In this story by Milan Kundera, an “almost old” widow faces a dilemma after a chance encounter with a much younger man she had seduced fifteen years earlier. Talking about their previous (for the man, awkward) lovemaking arouses his passions. She knows that giving in to his desire will almost certainly end in disgust over her aging body. However, she also knows that he is very likely the last young man who appeals to her with whom she will have the opportunity to have sex. Themes include sexuality, memories, aging and death, beauty, loneliness, regret, fulfilment/self-worth. More…
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The Chef
You don’t need to get far into this story from Andy Weir to realize that things aren’t as the protagonist describes them. When the doctor finally reveals the truth following some unnecessary theatrics involving the difference between a teaspoon and tablespoon, most readers experience a mild “aha moment” and move on to something else. It is only the very perceptive and those who take the time to follow Weir’s advice and read the story again knowing the outcome, who realize the true horror of the life the poor woman must have lived. More…
Immigration Blues
This story by Bienvenido Santos deals with the plight of a Filipino woman wanting to make a future in the United States. Without a permanent visa, her only hope is to gain residence through marriage. Her sister learns of a retired Filipino widower with U.S. Citizenship. In a humorous visit laced with dramatic irony, the two women are initially too embarrassed to raise the topic of marriage. When the old man finally understands their purpose, he thanks God for allowing lightning to strike him twice. Themes include immigration, cultural isolation, hope, fear, pride, the emptiness of growing old alone. More…
Hitting Budapest
In this story by NoViolet Bulawayo six hungry children from an African slum “raid” the guava trees of a rich neighborhood. Aged eight to eleven, one of them (a ten-year-old) is pregnant to her grandfather. As they return home they discuss their dreams and aspirations, with one making the grim prediction that one day they will move to bigger things inside the houses. Close to home they find a woman’s body hanging from a tree. Before reporting it, they remove her shoes to sell for a loaf of bread. Themes include social inequality, poverty, dehumanization, friendship, freedom, childhood innocence. More…
Rip Van Winkle
Although Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle is widely considered one of the first American short stories, it was inspired by a German folktale. In order to escape the wrath of his shrewish wife, a lazy but lovable man goes hunting in the Catskill Mountains. He has an adventure involving some odd-looking men, a keg of strange liquor, and a very long night’s sleep. He doesn’t bring back any game but, like his country, returns to a peace and freedom never experienced before. Themes include storytelling, tyranny (his wife/England) vs. independence, indolence and passivity, marital conflict, progress, the supernatural. More…