Quick Reads

A Dead Woman’s Secret

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A Dead Woman's Secret: Short story by Guy de Maupassant We get a sense at the beginning of this Guy de Maupassant story that the dead woman lying peacefully in her bed may not have led as ‘saintly’ a life as is described. She has been hiding something from her family for most of her life. When going through some old letters, her son and daughter discover the secret. The son, a sanctimonious magistrate, judges her harshly. The daughter, who has devoted herself to the Church, says nothing but may harbor a secret of her own. Themes: things are not always as they seem, passion, adultery, rash judgement, hypocrisy, forgiveness

Ruthless

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Ruthless: Flash story by William C. de Mille The protagonist in this story by William C. de Mille is a narcissistic businessman. One of its themes is excessive materialism. The man is so obsessed with his possessions, including small items such as a bottle of Bourbon, that he would kill to prevent other people from having them. The major themes are vengeance and justice. The man’s wife points out that his actions in trying to take revenge on those who drank some of his liquor the previous winter go beyond justice: the law doesn’t punish burglary by death; so what right have you? In the end, justice prevails.

With the Photographer

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With the Photographer: Short story by Stephen Leacock This story by Stephen Leacock makes use of irony and hyperbole to satirize artistic arrogance. A man who visits a professional photographer to have a portrait taken is humiliated during his sitting. The photographer not only criticizes every aspect of his facial features, but also insists on a number of different posture changes to hide what he considers flaws. Later, when the man views the developed product, his face has been so artificially altered as to be unrecognizable. Other themes include appearance and the disconnect between self-perception and the way others see us, insecurity, body shaming, humiliation, anger and frustration.

Crossing the Zbrucz / My First Goose / Salt

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Red Cavalry: Short stories by Isaac Babel Today we have three stories (Crossing the Zbrucz, My First Goose and Salt) from Red Cavalry, a collection of edited entries from the war diary of Russian author Isaac Babel. The stories reflect his time as a journalist / propagandist attached to the First Cavalry unit of the Red Army during the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. These are not typical war stories involving great battles and inspiring heroes. Instead, the book provides a graphic insight into the human impact of the war on those fighting it, as well as the casualties and brutalities inflicted by both sides on innocent civilians.

The Young Man Who Flew Past

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The Young Man Who Flew Past: Short story by Arkady Averchenko Writers must have a disproportionate fascination with heights, because there are a number of well-known stories in world literature about people falling, jumping or being pushed/thrown from tall buildings. Published in 1915, this short satire of middle-class society by Arkady Averchenko may be one of the first. A husband throws his wife’s lover from the sixth floor window of their apartment building. Through the windows on the way down, the falling man sees different ways his life could have gone. As he reaches the bottom, he is happy with his gruesome fate. Theme: men’s ‘destiny’ (ambition, marriage, family, adultery, depression, death).

Stories of the Bad & Good Little Boys

Post category:Quick Reads Short Stories

The Stories of the Bad & Good Little Boys: Short stories by Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) We are presenting these stories from Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) together because, although the characters appear to be opposites, they actually support the same themes: 1) all people have a bad and/or selfish side; and 2) whether good or bad, people don’t always get the reward/punishment they deserve. While the bad boy appears inherently evil, the “good” boy’s motivation is his selfish wish for eternal praise. With its over-the-top sarcasm, the story of the bad little boy has an even more depressing message… bad boys grow into bad men, and the worst of them end up becoming successful politicians!

Yellow Fish

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Yellow Fish: Short story by C. S. Lakshimi (aka Ambai) On the surface, this story by C. S. Lakshimi (aka Ambai) is about a grieving mother who arranges the rescue of a discarded fish dying on the shore because its struggles remind her of those of her premature baby Jalaja before she died. The story also reflects the cycle of life (the vibrant colors and frenetic activity associated with return of the fishing fleet), death (Jalaja’s passing and the yellow fish flapping on the sand) and rebirth (the fish’s return to the sea). Themes include loss, grief, insensitivity, maternalism, the cycle of life.

A Haunted House

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A Haunted House: Short story by Virginia Woolf If you read Virginia Woolf‘s A Haunted House expecting it to be a horror story, you will come away disappointed. Rather than scary, the best word I can think of to describe it is bittersweet. Sweet because two ghosts are still very much in love after hundreds of years; sad because the ghostly couple appear to be anxiously searching for something. Although the central theme of the story is the immortality of love, it also carries the message that life is short, and we should treasure each moment with those we love. Other themes include loss, time, memories, the supernatural.