Honored Guest

Honored Guest: Stories
AuthorJoy Williams
GenreLiterary fiction
PublisherKnopf
Publication date
October 5, 2004
Publication placeUnited States
Pages213
ISBN978-0-679-44647-7
OCLC54775880
813/.54
LC ClassPS3573.I4496 H66 2004

Honored Guest is a 2004 short story collection by Joy Williams, published by Knopf. Its short story of the same name was published in Harper's Magazine in the June 1994 issue.[1]

Critical reception

The New York Times called "Charity" the "collection's finest story" and made note of Williams' "terse, dread-filled writing style whose pulse it is probably safer not to quicken."[2]

In a starred review, Publishers Weekly stated that "Though some of her more absurd tales may perplex, discriminating readers will be greatly satisfied with this rich, darkly humorous and provocative collection."[3] Kirkus Reviews compared Williams' characters to Raymond Carver's and concluded the book as "Twelve ambitious and expert stories, yet seldom involving."[4]

References

  1. ^ "Honored guest, by Joy Williams". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  2. ^ "'Honored Guest': The Small Chill (Published 2004)". 2004-12-19. Archived from the original on 2025-02-14. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  3. ^ "HONORED GUEST by Joy Williams". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  4. ^ HONORED GUEST | Kirkus Reviews.