Perrine's Story and Structure

The fiction section from Laurence Perrine's all-time bestselling introduction to literature, this concise, authoritative text provides a complete overview of the essential elements of fiction, along with a diverse selection of stories to illustrate them. This reliable, well-written classic has introduced thousands of students to the serious study of fiction, yet it remains vital and compelling for today's readers, presenting the most important and engaging stories available in a single collection. The section on three featured writers, James Joyce, Flannery O'Connor, and Joyce Carol Oates, includes three stories by each author (at least one of them new for Joyce and O'Connor), as well as essays, some new, by noted critics on their works.

For decades this concise guide has introduced students to the major elements of fiction, teaching students how to read, understand, and evaluate the genre.