The Ugly Duckling

by Carol5 Comments
"The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen "The Ugly Duckling" story is one most of us know. A mother duck is sitting on her nest and all but one egg hatches. The ducklings are adorable, but the mother continues to sit on the last, largest egg, despite being told by another duck to leave it. Of course, the last egg hatches, and the young one is very large and doesn't look like the others, but he can swim and the mother declares "he is not so very ugly after all if you look at him properly." But his mother can't protect him from all the abuse he endures from the other farmyard animals and even the girl who feeds the poultry, so he runs away. One day he sees some beautiful white birds flying over head, but he does not interact with them. He is terrified by a hunter...
Read More

After the Race by James Joyce

by Carol7 Comments
"After the Race" by James Joyce I have never read anything by Joyce that I remember. It seems unlikely that I didn't read at least an excerpt from something when I was in college, but if I did it didn't stick with me. "After the Race" is from Dubliners, first published in 1914. The story begins with a car race through Dublin and tells the story of Jimmy Doyle, a young Irishman who is riding with a Frenchman, Segouin, the rich owner of the car who is starting motor business. Jimmy is the son of a wealthy merchant, well-educated and well-provided for. He is aware of how much work it was for his father to attain his success and considers his investment with Segouin to be serious, although it did meet with his father's approval. Jimmy and his father want to associate with the higher social classes and Jimmy, after the race, joins the Frenchman and several friends for dinner. It's a delight,...
Read More

The First Time We Met by Maria Deira

by Carol4 Comments
"The First Time We Met" by Maria Deira Elena has a gift: her saliva can heal cuts and scrapes. When she and Hector, the story's narrator, first meet, she licks a deep cut on his forearm, leaving only a faint trace of the gash. Needless to say, Hector was surprised, confused and attracted to her. The story switches from the present, 15 years after that first meeting, and incidents in their life together. I'm always amazed how much we can learn about the characters in a short story. Here we learn about their history, but also about how even though their comfortable now with each other, some of the passion has left. Also, Elena is losing her gift and doesn't know who she is without it. In some ways, Hector wants to leave her, but in some ways he can't. I don't know what to say. She's both right and wrong. I'm right and wrong. At this moment, I can't go anywhere. I'm...
Read More

Appetite by Said Sayrafiezadeh

by Carol6 Comments
"Appetite" by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh This slightly quirky short story starts out with a cook, who apparently has trouble with grilled cheese sandwiches, asking his restaurant manager for a raise. He's denied. So, here he is ina meaningless, unfulfilling job, but he's not searching for anything else either. When had I crossed that line from boy to man? Whenever it was, the line had been so faint, so subtle, that I had missed it entirely. Maybe if I had been paying closer attention things might have turned out differently for me. A new waitress starts working at the restaurant. She's skinny as a rail and he assumes anorexic, but he's attracted to her nonetheless. It's questionable whether he'll ever work himself up to talking to her though. He's not ambitious, to say the least. I didn't love this story and I'm not sure how to feel after reading it. Is it sad? Is it hopeful that these two individuals, neither of whom...
Read More

The Millennium Party by Walter Jon Williams

by Carol6 Comments
"The Millennium Party" by Walter Jon Williams Williams gives us a short, sharp look at the future in this brief story. Darien and his wife are celebrating their thousandth anniversary, but in this future world, everyone has multiple brains that they interchange, each with its own purpose. For the celebration, Darien slots the brain that holds only the good, loving, passionate memories, none of the disagreements, arguments hurts, reflecting their life together as "one enchanted jewel after another." The evening does sound perfect, the setting, food wine all customized just for the two of them, but for the reader the severe compartmentalization of each aspect of life is de-humanizing. People are the result of all their experiences, good and bad, all their roles. While it would be nice to choose what to remember, life would lose it's richness. We wouldn't cherish our relationships as much. It's disturbing, really, so different from how we process emotions, thoughts, feelings. You can find the short story...
Read More