The Final Problem / Empty House

The Final Problem / Empty House: Short stories by Arthur Conan DoyleToday we have two stories by Arthur Conan Doyle dealing with the “death” and “rebirth” of Sherlock Holmes. In The Final Problem, Holmes has his first and last encounter with master criminal and his intellectual equal, Professor James Moriarty. After a pursuit across Europe, the pair are believed to have perished when they tumbled off the Reichenbach Falls during a struggle. In the Adventure of the Empty House, Holmes miraculously returns to bring three remaining members of Moriarty’s criminal network to justice. In capturing the first, he solves an important murder investigation. Themes include justice, pursuit, deception, courage, sacrifice, death.

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Don’t Cry

Don't Cry: Short story by Mary GaitskillIn this moving story by Mary Gaitskill, a grief and guilt stricken woman accompanies a friend to adopt a child in Ethiopia. Because the friend had chosen to adopt independently rather than through an agency, they are initially stonewalled by bureaucrats and find official orphanages closed to them. They gain the necessary approvals after a poverty-stricken mother unselfishly gives up her malnourished two-year-old son, only to find themselves temporarily caught up in a violent civil uprising. The protagonist gains almost as much from the trip as her friend. Themes include love, grief, betrayal, healing, sexuality, determination, poverty, violence.

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Another Pioneer

Another Pioneer: Novelette by David Foster WallaceThis story by David Foster Wallace comprises a single paragraph of over 9,100 words. A writer shares a tale he heard from a friend. A three-year-old boy in a paleolithic jungle tribe has the seemingly magical ability to correctly answer any question. The tribe prospers with his help, developing quickly from hunter-gatherers to embracing agriculture and animal husbandry. Upon reaching puberty, the boy’s answers become more philosophical, challenging questioners and the tribe’s ancient beliefs. Fear on both sides leads to either his, or the tribe’s destruction. Themes include storytelling, superstition, the destructive power of knowledge, self-consciousness, social class/caste, greed, fear.

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Spring in Fialta

Spring in Fialta: Short story by Vladimir NabokovAcclaimed as one of Vladimir Nabokov’s best stories, Spring in Fialta’s is a haunting reminiscence of what was and might have been. A businessman travels widely across Europe. On many occasions, and in different cities, he coincidentally comes across and enjoys brief dalliances with the same enigmatic woman. Both are married and know each other’s partners. He has strong romantic feelings for her, but is unsure if they are reciprocated. A meeting in Fialta, in which he tentatively admits his love, is their last before her tragic death. Themes include memories and the past, fate, love and desire, death, loss.

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The Rats in the Walls

The Rats in the Walls: Short story by H. P. LovecraftIn this story by H. P. Lovecraft, the sound of a swarm of rats in the walls of his recently restored family castle causes the last of a long line of British aristocrats to lead a group of scientists to explore its long-sealed lower chambers. There they find a hidden city and evidence spanning many millennia of the capture and farming of human and quadrupedal sub-human beings for sacrifice and consumption. The excitement is too much for the owner, who quickly reverts to his old family ways. Themes include heritage and identity, genetic madness, paganism, human sacrifice.

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Testimony of Pilot

Testimony of Pilot: Novelette by Barry HannahThis powerful story by Barry Hannah follows the journey of a boy and several companions from youthful pranks to high school band competitions, musical success, fulfilling careers and, in two cases, premature death. Set between the mid-1950s and the late-1960s, the story highlights several aspects of the American South’s small-town culture of the day: family wholesomeness, racial segregation, the sexual revolution, the rise of rock and roll, and the Vietnam War. Themes include the transformative power of music, friendship and rivalry, sexuality, gender roles, misogyny, racism, isolation, patriotism, and social change.

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Flying Home

Flying-Home: Short story by Ralph EllisonIn this story by Ralph Ellison a young, idealistic black man survives when his plane crashes into a field while training to become an air-force pilot. He has been obsessed with flying since a child, and believes that as a pilot he can dispel common stereotypes about the intelligence and capability of African-Americans. Ironically, although he is angry about the condescending way the air force’s white training officers treat him, he also demonstrates a condescending attitude towards the old black farm hand comforting him while awaiting help. Themes include childhood dreams, racism, injustice, ambition/search for identity, failure, shame, humiliation, anger.

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Meneseteung

Meneseteung: Short story by Alice MunroIn this story by Alice Munro, an unreliable narrator purports to describe the adult life of a woman whose family moved to the wilds of Canada West (modern day Ontario) in 1854. Alone in the world following the death of her father, she publishes a book of poems and initially lives an ordered, contented life. One morning a traumatic discovery introduces her to the dark side of humanity and drives her into isolation and madness. Themes include gender roles in the 19th century Canadian West, art and the artist, alienation, loneliness, gossip, violence.

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