Winesburg Ohio is a moving and intriguing book of short stories about the lives of people in a small town in Ohio. While each story seems to have a different theme and meaning, with the only connection being time, place, and George Williard, all of the stories also seem to unite under a common, overarching theme. This characteristic of this work has led some critics to say that it is a novel, but without a clear underlying theme. Literary criticism of this work by Sherwood Anderson seems to center on the debate over whether Winesburg, Ohio is a novel or a book of short stories (Miller, 1999). The overall theme of this fascinating book seems to be that all the trials, problems, decisions, rewards, voices, and stories of the people of a small town add up to more than the sum of the people and their stories. The city takes on a personal identity, it is more than the sum of its parts, but its character is formed by its parts, by the people who live there. The discussion of whether it is a novel or a book of short stories has been going on for over seventy-five years and no satisfactory conclusion has been reached (Miller, 1999). This work should not be viewed from the perspective of the genre it represents, but instead we must ask the broader question: "What is the theme of this work?" What was Anderson trying to say? . If we look beyond the surface, deeper into the subtle meaning that Anderson was trying to convey, we can see that this is a work in which the characters are influenced by the time they live in and the characters influence the time they live in. This is the subtle connection between the stories that holds the book together. To understand the connections and theme runni...... middle of paper... Anderson's rejection of plot as the main focal point. Instead, it captivates the essence of humanity through the struggles of its solitary characters.” I think he did a very good job of just that in Winesburg, Ohio.1881 WordsWorks Cited Geddes, Dan. "Winesburg, Ohio - Novel or Stories - by Dan Geddes." The Satirist: America's most critical newspaper. Dan Geddes, 1999. Web. 28 May 2010. .Howe, Irving. ""Winesburg Preface"" American Studies at the University of Virginia. University of Virginia. Network. May 28, 2010. "Critics and Reviews of Sherwood Anderson." Ohio Reading Road Trip. Think Network Television, 2004. Web. May 27, 2010. .Stouck, David. "" Sherwood Anderson and the postmodern novel. "" Contemporary literature n. 3 XXVI. Fall 1985 (1985): 302-16. Press.