Not everyone likes to go shopping on their lunch hour or spend the time working out at the local gym. For some the time is best spent in the park under a shady tree with their favorite lunchtime short stories. It can be easier to stuff these into a purse or tote than a full length novel. You can only read a chapter or two of a novel anyway. People who love to read often scour bookstores for old classics written by favorite authors.
Margaret Atwood is known for her quirky characters and fantastical plots. "Stone Mattress" is the title story in a collection of nine. Verna, the protagonist, is about to embark on a cruise to the Arctic when she catches sight of a fellow passenger she recognizes. It turns out to be an old flame who did her wrong years earlier. Verna has already killed four husbands, and she is not adverse to adding an old lover to her collection.
Ernest Hemingway readers have strong opinions about his work. One that most will agree succeeds is "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". This story is set in Africa. Harry and Helen are there to escape their life in Paris, and Harry, it turns out, has a fatal gangrene infection. Before he dies, Harry thinks back to his past loves and the decisions that lead to his current situation.
"Three Questions" is a parable Leo Tolstoy wrote between all those lengthy novels he is so well known for. This story is about a king who sets out to find the answer to the three most important questions in life. He is seeking a wise hermit and ends up tending a seriously wounded man. In the end the king finds out he already has the answers to his questions.
Mark Twain is one of America's most beloved storytellers. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is the work that brought him to the public's attention. His story of a big talking gambler is a cautionary tale. Jim Smiley will bet on anything including the height his frog can jump. He makes his claims to the wrong stranger, who tricks him and takes off with the ante. Ironically the story resulted from a bet Twain made himself.
The Jazz Age was the background for much of F. Scott Fitzgerald's work. Tragic stories of easy money and tortured souls made him famous. "The Diamond As Big As the Ritz" is in this vein. John Unger meets Percy on a prep school campus and is quickly made to understand that Percy's family is the wealthiest on the planet. It seems they are sitting on a diamond as big as the Ritz Carlton.
James Joyce was an Irishman who wrote about Ireland and the dynamics of Irish family life. "Eveline" is a fine example of that. Eveline finds herself having to choose between a brutish father and the life she knows and a lover who wants her to run away with him to another country. Her final decision is sad, but realistic.
People who love books and words and stories will read almost anything as long as it engages their imagination. The tale can be long or short. It doesn't matter as long as it is well written.
Margaret Atwood is known for her quirky characters and fantastical plots. "Stone Mattress" is the title story in a collection of nine. Verna, the protagonist, is about to embark on a cruise to the Arctic when she catches sight of a fellow passenger she recognizes. It turns out to be an old flame who did her wrong years earlier. Verna has already killed four husbands, and she is not adverse to adding an old lover to her collection.
Ernest Hemingway readers have strong opinions about his work. One that most will agree succeeds is "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". This story is set in Africa. Harry and Helen are there to escape their life in Paris, and Harry, it turns out, has a fatal gangrene infection. Before he dies, Harry thinks back to his past loves and the decisions that lead to his current situation.
"Three Questions" is a parable Leo Tolstoy wrote between all those lengthy novels he is so well known for. This story is about a king who sets out to find the answer to the three most important questions in life. He is seeking a wise hermit and ends up tending a seriously wounded man. In the end the king finds out he already has the answers to his questions.
Mark Twain is one of America's most beloved storytellers. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is the work that brought him to the public's attention. His story of a big talking gambler is a cautionary tale. Jim Smiley will bet on anything including the height his frog can jump. He makes his claims to the wrong stranger, who tricks him and takes off with the ante. Ironically the story resulted from a bet Twain made himself.
The Jazz Age was the background for much of F. Scott Fitzgerald's work. Tragic stories of easy money and tortured souls made him famous. "The Diamond As Big As the Ritz" is in this vein. John Unger meets Percy on a prep school campus and is quickly made to understand that Percy's family is the wealthiest on the planet. It seems they are sitting on a diamond as big as the Ritz Carlton.
James Joyce was an Irishman who wrote about Ireland and the dynamics of Irish family life. "Eveline" is a fine example of that. Eveline finds herself having to choose between a brutish father and the life she knows and a lover who wants her to run away with him to another country. Her final decision is sad, but realistic.
People who love books and words and stories will read almost anything as long as it engages their imagination. The tale can be long or short. It doesn't matter as long as it is well written.
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