The Guest by Albert Camus — Review

The short story “The Guest” by French author Albert Camus put forward for readers the dilemma of choice in a very complicated situation. The main character is a schoolmaster who has to convoy an arrested person to the police.

The other important theme is: who has a right to be a host and who is a guest in the disputed territory, in an area where the war takes place.

The attitude of readers of the story about the actions which the characters of the story have makes an interesting subject for discussion.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://jerrywbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Albert-Camus-The-G uest.pdf

Sredni Vashtar by Saki -- Review

"Sredni Vashtar" is a short story written by Saki (Hector Hugh Munro). The main character is a sickly 10-year old boy, Conradin. He lives in the care of his cousin Mrs. De Ropp. She enjoys having power over this boy which results in him sincerely hating her.

The story is about the pressure that adults sometimes impose on children. The result of it readers can see in the story.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/SreVas.shtml

The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve -- Review

The short story "The Medicine Bag" by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve talks about an American boy who belongs to a Native American family.  During summer vacations he would visit a reservation where his grandfather lives, but he has little in common with the traditions of Native Americans because he is now used to living in Western society.

One day the grandfather unexpectedly comes to town to visit his children and grandchildren. The author of the story, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, belongs to a Native American family too. In her story, she truthfully and naturally describes the boy’s reaction as well as other people’s, in relation to meeting with the old man.  

The story raises the interest of the reader to know more about Native American traditions, about their beliefs and culture. Reading this story brings lots of positive emotions to the readers.

This is the link to the text of the story:

https://iblog.dearbornschools.org/issa/wp-content/uploads/sites/1187/2015/11/Themedicine_bag_fulltext.pdf

The Beggar by Anton Chekhov -- Review

The story "The Beggar" by Anton Chekhov is a short and very deductive work with an unexpected ending.

The writer presents two main characters: drunkard and beggar Lushkov and Petersburg's lawyer Skvortsov, who has intentions to help a degraded person to come back to normal life.

It seems before the final part of the story that there are only two characters there. It appears in the end, there are three main characters in this very clever, great story.

Here is the link to the text:

https://theshortstory.co.uk/classic-short-story-the-beggar-by-anton-chekhov

The Woman at the Store by Katherine Mansfield -- Review

The short story "The Woman at the Store" by Katherine Mansfield tells about visiting a few strangers in a house in New Zealand. The place is located far away from civilization.

The woman lives with her daughter there. According to the woman, her husband left the family but there are some signs which show that the reality may be different.

The narrator presents in the story; the country, local people, nature.

It starts with a description of the day which the main characters witnessed: "All that day the heat was terrible. The wind blew close to the ground; it rooted among the tussock grass, slithered along the road, so that the white pumice dust swirled in our faces, settled and sifted over us and was like a dry skin itching for growth on our bodies."

It ends with the scene:  "A bend in the road, and the whole place disappeared.". 

Why visitors want to leave this place as soon as possible -- readers can know at the end of this story.

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org/assets/KM-Stories/THE-WOMAN-AT-THE-STORE1912.pdf

Knock by Fredric Brown -- Review

The short story "Knock" by American science fiction and mystery writer Fredric Brown starts with a description of "a sweet little horror story that is only two sentences long." 

"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door..."

This is how the story ends, with one exception, the last person knows who is behind the door, and this person is not the last... Maybe this knock on the door will save doomed humanity.

This is a link to the text of the story:

http://koapp.narod.ru/english/fantast/book34.htm

Pétur by Olivia Clare --- Review

The story "Pétur" by Olivia Clare tells about a woman who traveled with her middle-aged son to Iceland.

It was her dream to see her former husband's country. The story starts with the sentence "Ash fell from the wind" which was a volcanic eruption. The author described what people saw and felt during those days. 

Olivia Clare combined it with the mood of the main characters and their attitude toward each other. They belong to one family but they are completely different. 

The author created a great picture of the atmosphere in the countryside in Iceland, it shows how people adapted to severe nature.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://ecotonemagazine.org/fiction/petur/

Before the Party by W. Somerset Maugham -- Review

The central theme of the story is how a respectable wealthy British family is trying to maintain their appearances and how their appearances can be deceiving.

Millicent, a middle-aged woman, who returned from Borneo after the death of her husband, Harold had hidden something.

