The Lonely Voice

The Lonely Voice (1962) is a study of the short story form, written by Frank O'Connor.

Description

Within the study, O'Connor expounds on some of his own major theories of the short story as well as discusses the work of many influential short story writers. Each chapter focuses on a different author:

Reception

One of the work's major contributions is that of "the submerged population group" - a term that O'Connor uses to characterise those individuals who, for whatever reasons, are left on the fringes of society.^[1] The term was taken up again in the twenty-first century by Amit Chaudhuri to usefully characterise modernist writing in the Indian subcontinent.^[2]

The book is seen by many critics as the first lengthy examination of the short story form, and it has been heralded by many writers as an influential work.^[3]

References

^ D. Daiches, The Penguin Companion to Literature 1 (1971) p. 396
^ A. Chaudhuri, Clearing a Space (2008) p. 156-9
^ Richard Ford (ed.). "Introduction". The Grant Book of American Short Stories.

[1] D. Daiches, The Penguin Companion to Literature 1 (1971) p. 396

[2] A. Chaudhuri, Clearing a Space (2008) p. 156-9

[3] Richard Ford (ed.). "Introduction". The Grant Book of American Short Stories.

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v t e Works by Frank O'Connor
Short story collections	Guests of the Nation Bones of Contention Crab Apple Jelly The Common Chord Traveller's Samples The Stories of Frank O'Connor More Stories by Frank O'Connor Domestic Relations A Set of Variations The Cornet Player Who Betrayed Ireland The Collected Stories The Collar A Frank O'Connor Reader
Novels	The Saint and Mary Kate Dutch Interior
Autobiographies	An Only Child My Father's Son
Books	The Wild Bird's Nest Lament for Art O'Leary The Midnight Court Kings, Lords, and Commons The Little Monasteries The Big Fellow Irish Miles Leinster, Munster and Connaught The Road to Stratford Shakespeare's Progress The Mirror in the Roadway The Lonely Voice The Backward Look