Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway — Review

In his story “Cat in the Rain” Ernest Hemingway describes the mood of an American woman who has arrived at an Italian hotel with her husband.

Lonely even when they are together - this is what sometimes happens when one of the spouses seems to be around all the time, but at the same time does not seem to see the partner at all or understand what is happening in their lives.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://lingvistov.ru/blog/reading-club/reading-club-intermediate-cat-in-the-rain-by-ernest-hemingway/?ysclid=lb6qmsvge9351494888

Girl By Jamaica Kincaid - Review

The very short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is based on a conversation between a mother and her daughter. The mother, speaking with brutal honesty, explains to her daughter the expectations that society sexpects of her as a woman.

She explains to her daughter the importance of cooking, cleaning and entertaining. The author also addresses questions about gender equality in this story.

Here is the link to the text if the story:
https://www.about-jamaica.com/girl_by_jamaica_kincaid/

The Law of Life by Jack London — Review

The main character of the story “The Law of Life” by Jack London is an old man named Koskoosh. The story is told from his perspective.

In this story, his tribe leaves their previous place and move on. It is Koskoosh's turn to accept the fate which old people expect.

This story will surprise the reader with its realism. You cannot help but marvel at how harsh those times were. It is especially interesting to read and see everything through the eyes of the main character, Koskoosh. Here we see the passing of his youth, maturity ... But the old man understands everything and he doesn’t complain about his fate.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://www.rcsd.ms/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=14481&dataid=15658&FileName=Naturalist%20Short%20Story%20The%20Law%20of%20Life.pdf

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe - Review

The story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe utilizes a not so widely-known word Amontillado. It is a wine that has a nutty flavor. The protagonist-narrator meets Fortunato. And he keeps the idea of ​​​​revenge in his head. He decided to punish a friend. They go into the catacombs.

Everything here is frightening: skeletons, cobwebs, bones, and cellars. There is no way Fortunato wants to return. It all ended tragically. 

https://www.humbleisd.net/cms/lib2/TX01001414/Centricity/Domain/5915/th e_cask_of_amontillado.pdf

Hundred-Dollar Kisses by Kurt Vonnegut - Review

The story “Hundred-Dollar Kisses” by Kurt Vonnegut is a transcript of one incident. What to do in the office, if not stupid pranks? 

There is the phone number of a hottie in a men's magazine, and there is a janitor who is a good test subject. Only what you do not see on the cover is much sadder.



https://psv4.userapi.com/c235031/u500001729/docs/d32/66b59a2c5e3c/Hundred-Dollar_Kisses_by_Kurt_Vonnegut.pdf?extra=Yjcp4h7GKO_VQzYcVAhYE97ja7X4uhH3ukfgU9LvIQjGrhxdjWwfQy5RRlXa6pGOvmCsM2ehfp4kvYmX7_riaSrQBSal9Y8PkfF7ItVEdpXx4Gbqk7KWqtor1Wwi5eMGKnp48eikySey5l9CUcNimHQ_Tg

The Surgeon by Roald Dahl - Review

The story “The Surgeon” by Roald Dahl is lively and interestingly written work which tells the story of a surgeon named Robert Sandy. "He was basically a simple man utterly devoted to his profession."

And then one day something happened. The intrigue is kept by the narrator up to the end of the story. The story "The Surgeon" reminisces a medical tale.



This is a link to the text of the story:

https://www.bookfrom.net/roald-dahl/page,9,31845-skin_and_other_stories.html?

In the Spring by Guy de Maupassant — Review

The short story “In the Spring” by Guy de Maupassant was written in an ironic genre.

After running away from work, the young man goes searching for love adventures. A beautiful girl has already appeared on the horizon, but then a stranger suddenly intervenes in the situation.
The author told the love story of one of the characters who did not want other men to repeat his mistakes. The story presented the mood of spring, a woman’s beauty and charm.



Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/in-the-spring

Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald — Review

The main character of the story “Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an alcoholic trying to overcome his addiction in order to regain custody of his only child.