Maugham gave a long introduction which prepared readers for what happened next. It was a beautiful summer day and the family planned to attend the party. It is far away from the jungles of Borneo, but the past events brought darkness to the home life of the family.

If the truth is not pleasant, nobody wants to know it. The story is clever and deductive.

This is the link to the text of the story;

https://lingualeo.com/en/jungle/before-the-party-by-somerset-maugham-578929

Discussion about English Grammar

Here are some mistakes which were made in the test for English Grammar. This is what we discussed with an English native speaker. The text which is crossed out is how it was answered initially. The text in bold is the right answer according to the creator of the test.  The text in brackets shows the comments during the discussion). 

I normally live in London but this year ___________ in Tallinn.

I live

I'm living (Because it’s a continuous action. For example I live in Moscow but: Now I’m living in Moscow.)

I do live

I would have

 

Your leg looks bad – you_________see a doctor.

have

should go (it is more appropriate in spoken English)

going

ought to (it is also possible to use but it is more formal)

They asked her who_____________.

is she

she is 

was she

she was (Because the action is in the past, the description of the action needs to be in the past)

I wish I____________a dog when I was young.

had

have had

had had (This is an unreal situation and it is completed in the past. But some English speakers think that the phrase “had had” sounds not natural).

have

By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benét -- Review

"By the Waters of Babylon" is a post-apocalyptic short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét. It takes place in the territory of the USA and New York City. 

The narrator of the story is a young man who explores the world around him. People live in tribes and they do for a living what ancient people did in the distant past (hunting, gathering plants, etc.). The main character also sees the signs of the apocalypse that mankind will face in the future.

This mixture of past and future is what differentiates the story from others and makes it memorable.

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://notamanuscrita.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/benet-babylon.pdf

Prometheus -- Retold by Bernard Evslin -- Review

According to the ancient Greek myth, Prometheus brought fire to man. He did it without permission from the main god, Zeus, and he was punished for it. 

Zeus expressed an interesting conclusion during a discussion about fire and happiness:  

“Do you not know, Prometheus, that every gift brings a penalty? ... Man does not have fire, true, nor the crafts which fire teaches. On the other hand, he does not know disease, warfare, old age, or that inward pest called worry. He is happy, I say, happy without fire. And so he shall remain.”

This dilemma stays true for nowadays regarding technical progress for example. People take advantage of it and they are paying for it by losing natural life. 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.monroe.kyschools.us/userfiles/939/Prometheus.pdf

The Man from Glasgow by Somerset Maugham -- Review

The story is written in a mystical genre.  This is not a typical genre for Somerset Maugham. The author finishes the story mysteriously, spectacularly. It could scare readers.

The narrator meets the main character in a hotel. He lives in a Spanish town and he experiences something frightening.  

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.bookscool.com/en/The-Complete-Short-Stories-of-W.-Somerset-Maugham-II-The-World-Over-356994/39

On the Quai at Smyrna by Ernest Hemingway --- Review

"On the Quai at Smyrna" is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway which was published in 1930. Hemingway described episodes of the Greek-Turkish war. 

It is a documentary presentation featuring an eyewitness of the events and consequences that took place during the Greek-Turkish war. This is a narration about the suffering of the exiled Greeks awaiting evacuation - who endured unthinkable conditions, in a small area of ​​the port pier. 

Literary critics, describing the short style of Hemingway's works, call it "telegraphic". The author wrote about various atrocities, but he told the story without emotions as if it was a narration from the outside. Hemingway left his readers to make their own opinion about the events that he witnessed.

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://eclass.upatras.gr/modules/document/file.php/PN1539/e-books/ERNEST%20HEMINGWAY%20-%20IN%20OUR%20TIME.pdf

Zebra by Chaim Potok -- Review

The short story Zebra written by American writer Chaim Potok tells about an injured boy who met an artist who lost his hand during the Vietnam war. The main characters discovered a hidden potential within themselves over the course of the story.

The story is deductive but maybe a little bit pathetic. Each person who was presented in the story was good but some signs showed that society was not perfect. For example, the fact that a veteran had to search for something in the bin to survive. Also, using a nickname instead of a real name by the young boy and people around him doesn’t look right … at least in my opinion.

Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://mandikercher.bhasd.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/86/2016/08/Zebra.pdf

Jimmy Hayes and Muriel by O. Henry -- Review

The short story “Jimmy Hayes and Muriel” by O. Henry looks beautiful and impressive, but not real. This is a case where O. Henry temporarily turned from a famous writer into a journalist from some kind of "yellow press".

So according to the plot, a young guy called Jimmy Hayes along with his girlfriend Muriel, arrived at a frontier post. Who was the guy's girlfriend, and what happened next, you will find out by reading this short story.



Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/jimmy-hayes-and-muriel

The Japanese Quince by John Galsworthy -- Review

The short story "The Japanese Quince" was written by English writer John Galsworthy in 1910. The author described the thoughts and feelings of one person. He works as a clerk and his interactions with other people are restricted. He used to hide his feelings, he is afraid to show them.

Two people enjoy the smell of blossoms of the three named the Japanese Quince. They started a small talk but only for a short time before they became aware of how awkward it can be.



Here is the link to the text of the story:

http://www.free-lancers.net/posted_files/N6A512AF3506E.doc

The Breakfast Club - Movie (1985) -- Review

The Breakfast Club is an iconic film broadcast in 1985. The plot of the movie includes one day of a group of teenagers who have to stay in school on Saturday and write an essay on the topic "Who we are".

They present different characters and lifestyles: smart guy, athlete, hopeless person, princess, and outlaw. They share their thoughts with each other about the society which surrounds them.

The acting is good and very truthful. The actors were well selected, and the performances were excellent. The audience can recognize the different distinguishing traits of the people which we can meet around.

These are the link for the information about the movie and to a video clip from the film:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HND8ywYcC0&list=FLLelWnFUX13iHp7n1oZOm_w&index=5&t=3s

The Storyteller by Saki -- Review

The short story "The Storyteller'' is written by English writer Saki (Munro). Adults often describe to children an ideal, not a realistic picture of the world. As the author says in the story, most adults begin the dialogue with children with the phrase “Don't,” and nearly all of the children's remarks begin with “Why?”.

It’s a funny story, a little controversial, which gives a subject for discussion.

Here is the link to the text:

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

The Chaser by John Collier -- Review

A young and poor man came to the seller of a love potion. He needs to get this potion for a girl - his lover, and it costs only one dollar - but for some reason, the old merchant tells him something completely different …

This story is funny. It is good for making predictions both optimistic and pessimistic, depending on what you are focusing on in the reading.



Here is the link to the text of the story: 

http://ciscohouston.com/docs/docs/greats/chaser.html

The Romantic Young Lady by William Somerset Maugham -- Review

"The Romantic Young Lady" is a short story about a beautiful girl who fell in love with the coachman of her mother's worst enemy. The mother tries to dissuade her daughter from a rash act. The rich marquis asks for her hand in marriage. But the daughter does not want to listen. The mother had to concede to her rival and ask for help ...

There is no romance in this story. Although the name does not necessarily reflect the essence of the story; readers may expect something cozy, naive and subtle seeing the title. But expectations are not met with reality.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://royallib.com/read/Maugham_Somerset/sixtyfive_short_stories.html#614615

The Jockey by Carson McCullers --- Review

A jockey named Bitsy stares at his trainer, a bookie, and the horse's owner who is sitting at the table and eating. His friend, another jockey, got seriously hurt on the track. He calls these three men “Libertines”. They are left speechless after his departure. The plot represents a great contrast between the meal and the tension of the conversation.

The author creates an atmosphere of impending horror. The reader is constantly looking around, running ahead, feeling that something will happen.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://biblioklept.org/2012/02/19/the-jockey-a-short-story-by-carson-mccullers/

Grease - Iconic American Musical - Review

Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film. The film shows America in the 1950s, where there was still no oil crisis, no Vietnam war. An atmosphere of celebration and wellbeing was present everywhere.

All of the aspects in the movie are perfect: music, dances, costumes, acting. The movie portrayed adolescents. There are all the recognizable signs of this age: fearlessness, lack of self control, emotional and changeable mood. See for example how Travolta deliberately walked showing - I'm cool!). This iconic movie may be rewatched again and again, great mood guaranteed!



