Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules

By: Tobias Wolff, Akhil Sharma, Charles Baxter, Amy Hempel, Patricia Highsmith, David Sedaris - editor

Narrated by: David Sedaris, Cherry Jones, Mary -Louise Parker, Akhil Sharma, Toby Wherry

A must-have for the fans of the #1 bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris, a collection of his favorite short fiction from Flannery O'Connor to Tobias Wolff.

David Sedaris is an exceptional reader. Alone in his apartment, he reads stories aloud to the point he has them memorized. Sometimes he fantasizes that he wrote them. Sometimes, when they’re his very favorite stories, he’ll fantasize about reading them in front of an audience and taking credit for them. The audience in these fantasies always loves him and gives him the respect he deserves.

David Sedaris didn’t write the stories in Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules. But he did read them. And he liked them enough to hand pick them for this collection of short fiction. Featuring such notable writers as Lorrie Moore, Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates, Jean Thompson, and Tobias Wolff, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules includes some of the most influential and talented short story writers, contemporary and classic.

Perfect for fans of literary fiction and Sedaris’s wry sense of humor, Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules offers a curated glimpse into the stories that have inspired him and many others.©2005 826NYC; (P)2005 Simon & Schuster, Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.
"Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat is Out" ©2005 Patricia Highsmith

Gambled and Won

Any additional comments?

Great introduction to a new collection of writers. I will definitely look for more stories from them. It was like getting a big gift with multiple gifts inside.

Beautiful, music to the ears!

If you could sum up Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Unabridged Selections) in three words, what would they be?

melodious, touching, calm

What did you like best about this story?

the author's reading of the last story

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

The Indian man, I don't know his name.

Any additional comments?

The last author needs to be recognized on Audible, he gets no credit as the reader or writer, he was the best.

Sedaris picks unusual reads

Glad I have this on audio as I’m sure to listen a few more times. Each story completely different so you might take a breather in between for the brain switch of material and your listening to a new voice and cadence. For me some were difficult to acquire an ear for the voice and/or grasping the density of the story. I chose the book as curious about Sedaris’ choice of favorites and, if you are a fan, you will ‘get it’ how he recognizes his angst in other authors as well. Pretty cool.

Great stories but only 5 of 17 are included

I was excited to hear the stories that David Sedaris picks as his favorites. This version only gives you 5 of the 17 in his book. I should have read the description more carefully but only noticed the term I always look for: "unabridged". In this case, that means the stories selected to be on this version are in their entirety. Don't let it stop you from listening though.

Different

This isn't a typical Sedaris book - it's a collection of stories. They are like his tour recommendations. Odd, short stories, that are thought provoking and interesting.