Bohemia by Mikhail Bulgakov -- Review

The story "Bohemia" by the famous Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov is written in the style of a diary. There is no traditional structure in the story such as introduction, climax, conclusion. The story is like a sketch of the everyday life of a person.

The events refer to the year 1921 after the Russian revolution. The narrator described the mess in the society at that time. He wrote a revolutionary play about local life in Vladikavkaz. The author presents it with humor and irony. Even without a logical ending, the story might be interesting for readers as a chronicle of life as seen by an eyewitness of that time.

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://www.shortstoryproject.com/story/bohemia/

Mateo Falcone by Prosper Merimee -- Review

The novel "Mateo Falcon" is written by a famous French writer of the 19th century, Prosper Merimee. The plot might be shocking. The story is about eternal spiritual values. Following the spiritual values, the main characters began to do horrible things.

This story is also described as depicting the Corsican style of life and attitudes of people towards each other. The ending of the story is intriguing with an unexpected conclusion. Readers might have very different opinions about the moral of the story. 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.classicshorts.com/stories/mfalcone.html

Discussion about basic in Persian

This photo was published on the site www.italki.com in the note which is open for discussions.

The title and the text in English:

About Photo

Where do you think this photo was taken? 

Thanks for replying in Persian or for correcting this text.

The title and the text in Persian:

درباره عکس

به نظر شما این عکس کجا گرفته شده است؟

 من ممنون از پاسخ به زبان فارسی یا برای تصحیح این متن.

There was a comment from the user of italki - Cedi:

درباره ی یک عکس

به نظر شما این عکس کجا گرفته شده است؟

ممنون می شوم  اگر به  زبان فارسی پاسخ دهید یا  این متن را تصحیح کنید   .

There was a question about this correction: why we need to add ی یک in the first line?

The answer was:

If we want to talk about someone or something, we use the word درباره ی 

Here are some examples to help you understand better:

دارم درباره ی دوستم صحبت می کنم

این کتاب درباره ی تاریخ ایران است

فردا درباره ی این موضوع صحبت خواهیم کرد

Anatoly:
1. Is it necessary to use the space between letter ی and the text درباره ?
2.  Does the word یک is used as an article “an” in English?

Cedi:

Yes, there should always be a space between the letter ی and the word درباره.  

یک is identical to a/an in English. However, it's used more in formal contexts. In colloquial Persian, we say یه instead of یک

The explanation from Dee:

1. We don’t use pronouns at the beginning of the sentence.
2. These two words create conditional sentence اگر به

Initially, it was written in the past tense. These two words mean “if to”

Shells by Cynthia Rylant -- Review

The short story "Shells" by Cynthia Rylant is about two people - a young boy and a middle-aged woman who can't overcome their feelings of loneliness. Something needs to happen to break the barriers between them. The way for mutual understanding of the main characters lies in the plotline. The title symbolizes this idea, the shell is possible to leave, it was literally visible in the story.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.smore.com/app/attachments/download/5a7881cf4cf38f4192d0d011

The Facts of Life by William Somerset Maugham -- Review

The short story "The Facts of Life" by William Somerset Maugham tells the story about a young man who participates in a sport tournament in Monte-Carlo. He gets three pieces of advice from his father: not to gamble, not to lend money, not to have a deal with women. He didn’t follow any of the advice his father gave him and readers could see the consequences.

As in other of Maugham's stories, the plot is intriguing, the conclusions about the moral of the story would be different for readers according to their attitude toward the actions and behavior of the main characters.

Here is the link to the story:

http://indbooks.in/mirror1/?p=284320

Valentine By Tessa Hadley -- Review

"Valentine" by Tessa Hadley is a story initially published in the magazine "The New Yorker" and it was included in the collection "The O Henry Prize Stories 2014".

The story is about adolescent love. The author showed the strength of love and disappointment. The main character, a fifteen year-old girl, is naive. She’s discovering new feelings, something she doesn't know.

