BIBLIO is the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with over 100 million books.

Skip to content

Varieties of Disturbance: Stories
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties of Disturbance: Stories Paperback - 2007

by Lydia Davis

Add to wish list

In her fourth collection, Davis extends her reach as never before in stories that take every form from sociological studies to concise poems. No two of these fictions are alike, yet Davis rearranges readers' view of the world by looking beyond preconceptions to reveal a bizarre truth.

Reader reviews for Varieties of Disturbance: Stories

Write a review for this book

There are no reviews for this book yet. Be the first to write a review!

Your review will be anonymous unless you login or create an account first.

Overall rating
Remember: You’re rating the book as a work, not the seller or the condition of the specific copy you purchased!

Important Terms and Guidelines

  • Please focus on the book’s content and context. Also, add any personal comments as to how you enjoyed the book. Substantiate your likes and dislikes. You may make comparisons to other books.
  • Reviews must be at least 140 characters in length.
  • Please do not reveal critical plot elements.
  • This is not a help line. Contact customer support if you need help.
Your review must not include:
  • Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other insulting language not suitable for public domain
  • Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers or websites.
  • Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other contact information.
  • Overly critical comments about other reviews or reviewers
  • Time-sensitive material (i.e. promotional tours, seminars, lectures, etc.)
  • Availability, price, or alternative ordering/shipping information

From the publisher

Lydia Davis has been called "one of the quiet giants in the world of American fiction" (Los Angeles Times), "an American virtuoso of the short story form" (Salon), an innovator who attempts "to remake the model of the modern short story" (The New York Times Book Review). Her admirers include Grace Paley, Jonathan Franzen, and Zadie Smith; as Time magazine observed, her stories are "moving . . . and somehow inevitable, as if she has written what we were all on the verge of thinking."

In Varieties of Disturbance, her fourth collection, Davis extends her reach as never before in stories that take every form from sociological studies to concise poems. Her subjects include the five senses, fourth-graders, good taste, and tropical storms. She offers a reinterpretation of insomnia and re-creates the ordeals of Kafka in the kitchen. She questions the lengths to which one should go to save the life of a caterpillar, proposes a clear account of the sexual act, rides the bus, probes the limits of marital fidelity, and unlocks the secret to a long and happy life.

No two of these fictions are alike. And yet in each, Davis rearranges our view of the world by looking beyond our preconceptions to a bizarre truth, a source of delight and surprise.

Varieties of Disturbance is a 2007 National Book Award Finalist for Fiction.

Details

  • Title Varieties of Disturbance: Stories
  • Author Lydia Davis
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: first
  • Pages 240
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Picador USA, New York
  • Publication date 2007-05-15
  • Features Price on Product - Canadian, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780374281731 / 0374281734
  • Weight 0.55 lbs (0.25 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 in (21.08 x 13.97 x 1.78 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 21st Century
  • Category Fiction - General
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2006033431
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Citations

  • Booklist, 05/01/2007, Page 71
  • Kirkus Reviews, 03/15/2007, Page 242
  • Library Journal, 04/15/2007, Page 80
  • New York Times, 05/27/2007, Page 25
  • New Yorker (The), 06/25/2007, Page 93
  • NY Times Notable Bks of Year, 12/02/2007, Page 12
  • Publishers Weekly, 02/19/2007, Page 146
  • Vanity Fair, 05/01/2007, Page 80

About the author

LYDIA DAVIS is the author of one novel and five story collections, most recently Can't and Won't. She is also the acclaimed translator of Swann's Way and Madame Bovary, both of which were awarded the French-American Foundation Translation Prize. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis was described by James Wood in The New Yorker as a "grand cumulative achievement." She is the winner of the 2013 Man Booker International Prize.
Back to top↑

More Copies for Sale

Show all copies
Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

by Lydia Davis

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
1
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.77
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Picador, 2007. Paperback. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.77
Free Delivery to USA
Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

by Lydia Davis

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
2
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.89
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Picador, 2007. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.89
Free Delivery to USA
Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

by Lydia Davis

  • Used
  • as new
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
3
Seller
ThriftBooks
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$9.89
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Picador, 2007. Paperback. As New. Disclaimer:An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact; pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$9.89
Free Delivery to USA
Varieties of Disturbance : Stories
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties of Disturbance : Stories

by Davis, Lydia

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
3
Seller
Better World Books
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$12.31
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Picador. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$12.31
Free Delivery to USA
Varieties of Disturbance: Stories
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties of Disturbance: Stories

by Davis, Lydia

  • Used
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
1
Seller
Ergodebooks
Item price
A$13.25
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007-05-15. First Edition. paperback. Used: Good. 5.50x0.54x8.50. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$13.25
Free Delivery to USA
Varieties of Disturbance: Stories
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties of Disturbance: Stories

by Davis, Lydia

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
1
Seller
Last Word Books
Item price
A$14.61
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Picador, 2007-05-15. Paperback. Good. 5x0x8. A used book with light to moderate shelf wear and imperfections. Cover may differ from image provided. Thank you for supporting Last Word Books and independent bookstores.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$14.61
Free Delivery to USA
VARIETIES OF DISTURBANCE
Stock photo: cover may vary

VARIETIES OF DISTURBANCE

by DAVIS,LYDIA

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Good+
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
1
Seller
Book Culture
Item price
A$15.36
A$8.34 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
pb. Good+. All pages and cover are intact. Possible minor highlighting and marginalia. Ships from an indie bookstore in NYC.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$15.36
A$8.34 Delivery to USA
Varieties Of Disturbance
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties Of Disturbance

by Davis, Lydia,

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
5
Seller
GreatBookPrices
Item price
A$16.13
A$5.84 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
new.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$16.13
A$5.84 Delivery to USA
Varieties Of Disturbance
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties Of Disturbance

by Davis, Lydia,

  • Used
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
5
Seller
GreatBookPrices
Item price
A$17.80
A$5.84 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
like new.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$17.80
A$5.84 Delivery to USA
Varieties of Disturbance: Stories
Stock photo: cover may vary

Varieties of Disturbance: Stories

by Davis, Lydia

  • New
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
New
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780374281731 / 0374281734
Quantity available
1
Seller
Ergodebooks
Item price
A$23.47
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007-05-15. First Edition. paperback. New. 5.50x0.54x8.50. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$23.47
Free Delivery to USA
Show all copies
Back to top↑

Please wait a moment while we load the requested page.