Some people believe that the writer created this story in response to a letter in which one of his relatives claimed that Fitzgerald was unable to adequately raise his daughter.

Fitzgerald described the image of the main character, his surroundings, and his life with amazing accuracy.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://gutenberg.net.au/fsf/BABYLON-REVISITED.html

The Portrait by Aldous Huxley — Review

The story “The Portrait” by Aldous Huxley raises the eternal questions for the buyer: "how to buy better and cheaper?" and for the seller: "how to sell less valuable at a higher price?"

The seller invents a tragic story of the young lady of whom the portrait was painted.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/64814/64814-h/64814-h.htm#Page_247

The Devoted Friend by Oscar Wilde

The story “The Devoted Friend” by Oscar Wilde shouldn't be read literally. The story was written in the era of decadence.And we understand that there is no question of any friendship or self-sacrifice. The essence of the fairy tale is as follows: Hans is an artist, he is busy with his favorite garden, for him it is a work of art through which he transmits a part of himself.

A certain miller slowly takes a piece of his life.The ending shows that the artist and his creation are inseparable.



This is a link to the text of the story:

https://psv4.userapi.com/c505536/u500001729/docs/d30/e92606047834/The_Devoted_Friend.pdf?extra=7XARDT6VvsqrtcP4XqmuAekf-mIgC2PlM6aJTjJaZiOluyGQcJHRP7TvIUjrGtWe5Tn12PZIC71GF3nGZt_oG18J74Gp2DSoDV-LAgfjYoKiQodufFlwmAmmPYQpRHKUi2eBnRS60jimMP0I3fT2BbzXBQ

The Emissary by Ray Bradbury — Review

“The Emissary” by Ray Bradbury is a very atmospheric story that immediately immerses us in the world of autumn colors, in which a paralyzed boy explores the world through the fur of his beloved dog.

But one day the dog disappears forever. And with his disappearance, the light and positive tone of the story changes.One night the dog comes back, only he smells strange... earth, cold, something completely unusual. And he doesn't come alone…



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://raybradbury.ru/library/story/47/7/0/

The Hunter's Wife by Antony Doerr — Review

The Hunter's Wife by Antony Doerr is a story about a young woman who after touching animals and people feels something inexplicable.

The author describes hunting so that readers believe that the main character is able to see what prey feels. 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://psv4.userapi.com/c534536/u89602635/docs/d49/b1def1b31afa/THW.pdf?extra=3qmldeEeMg8GIVea9_LG9i9DYYxDt4XzcEFS6JHWv7JbgfAD3t8uduPAbZ7AnGy4-GmxGYEBtAGU7sx4YPuhknb-NPXmz7DalCm18ymebTIn1xb1QxTNNXYJLoZbYzmFzwLjJvktOsLoE5KdgsAhGGjh

Goblin Lake by Michael Swanwick — Review

The story “Goblin Lake” by Michael Swanwick tells the story about a young soldier who visits the underwater world of a mysterious lake, around which there are rumors and legends.

There he experiences a fabulous, beautiful world of underwater inhabitants, where he finds love. But he faces a choice: to stay in the illusion, in the static world of pleasure, or to return to the real world, which is not as beautiful, but full of life.

The story adhere to any specific genre - but there is an extraordinary combination of science fiction, fantasy, thriller, detective story against a backdrop of romance



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://psv4.userapi.com/c536436/u500001729/docs/d49/5eb276c6820f/Goblin_Lake.pdf?extra=xxx9pcxae5uHWbQvf9sxI87P6VhhZr3QR2jVHcLkRbfZt_YkQ4LHdrszKdMNqz8oxMh9bUrHuJ9ZXYpqqoMrLCDxyx5UbFUG2AAjzPQsB02KanY6rqNW2Wln0B51zkUVNTGCIjBqvcp3iNHCp6WV49f-EA

Human Intelligence by Kurt Andersen — Review

The story “Human Intelligence'' by Kurt Andersen is told through the perspective of an alien who has come to earth as an observer. The alien expected to be replaced by another of his kind after a few years but is instead forgotten and left on Earth. He had to adapt to life among primitive people. He wants people to finally know the truth about him.

