Alice Munro Short Story Collections books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series?"

"There are 24 books in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series, published between 1968 and 2016."

Q: "What is the first book in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series?"

"The first book in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series is Dance of the Happy Shades, published in 1968."

Q: "Which Alice Munro short story collection should I read first?"

"Runaway (2004) or Dear Life (2012) are both strong starting points. Runaway contains some of her most anthologized stories, while Dear Life, her final collection, includes four autobiographical pieces that Munro said come closer to her own life than anything else she wrote."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Dance of the Happy Shades	1968	Alice Munro	Buy
2	Something I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You	1974	Alice Munro	Buy
3	The Beggar Maid	1977	Alice Munro	Buy
4	Who Do You Think You Are?	1977	Alice Munro	Buy
5	The Moons of Jupiter	1983	Alice Munro	Buy
6	The Progress of Love	1985	Alice Munro	Buy
7	Friend of My Youth	1990	Alice Munro	Buy
8	Open Secrets	1994	Alice Munro	Buy
9	Selected Stories	1996	Alice Munro	Buy
10	The Love of a Good Woman	1998	Alice Munro	Buy
11	Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage	2001	Alice Munro	Buy
12	No Love Lost	2003	Alice Munro	Buy
13	Vintage Munro	2004	Alice Munro	Buy
14	Runaway	2004	Alice Munro	Buy
15	Carried Away	2006	Alice Munro	Buy
16	View From Castle Rock	2006	Alice Munro	Buy
17	Too Much Happiness	2009	Alice Munro	Buy
18	My Best Stories	2009	Alice Munro	Buy
19	New Selected Stories	2011	Alice Munro	Buy
20	Dear Life	2012	Alice Munro	Buy
21	Lying Under the Apple Tree	2014	Alice Munro	Buy
22	Family Furnishings	2014	Alice Munro	Buy
23	A Wilderness Station	2015	Alice Munro	Buy
24	Julieta	2016	Alice Munro	Buy

Alice Munro published fourteen original story collections over a career that stretched from the late 1960s to 2012. Dance of the Happy Shades, her debut, won the Governor General’s Award and announced a major talent. Collections like The Beggar Maid (published in Canada as Who Do You Think You Are?), The Progress of Love, and Open Secrets built her reputation as the most important short story writer in the English language.

Her later collections, including Runaway, Too Much Happiness, and Dear Life, are often considered her strongest. Runaway won the Giller Prize and contains “Passion,” one of her most widely read stories. Dear Life was her last book and ends with four pieces Munro described as autobiographical in nature, blurring the line between fiction and memoir. Several “best of” and selected editions, like Family Furnishings and Vintage Munro, collect highlights from across her career for readers who want a sampler before going deeper.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series?

There are 24 books in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series, published between 1968 and 2016.

What is the first book in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series?

The first book in the Alice Munro Short Story Collections series is Dance of the Happy Shades, published in 1968.

Which Alice Munro short story collection should I read first?

Runaway (2004) or Dear Life (2012) are both strong starting points. Runaway contains some of her most anthologized stories, while Dear Life, her final collection, includes four autobiographical pieces that Munro said come closer to her own life than anything else she wrote.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order