The love of Stella and her coeval Valentine was described from the perspective of Stella. She recollected the memories of her past. She was a maximalist in her judgements and actions. 

For the majority of the story the reader followed the twists and turns of their young love. Only in the end, after Stella compared her fate with her past ordinary life, she started to understand what happened. The final scene was almost as surprising to the reader as it was to Stella.

Here is a link to the story:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/08/valentine-8

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoyevsky -- Review

The story "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is not so long for reading as the most famous novel of this Russian writer "Crime and Punishment". For readers who had never read the works of this author, this story might be a good start for reading.

The narration was written from the perspective of one person who is sure that he is ridiculous. He was thinking about committing suicide when one girl on the streets of Saint-Petersburg asked him to help. He was ashamed that he didn't help. Everything looked bad...before he fell asleep. 

He saw the world in his dream differently. The depression disappeared. He said in the last line of his narration:

"And I tracked down that little girl…and I shall go on and on!"

Here is the text to the story:

https://www.shortstoryproject.com/story/dream-ridiculous-man/

"The Cut of the Cloth" by Beverley Sims -- Review

The short story "The Cut of the Cloth" by Beverley Sims is written from the perspective of a young man, who works as a clown in a team with others on the streets of London. 

He describes one of his days before he leaves the country for traveling to India. The young man tells about his co-workers, they came to London from around the world and about the girl he likes. The important part of the story is the memories of the main character. He remembers his father, who passed away, was a famous magician in India and after the family moved to the UK - in London too.

The story is full of nostalgic reminiscence, sentimental feelings and it doesn't have a  happy ending. The internal world of the main character was described here in detail and it made the story interesting and memorable.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

http://www.theshortstory.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/The-Cut-of-the-Cloth.pdf

The short story "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry describes the story of a safecracker (someone who breaks into safes).

The story presents the good features of human character. Some actions may lead to problems, however, certain actions may lead to the best results if the person was sincere in their intentions.

The story finishes with a happy ending. It gives the readers a positive emotion.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://www.elahelp.com/uploads/1/1/7/7/11774088/a_retrieved_reformation_text.pdf

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor -- Review

The short story "A Good Man is Hard to find" by Flannery O'Connor is written in a genre named South Gothic which creates grotesque pictures of reality. It is usually connected with the Southern part of the USA.

The story starts with a description of the everyday life of an American family. The author highlighted the flaws of every main character within the story. Bringing the reader's attention to these flaws was made without any exaggeration, life was presented as it was.

The family had to face their final dilemma. The final scene is the main subject for many interpretations. The writer left readers a space for discussions about the psychological side of human behavior. 

The story was published many times in different anthologies since 1953. As a result, the story became one of O'Connor's best known works.

Here is the text of the story:

https://repositorio.ufsc.br/bitstream/handle/123456789/160332/A%20good %20man%20is%20hard%20to%20find%20-%20Flannery%20O%27Connor .pdf

The Three Fat Women of Antibes by William Somerset Maugham -- Review

The short story "The Three Fat Women of Antibes" by William Somerset Maugham told readers how successful the attempts of people to withstand  the temptation of eating food which they liked were.

This funny story provides the idea of uselessness of restrictions, it advises people to be a natural in fulfilling their wishes.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

http://www.haroldschogger.com/three_fat_women.htm

The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence -- Review

The short story "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence arose up the question about the role of money, luck, and happiness in people's lives. 

The main character, the boy, was involved in the world of adults with its excitement, horse racing, money. The writer made references in the plot of the story to the circumstances which were causes for making the family’s story into a horror story as it became clear in the end.    

D. H. Lawrence described in the story the dark sides of the human psyche but he did it without any acquisitions, presenting society life as it is. He gave readers the freedom to express their attitude toward the situation described in the story. 

Here is the text of the story:

http://www.westbrowardhigh.org/ourpages/auto/2015/10/5/62104793/The_Rockinghorse_Winner.pdf

Experience By Tessa Hadley Review

The short story "Experience" By Tessa Hadley was published in the magazine "The New Yorker". According to the plot, the young woman, Laura, stayed in the house of another young woman, Hana, who left her house for a while for traveling.

