安德森在《小镇畸人》中栩栩如生地刻画了一群气愤而孤独的人物，一群传统而又被现实的功利主义所扭曲的人，一群渴望爱与自由而又缺乏交流的“小镇畸人”。这群畸人因其对美国乡镇生活的普遍意义而成为美国文学史研究中不可忽视的对象。
本系列读本由国内知名学者撰写导读文字并加以详细的中文注释，将原著中的各种典故注明出处，且将难于理解的语句加以解释。读者通过导读可以了解作家的生平事迹、创作进程和作品的背景，通过详细的注释可以更好地理解作品，同时从文学语言中提高英语水平，并从简单的语言习得进入语言与文化两者并重的高层次学习。

INTRODUCTION by Irving Howe
THE TALES AND THE PERSONS
THE BOOK OF THE GROTESQUE
HANDS-concerning Wing Biddlebaum
PAPER PILLS-concerning Doctor Reefy
MOTHER-concerning Elizabeth Willard
THE PHILOSOPHER-concerning Doctor Parcival
NOBODY KNOWS-concerning Louise Trnnion
GODLINESS,a Tale in Four Parts
PartⅠ-concerning Jesse Bentley
PartⅡ-also concerning Jesse Bentley
PartⅢ:Surrender-concerning Louise Bentley
PartⅣ:Terror-concerning Alice Hindman
A MAN OF IDEAS-concerning Joe Welling
ADVENTURE-concerning Alice Hindman
PESPECTABILITY-concerning Wash Williams
THE THINKER-concerning Seth Richmond
TANDY-concerning Tandy Hard
THE STRENGTH OF GOD-concerning the Reverend Curtis Hrtman
THE TEACHER-concerning Kate Swift
LONELINESS-concerning Enoch Robinson
AN AWAKENING-concerning Belle Carpenter
"QUEER-"concerning Elmer Cowley
THE UNTOLD LIE-concerning Ray Pearson
DRINK-concerning Tom Foster
DEATH-concerning Doctor Reefy and Elizabeth Willard
SOPHISTICATION-concerning Helen White
DEPARTURE-concerning George Willard