The story contains a kind irony and nostalgic sadness. The author leaves the ending open.



Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://futurehuman.medium.com/human-intelligence-2c6506ca8649

The Atavism Of John Tom Little Bear by O Henry — Review

The short story “The Atavism Of John Tom Little Bear” by O Henry is about the life of two strangers. They meet a boy who ran away from his home

The two main characters express a warmness towards the runaway boy and are curious to know where he is from. The story is positive and uplifting to read.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://mythologystories.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/ohenry-18/

Poison by Roald Dahl — Review

In the story “Poison” by Roald Dahl the main character finds himself lying on a bed, and very scared. There is a poisonous snake on his chest. It is urgently necessary to call a doctor so that he can help in case of a snake bite…




Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://psv4.userapi.com/c237131/u500001729/docs/d11/6410cd70e556/Poison_by_Roald_Dahl.pdf?extra=tc7gbv9owO79_JqvGg2Y22ZrXvPnsFuczb9QlYb6znFCrGtwgycaI7ob1CgGWr8hjKHcQt1g8ApDJuhSFPSG-QVtUEUK-5lw5wMahplrRzOTMS7qcPR4x_x7hC1C_xQCy8gwr2SoW5lOKvhhcI5LwFZdLg

Unwell by Carolyn Parkhurst — Review

The short story “Unwell” by Carolyn Parkhurst tells about an old woman who did bad things to her sister in her youth including stealing her fiancé from her. Having learned unsightly details about the current betrothed sister, what will this woman do? … The author keeps intrigue up to the end of the story.

The story is interesting, including the manner of the author, humor, banter, and kind of irony over the characters.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://psv4.userapi.com/c532036/u500001729/docs/d30/38c895ab2043/UNWELL.pdf?extra=m0N8h7ZZw45jd_U9ifJsf6WEJa0lyb67DYWYgtiir4h1_NualAKUU9c5R20uzXiWBdD6HFjjlqrH9Yii9s7HW_tUxBSr3zfo3ZmP0HNmCpE38MW7-mFh98lvo8IxLIMrLAuoct8JoteQfX17-2ps1ZW0mA

Skin by Roald Dahl - Review

The story “Skin” by Roald Dahl describes Paris in the 1940s. Everything that happens to an old and lonely man named Drioli is directly related to the events that took place during his distant youth.

It is shocking that the main character is presented to the reader as a thing. He himself, probably, did not suspect that he would become such a thing for other people. It's creepy.




Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://artinfiction.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/roald-dahl-skin-1952/

Ordeal in Space by Robert A. Heinlein - Review

“Ordeal in Space” by Robert A. Heinlein is the story of a man who becomes a hero of space when he is called to repair a spaceship and the aftermath of that event.

The fear of heights and open space is so strong that he tries not to even be in the open air on the street. In general, it is possible to live with this, and he even somehow adapts, changing his job, environment and lifestyle.

But staying at a friend's house, he hears a cat meowing outside the window of a high-rise building …



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://litlife.club/books/126598/read?page=30&

The League of the Old Men by Jack London — Review

The story “The League of the Old Men” by Jack London is about a war between two civilizations. The Native Americans are losing their culture, their values are substituted by the values ​​of another world.

The old people understand that their youth is not capable of acting, they begin to protect their tribe from external influence.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://americanliterature.com/author/jack-london/short-story/the-league-of-the-old-men

Chopin in winter by Stuart Dybek — Review

“Chopin in winter” by Stuart Dybek is the story about a young boy who is listening to the Etudes of Chopin during a Chicago winter season. The main characters are a pregnant neighbor, grandfather and other members of the boy's family.

Stuart Dybek describes the bizarre routine of everyday life in Chicago's Polish enclaves. The story has close connotations with the memories of the author about his childhood.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://royallib.com/read/Dybek_Stuart/the_coast_of_chicago_stories.html?ysclid=l26w5cggly#0

The Gardener by Rudyard Kipling — Review

The plot of the story "The Gardener" by Rudyard Kipling is connected with the events of Kipling's life. On September 27, 1915, his eighteen-year-old son was killed in a battle near Loo.