Laura started her story with these lines:

"When my marriage fell apart one summer, I had to get out of the little flat in Kentish Town, where I had been first happy and then sad."

During the difficult period of her life, Laura tried to replace her personality to another person's and eventually she "found herself". The plot of the story initially looked as a typical love story but it turned in another direction. Readers would find a happy ending here but not the same as it might be expected.

Here is the text of the story:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/01/21/experience-5

From La Relación Report by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca -- Review

The chronicle "La Relación Report" (The Account) by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca describes an expedition to Spanish North America which he joined in 1527. The expedition started with 600 men on five ships and Cabeza de Vaca along with his three mates survived.

He described in his memories the sincerity of Native Americans in intentions to help sailors. The author wrote:

"The Indians, understanding our full plight, sat down and lamented for half an hour so loudly they could have been heard a long way off. It was amazing to see these wild, untaught savages howling like brutes in compassion for us."

"La Relación" gives readers a chance to look for the historical epoch directly.  Reading Cabeza de Vaca recollection we can compare the modern knowledge about the time of the conquest of America with his eyewitness report. 

Here is the kink to the text:

https://d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net/PCQePxtGftnNn277osNjvaGNvjE5fDUel6S3Ci2WpVQDsEkx.pdf

An Ideal Craftsman by Walter de la Mare --- Review

The short story "An Ideal Craftsman" was written by British writer and poet Walter de la Mare. In the story, the boy awoke in the middle of the night. He had a nightmare and being under the impression of it, he witnessed a real murder.

The author paid much attention to describing many details: things which the boy owned and saw, smells, thoughts. He was presented by the writer as innocent in the beginning of the story. Did he look the same in the ending? Perhaps Walter de la Mare deliberately left this question for readers as open …

Here is the link to the story:

https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/delamarew-beststories/delamarew-beststories-00-h.html#Page_53

Mackintosh by William Somerset Maugham -- Review

The plot of the short story "Mackintosh" by William Somerset Maugham, occurred on the island which belongs to the state Samoa in the Pacific ocean. The British administration of the island was presented by Walker. He was a man who had a large life experience. He would judge the people of the island according to his intuition rather than evidence.

The main character of the story, Mackintosh served as a helper of Mr.Walker. He was a bookish man. The first scene in the story described the presence of Mr.Walker who enjoyed his life and Mackintosh who just survived in a tropical climate.

The author leads readers through the narration showing a good attitude to the controversial features of the two main characters. The plot is very intriguing, the tension for readers was kept up to the end of the story.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://manybooks.net/book/142257/read#epubcfi(/6/2[item4]!/4/2/1:0)

Qatar and Bangladesh, September of 2019 (Photo-report)

Qatar

Doha, the capital city of Qatar has become a very popular transitional point for people who travel between Europe, Asia, and Africa. On the way to Bangladesh, we passed through this country.

The most recognizable views of modern Doha are skyscrapers. They look good, however, due to the very hot temperatures, walking by foot along the streets can be a bitter-sweet experience as temperature goes as high as 40 degrees Celsius.




Qatar is located on the shore of the Persian Gulf. Upon our arrival in the evening, a few people were swimming at Katara (cultural village). We tested the water temperature and found that it was extremely hot.



On our way to the airport, we visited the metro. Currently, Qatar has only one line, other lines are in the process of being built. The design of the stations is made in the modern style, all the stations adhere to the same design template. Below is a photo of the entrance to the metro.



It is important to highlight that the streets of Doha almost do not have people. In that way, it is similar to a concrete jungle, it's good only to see, not to live there.



Bangladesh


Bangladesh amazed us by its beautiful landscapes, greenery of jungles, and the appearance of people there.






The local vehicles are very different in comparison to those we saw in Europe.