This is a link to the article in Wikipedia about the movie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grease_(film)

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell -- Review

The main character of the story “The Most Dangerous Game”, by Richard Connell, is the famous hunter; he appeared on the mysterious island.

The hero of the story didn’t know how the beast, the object of his hunting, feels and he will soon know that feeling.

This is a link to the text of the story:

http://clarkscorners.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/8/9/59890725/the_most_dangerous_game-withsupport.pdf

Virtual Trip To Hua Hin Railway Station (Thailand)

Google Maps combined with the screen sharing feature may be used for virtual journeys. It is a great option for online meetings. It gives freedom to move in any direction. Here we can see the world as it is.

During the online chat, we discussed the Hua Hin railway station in Thailand.

This is a view of the station from the railroad. The shape of the roof and red and yellow colors remind us more of a cathedral than a train station.

It is interesting to compare the words in English and in Thai languages. Notice in the picture below that the word 'Tickets' spells longer in Thai, but the next words have the opposite result in a comparison of sizes.

The next picture represents the interior view inside the station. The window on the left is for buying tickets and the window on the right is for complaining to the police :) 

This is a link to the article in Wikipedia about this train station:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Hin_railway_station

Who Dealt? by Ring Lardner -- Review

The story is “Who Dealt?” by Ring Lardner and was written in the first person. The wife was talking, during a bridge game, about her life and the lives around her. She pretends to be seen for readers as a poor fool and maybe for the others who have to live with her. However, her narration is much deeper because of her innocent thoughts. The author describes the society, relationships within the family and with friends in a lot of detail.

The story is full of colloquial phrases which can be interesting for English learners. For example; 

• to stay on the wagon - a colloquialism generally referring to an alcohol abuser's sobering up time;
• to go the limit in everything -  to be extravagant;
• to rave about something - to give wildly enthusiastic praise for something;
• to worm out of something - to try and get information from someone that they are trying to keep secret.

The story is good for readers who like descriptive stories, without definite plot, where life is presented as it is.

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1925/12/15/who-dealt

A Perfect Day for Bananafish By J. D. Salinger - Review

The story tells about a young man who returned from the war, got married and something in his life went wrong …

The war had a big influence on the personality of the main character. He had had an unsuccessful marriage; he was bored with his wife, who was only interested in fashionable clothes. He found a soul mate in the face of a little girl and told her a fictional story about a fish.

He was so lonely and sad that even in a conversation with a girl he met, he referred to his wife as his aunt. The finale of the story is shocking.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://southerncrossreview.org/81/salinger-bananafish.html

Appointment with Love By S.L Kishor -- Review

Soldier, the main character of the short story Appointment with Love by American writer S.L Kishor falls in love with a person he has never seen. He finally saw the object of his passion and remembered their emotional relationship over a great distance. 

The author keeps the intrigue up to the end of the story. Readers will know about the plot after reading this short story, not from this review.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://posyo.narod.ru/LITERATURE/love.htm

Adam by Kurt Vonnegut -- Review

In the short story “Adam” by Kurt Vonnegut the main character is a man (his name is Heinz) who is waiting in the waiting room of a maternity hospital.

He and his wife are holocaust survivors. When a nurse informes Heinz that his son is born, he is very excited and wants to share it with everyone around him. But people are indifferent.

Kurt Vonnegut showed in this story how a life’s experience influences the ability of people to feel one another’s grief or joy.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/api/lessons/1c2bb46ffdf0fed14bcbaaaf4904ec70/AdambyKurtVonnegut.pdf

The Unconquered by W. Somerset Maugham - Review

"The Unconquered" was written in 1943 by the British writer W. Somerset Maugham.

The setting of the story is life in a French village during the Nazi occupation. This is a life story, and each character has his own image of the world and worldview, which leads to the epilogue.

The author does not justify anyone. The reader must be prepared to experience horror and shock. If you are not ready for it - don’t read this story.

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://www.enghienlesbains.fr/sites/default/files/media/downloads/The%20Unconquered.pdf

The Field of Mustard by A. E. Coppard --- Review

“The Field of Mustard” written by an English writer and poet Alfred Edgar Coppard represents a combination of realism and lyricism. The author uses a simple conversation between two peasant women. The narration includes the description of the natural world and the fate of each individual person, where the lost possibilities, desires, and disappointments occur.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20181020

To Build a Fire by Jack London -- Review

The theme of the story "To Build a Fire" by Jack London is the confrontation between man and the harsh northern nature.

