is unconscious in the gutter beside you. You can hear the words inside your head long after you close the book... "shouldna done it Lord, Awakenerhood, shouldna played the suffering-and-dying game with the children in your own mind, shoulda whistled for the music and danced..." "I love her but the song is---broken---"

For any true fans of Jack Kerouac, this book marks the end of a semi-productive career for this writer. Several years after On The Road, Big Sur provides a dark and twisted reflection of the more jovial and adventurous atmosphere to On The Road. The Duluoz Legend was never so grim, nor so sober as in this installation to the saga that was Jack Kerouac. People from Kerouac's daily life make candid appearances throughout the book through characterized aliases. Ferlinghetti appears as Montrose, yet the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco is mentioned the same as in real life. In this story, Kerouac comes to terms with himself, and what his life has really meant over the past years. Through the advice of friends, and by a drunken depression, Jack Duluoz(Kerouac) appears as the truly tragic figure he was near the end of his life in St. Petersburg, FL. I feel it safe to say that in this instance, art truly imitates life. I recommend this book to anyone, mostly to those who've read On The Road, and more specifically to those who have become influenced through the writings of this 20th Century legend.

It has been about seven years since I have read this book, but it remains my favorite book by my favorite author of novels. The reason I give this review is because I am about to embark on a critical analysis of it for class. I hope that I come out of this sea of emotion with my breath still even!

Out of all of his books this one portrays the crux of Kerouac's life dilemma. If one wants to read unbridled travel narrative, then s/he should go to "On the Road". If one wants to capture all the splendor of the youthful Beat mysticism at its prime, then "Dharma Bums" is likely the best bet. For sheer emotiveness, however, "Big Sur" is possibly without parallel in American literature.

There is one scene that overflows with passion and entreaty to the cosmos. He is involved in a tortuous love affair as he attempts to get off of alcohol. All of this yearning and pathos piles into his psyche and all his mind can do is scream. I don't know about all of the rest of us, but this is a way that I have felt in my life. I am glad there is a novelist like Kerouac who succeeded in publicizing the essential anguish of the American tradition.

If anyone wants to correspond with me on the matter of this book and others by him, please do so. Fresh and contemporary voices will add immeasurable breadth and meaning to my research project. Good day!

For those of you have read "On the Road" this book will not compare. In Big Sur Jack Kerouac is no longer a free-spirited youth in search of the Beat "Ideals" of freedom and life lived for the moment. Instead Kerouac finds himself lost in a generation that he began but no longer understands nor do they understand him. It is clear in the writing in this book that Kerouac is bordering on insanity. He is ravished by alcohol and is able to bring you into his mind so vividly that you cannot help but feel apart of him.

Although extremely gritty and dark at times the book also has some beautiful passages where Kerouac simply describes his surroundings that nearly left me in tears. The writing conveys thought and feeling that I have experienced before.

After reading this I truely feeling that is book is part of who I am, never has a book effected my outlook on life and the world we live in.

William Saroyan is a wonderful writer for would-be writers to take a deeper look at. Not because his prose is so wonderful or because his stories are so engaging, but because he states most succinctly what every writer feels. That, though they have plenty of written pages, they feel like they have said nothing at all. And if Saroyan can feel this way and still produce what he has, well, there is hope then.

"Oranges" and "Finlandia" are the stand-out pieces in the collection as far as I'm concerned, though many others have a thought or two that linger. "Oranges" is heartbreaking, a story about a little orphan boy forced to sell oranges on the street corner, a little orphan boy who doesn't know what it is to laugh. And "Finlandia" deals with the idea of time and geography in a very thought provoking and musical manner. Many images and sounds are striking.

I was rather surprised myself that I liked Saroyan's work and ended up keeping the book when I had thought to donate it to a local library.

If you've never been lucky enough to be exposed to the down-to-earth writing of William Saroyan, you are definitely missing out on a treat. Saroyan's short stories, autobiographical writings, and novels are simple realism, stretched to heart rending emotional height. This book is a fine compilation for a new reader of Saroyan, who, like his California colleague, Steinbeck, doesn't get enough attention these days. Also, this collection contains the wonderful novella, "Tracy's Tiger," an incredible allegorical tale of love and struggle in the postmodern world.

This book does a great job of introducing you to the writings of William Saroyan. His novels, plays and short stories capture life in a succinct style I have never seen repeated. My favorite are his short stories, which I never want to stop reading. In a few pages he brings characters, events and places to life.

When I started reading this book I really wanted to love it. However, I was a little dissappointed by the language which as others has said is at a third grade level. Also, the characters were a little fake, but its literature and thats ok. That being said, this book was an excellent story with many morals behind it and a good deal of metaphor. The best chapters in the story were those that could be read as a short story within the book itself, such as the tale about Mr. Ara's store. Overall the story was very good, but not quite excellent either. the morals and style of life portrayed in the book make it worth the time to read it however.

This book is an episodic novel centered on the Macauley family in the town of Ithaca, California, in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 1940s (Saroyan [1908-1981] was born in Fresno, California, and much of what he describes of the life of Ithaca relates to Fresno). The central characters are the fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley, who is working as a telegraph messenger, and his four-year-old brother Ulysses (note the names of Homer, Ulysses, and Ithaca!). Through them we see the people and the vitality of this small community and the impact of World War II. The war is having a deep effect on Homer because he finds himself acting as a "Messenger of Death" since he has to deliver telegrams to family members from the Government informing them of the death of a loved one. This book appeared in 1943 in the middle of the war and, in my opinion, much of its popularity is due to the comfort it gave to many families throughout the U.S. who had family members in the armed forces overseas. Families of widely different backgrounds and heritages as well as entire communities were holding together in this time of strain and concern just as Ithaca was doing. [One minor character in the book is Big Chris, who appears a couple of times in the book, always acting as a guide or "savior." Was Saroyan trying to say here that He is always there in times of need? Or, am I reading too much into the symbolism?] This was a required novel in one of my English classes when I was a kid. And, I discover that it is still a required text more than thirty years later!

The "Human Comedy" is the story of a family in Ithaca, California, during World War II.. A mother, 3 sons and a daughter.. The oldest son, Marcus, is in the Army.. Matthew is a teenager who works as a messenger in the Telegraph Office and has to deliver, from time to time, some bad news which affect him profoundly.. Ulysses is a 4 year old adorable child and Bess is 16, still in school..

The book is full of heartwarming and philosophical dialogue.. some parts of this book are great for parents to read to their children!!