Working on the fields covered by water for growing rice is a hard job, even if it is surrounded by wonderful nature and scenery. From the picture below, it evident that children and adults are viewed equal regarding work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road to Paharpur Buddhist Bihar which is located in the northwest of Bangladesh, we enjoyed observing the life around our car.

The image below shows the ricksha who guided us the direction of our movement.




The jungles altered to fields, the mixture of exotic plants and houses created unforgettable views.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we arrived at the Somapura Mahavihara, a medieval Buddhist monastery.

 

      

Most of the visitors of this tourist attraction were dressed in national clothes, as shown in the picture of a boy and a girl below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People were friendly and welcoming and took a selfie of and with us.





Local people like to wear bright colored clothes. It was seen in the cars, which were also beautifully decorated.





The next day we traveled to the capital city of the country - Dhaka. There are wonderful landscapes and lots of trash on the way to Dhaka.






It was observed that the local people enjoyed sitting on the roof of the cars





It is quite convenient to reach a seat on the roof using a special ladder for it, isn't it?



Tourists usually stay in the capital city, Dhaka. A tourist does not need to spend a lot of time there. Traffic congestion, trash, many beggars, absence of tourist attractions - all these factors make the city not suitable for tourism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though Dhaka is interesting too, it is not as exotic and enjoyable as being in the province of Bangladesh. Not many people know that Bangladesh is such a fabulous country! 

I Want to Know Why by Sherwood Anderson Review

The short story "I Want to Know Why" by Sherwood Anderson is written from the perspective of a young country boy. The boy had a passion for horses. He dreamed about racing and he knew all about people who were involved in it.

The boy was presented in the story as innocent and a lad who idealized the subject of his passion. The relationship between one of his idols - a man and a "bad woman" overturned his attitude to life. He wants to know why (look to the title of the story).

The story presents the thoughts of a young boy, the author deliberately simplified the text according to the main character. The question used in the title and life's changes people have - is the area for discussion.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://americanliterature.com/author/sherwood-anderson/short-story/i-want-to-know-why

The Man Upstairs and Other Stories by P. G. Wodehouse- Review

The Man Upstairs and Other Stories by P. G. Wodehouse is a humorous story about the relationship of two people who secretly helped each other. 

The narration started from the scene where a young woman, musician, was going to demand that the young man, a painter who lives upstairs her flat, stop knocking on his floor.

What exactly happened? Readers will only be able to find out after reading the whole story. The author kept the reader intrigued up to the end of the story. 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

http://www.freeclassicebooks.com/P.G.%20Wodehouse/The%20Man%20Upstairs%20and%20Other%20Stories.pdf

Backpack by Tony Earley Revi

The short story "Backpack" by Tony Earley was published in 2018 in the magazine The New Yorker.

The story is about a married man, a teacher, who decided without any reasons to secretly leave his family taking only a backpack with him. It wasn't a spontaneous decision. His life up to that point was written shortly in the story and buying a backpack occurred in the sequence of events which the man witnessed.

The narration puts some actual questions about problems in American society as why individuals feel loneliness, what the sources for depression are and what the outcome may be.


This is a link to the text of the story:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/11/05/backpack

An Official Position by Somerset Maugham -- Review

The author of the story, the classic of British literature William Somerset Maugham, gave a title for the story "An Official Position". It is related to the main character of the story - Louis Remire. He occupied an official position in the prison, he was an executioner, worked with the guillotine. 

Louis Remire was serving a twelve-year sentence at the significant penal settlement of French Guiana, for killing his wife. Despite his past and current harsh job, the author described this person with sympathy.   

During the narration, the author expressed the attitude of the main character toward his life, troubles, and happiness. The story is cruel and at the same time, touching. 

The plot is captivating, and readers don't know the fate of the main character up to the end of the story. The story gave an excellent description of the thin verge between nirvana and disaster, between kindness and evil, between crime, and punishment.

Here is the link to the audio:

https://mixmuz.ru/mp3/w.%20somerset%20maugham/4