The Night Face Up

Post category:Short Stories

The Night Face Up: Short story by Julio Cortázar In this story by Julio Cortázar, a man hospitalized after a motorcycle accident drifts in and out between the “present” and a “dream” in which he is a member of an ancient tribe being hunted by Aztec warriors for sacrifice. As he struggles to stay awake in his hospital ward, his dream-self is captured, imprisoned, and carried up the temple steps for execution. At the moment of death, he recalls a dream about riding through an astonishing city on an enormous metal insect that whirred away between his legs. Themes include time and space (parallel worlds), existence, dreams vs. reality.

Immigration Blues

Post category:Short Stories

Immigration Blues: Short story by Bienvenido Santos 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.

A Great Day

Post category:Short Stories

A Great Day: Short story by Frank Sargeson An unusual aspect of this story from Frank Sargeson is that it is largely made up of superficial conversations between two ‘friends’ out in a boat for a morning fishing trip. Readers are given sufficient clues to piece together the men’s backgrounds and the major issues between them. However, they must make their own judgements about the grim climax. An important question in assessing Fred’s character is the timing of his plan. Was it a callous, premeditated decision made before the “Great Day”, or a spur of the moment, opportunistic idea? Themes: envy, jealousy, class, self-esteem, masculinity.

The Book of Sand

Post category:Short Stories

The Book of Sand: Short story by Jorge Borges This story by Jorge Borges deals with one of the author’s common themes… the infinite. In this case, a book lover exchanges a rare edition of the bible for a book that can’t be understood. It is in a strange language and has an endless number of randomly changing pages. He becomes obsessed with discovering the book’s secrets and, when he fails, concludes that it is so “monstrous” that it should be hidden away somewhere it will never be found. Other themes include spirituality, the power of books, obsession (the need to understand), fear.

Nobody Will Laugh

Post category:Novelettes

Nobody Will Laugh: Novelette by Milan Kundera In this story by Milan Kundera, a Czechoslovakian college lecturer “rewards” an amateur researcher’s gushing praise by going to great lengths to avoid telling the truth about a substandard paper he has submitted for review. Having spent several years on the paper, the man needs the lecturer’s endorsement to have it published. He refuses to give up, resulting in a comic series of events that culminate in the lecturer not only being charged with immoral conduct by his local communist party committee, but losing his job and the partner he belatedly realizes he loves. Themes include hubris, deception, manipulation, persistence.

A Distant Episode

Post category:Short Stories

A Distant Episode: Short story by Paul Bowles In this story by Paul Bowles a Moroccan café worker lures a patronizing Western linguist to a quarry where he is kidnapped by a feared nomadic tribe. He is beaten, has his tongue cut out, and over the next year dehumanized by having to perform clown-like antics to entertain the tribe during their travels. The constant indignity breaks down his reasoning which, despite a moment of awareness when they sell him to another tribe, ends in insanity and a mad rush into the night. Themes include arrogance, cultural naivety, cruelty, dehumanization, (loss of) identity, madness.

Lazy Jack

Post category:Folktales, Legends & Myths

Lazy Jack: English folktale from Joseph Jacobs This English folktale is about a boy who isn’t very bright and doesn’t like the idea of work. However, thanks to following the advice of his mother, he marries a rich girl and, one imagines, never has to work again. Possible morals? For children: Always do what your parents tell you and you’ll have a good life. For parents: Teach your children the value of hard work so they can take care of you in your old age. For the rich girl: Sometimes laughter is the best medicine. For the rich girl’s father: Be careful of what you wish for!

In the Penal Colony

Post category:Novelettes

In the Penal Colony: Novelette by Franz Kafka This Franz Kafka story is a study on what can happen when you put a psychopath in charge of a process (or country) in which they have unfettered power and can make decisions over life and death with impunity. The story deals with some heavy themes: justice, due process, capital punishment, torture, sadistic voyeurism, and the difficulty of institutional change (even if for the good!). Central to all this is the “machine”, which seems to know that its time has come and chooses to self-destruct along with the only person left who cares about it.

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