Anderson’s (1876-1941) short stories articulates the loneliness and frustration of life in a small American town. Originally described as stories of the grotesque, the inner and often painful lives of some of the citizens of Winesburg are portrayed in vignettes that seem “grotesque” and familiar at the same time.
Through the eyes of young George Willard, the inner lives of many of Winesburg's inhabitants open to us – most of whom will be familiar to those who may have grown up in the small towns dotting the High Plains. Through Anderson's art we relive a powerful portrayal of community life and experience the isolation its close atmosphere can engender. A classic portrait of American life, Winesburg, Ohio profoundly influenced a generation of fiction writers with its deeply moving poetic realism.
