Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Misunderstanding | 1949 | James T. Farrell | Buy |
A Misunderstanding was published in 1949 as a standalone work of short fiction, separate from the many story collections Farrell released throughout his career. The novella deals with the kind of everyday human friction that Farrell wrote about better than almost anyone: the gaps between what people mean to say and what they actually communicate, set against the familiar backdrop of Irish-American Chicago.
Farrell was an enormously productive short fiction writer, and much of his best work appeared in collections rather than as standalone publications. A Misunderstanding sits apart from those larger volumes as a single, self-contained piece. It reflects the same naturalist approach Farrell brought to his novels, paying close attention to dialogue, setting, and the small social rituals that define a community.