A character of the story dies but dies with dignity, like a strong opponent of the severity of nature. The reason for his death is that he overestimated his human capabilities.

The man as a king of nature failed in the confrontation with nature, to which it was necessary to adapt. An important way to present this idea is the image of a dog, which, being part of nature, does not oppose it.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://hchissaquah.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/to-build-a-fire.pdf

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin --- Review

"The Story of an Hour" is a short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894. The author explores in the story a concept of happiness. The main idea for ​​the story is - a marriage without love for a woman - it is like being in a prison.

The title emphasizes the idea of fate, where the main events can occur in a short time, in this case - in an hour.

The reason for happiness in the story is the loss of a loved one - a husband. Here the source of happiness is negative emotions and events. 

The heroine realizes that she can’t hold in her tears when she is imagining the body of her husband, who loved her. The most important thing for her is that she will have the years, which will belong only to her. Freedom is what she is aware of.

The culmination of the story was her husband returning, alive, and safe. After that, the heroine suddenly died. 

Are her thoughts sinful?  Is her husband guilty for her death? These are questions for readers and a subject for discussion.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://litfit.webs.com/u4_storyofanhour_se.pdf

My First Goose by Isaac Babel --- Review --

The main character of the story "My First Goose" by Isaac Babel is an intelligent person who described one episode of his life. It occurred during the civil war in Russia after the Russian revolution. The hunger held back for one evening for a group of people.

The main character was the only person who was literate. He read aloud the article of Vladimir Lenin in the Soviet newspaper that right now there is a shortage of everything. The fighters listened to the reading with great attention with great respect toward Lenin.

As the narrator said after that: "... and then we went to sleep in the hayloft. Six of us slept there warming each other, our legs tangled, under the holes in the roof which let in the stars." What thoughts were hidden by the author in this short story - readers may only guess.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://www.shortstoryproject.com/story/my-first-goose

The Old Man at the Bridge by Ernest Hemingway -- Review

The idea of war as a total evil was described by Ernest Hemingway in the story “The Old Man at the Bridge”.

The civil war in Spain. Difficult days have come for the Spanish Republic. On the roads and crossings of Catalonia, Hemingway saw a stream of refugees. According to a fresh impression, E. Hemingway writes an essay “Old man at the bridge”. It shows the tragedy of the civilian population of Spain, driven out of their homes.

The plot of the story is simple: an old man left the place where he lived before the war. He sits at the bridge across the river. He is tired, nobody pays attention to him. Only the narrator, the military man who monitors the crossing, casually asks the old man about his life. 

Hemingway uses interesting techniques to attract the reader’s attention. At the beginning of the paragraph, it is noted that the old man had very dusty clothes and later it was described that the peasants plodded along in ankle-deep dust. This description created a black and white picture of the place and people who were tired.

This story didn’t follow the traditional structure for stories. The story ends as the military man leaves whereas the old man remains sitting at the bridge.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

http://rauschreading09.pbworks.com/f/The+Old+Man+at+the+Bridge+packet.pdf

A song "Tripping" by Robbie Williams -- Review

"Tripping" is a song recorded by British singer Robbie Williams in 2005. According to an urban dictionary, tripping means acting like a fool and thinking crazy thoughts.

The composition was opened with the famous statement  “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you and then you win.”.

This slogan was used in 2016 by Donald Trump who was a Republican presidential candidate. He said in his Instagram, that this is a quote of the Indian public figure Mahatma Gandhi. Some sources denied this fact.

Here are three paragraphs of the lyrics: 

First they ignore you

Then laugh at you and hate you

Then they fight you

Then you win

When the truth dies very bad things happen

They're being heartless again

I know it's coming and there's going to be violence

I've taken as much as I'm willing to take

Why do you think we should suffer in silence?

When a heart is broken there's nothing to break

You've been mixing with some very heavy faces

The boys have done a bit of bird

They don't kill their own

And they all love their mothers

But you're out of your depth son have a word

The main idea of the song may be the position of a person who is in a cruel society.  Feelings of loneliness were presented through the prism of a nightmare. The rhythm of music here is quite remarkable and memorable.  

This is a link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g52Uh9wmqZg