Later he visited the cemetery and talked with the gardeners. After that he began writing the story.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://psv4.userapi.com/c237331/u500001729/docs/d52/80ad22cfa024/The_Gardener.pdf?extra=kuCKsxyUAldC5Ol46jg0mdEbn5cr9RVDSPGByBsKMrHlQEi9pR4Eks7jRdgTNvd3rh25juvq0KFsVpe5cl5h07cyRD5OftePTeDjBWG1zYUN0DLIZYZjX0PrcaZ5Fn9hxECLkOIYYt6GS5_yToDhboMdJw

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu — Review

The story “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu is about the relationship between the parents and children, the love of a mother for her son, and about childish cruelty and selfishness.

The story includes descriptions of paper animals which can remind readers of a fairy tale.

The story is told from the perspective of an adult son. As a child, of course, he loved his mother very much and was close to her, but in his rebellious adolescence he moved away from her and only after many years was able to understand what pain he caused her ...




Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://psv4.userapi.com/c237231/u500001729/docs/d45/fc55072e7f08/The-Paper-Menagerie_by_Ken_Liu.pdf?extra=6shNJ-OPBXX07Wv7zEcxcTHf_Q-aaBW4qejqNHv5y0DuAFvxXsCZYHyggGiV0ZpkzIvT4Yp_GJyeyNsFDTbwE4ugxbTS9rWLkhGk7xjMPnryQuyxCUILhGsB3Nw6_S6EQgvm1sn-tpcHDzk1lc4b0xBQZA

The old man by Daphne Du Maurier — Review

The old man by Daphne Du Maurier belongs to the genre of mystery stories. The family lives near the lake, father and mother, in love with each other and three daughters and a strange son.

The father is the real head of the family: strict, proud and even majestic. One day, they decide to send their children to a new life.

Du Maurier writes in such a way that we don’t know until the very end, the tension during the story rises gradually.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://readsonlinebook.com/the_birds_and_other_stories/26

The Enormous Radio by John Cheever — Review

The short story “The Enormous Radio” by John Cheever tells about the ordinary family who lives on the 12th floor of an apartment building. One day, the radio in their apartment breaks down and they decide to purchase a new, experimental model of the radio.

To their surprise when, instead of music, they hear the conversations of their neighbors from the speakers … The story is written with a little humor and with a lot of sadness.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://tnsatlanta.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Enormous-Radio-Cheever.pdf

Dummy by Susan Sontag — Review

The short story “Dummy” by Susan Sontag presents a genre of anti utopian prose.

This fable-like story is about a Manhattan office worker who finds the monotonous way of his life so intolerable. He decides to substitute everyday routine with something new and creates a robot.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://psv4.userapi.com/c536132/u500001729/docs/d23/f6a9eb8de9f4/Dummy.pdf?extra=oboBtZYOVpcScksgBM1Qxwrpfmz1b6Z65EHg4iJSxPib4PSyLqRfrHIJB80UhO1yZbVKM4xc1N5L6Ud-zBHWnF8ATaggY-Hzg3g87PFIrcXBJuZRez_SOQs_FWtYQSuyObjhTKzLUOd864_Rv0Tmu-bBJw

The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck — Review

“The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is a short story about an unhappy woman who is fond of growing chrysanthemums. She is proud of her chrysanthemums, but her family life is not in order.

Eliza is ready to tell everyone she meets about her hobby, which a wandering grinder uses to earn some extra money.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://literaryfictions.com/fiction-1/the-chrysanthemums-by-john-steinbeck-2/

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote — Review

The main characters of the story “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote are an elderly lady and a boy whom she calls Buddy.

It is a very warm, nostalgic story after which readers can remember their own childhood and the New Year holidays. It is also about the connection between generations, and love, about the value of every moment spent nearby, about what is gone and what will never return.



This is a link to the text of the story:
http://www.sailthouforth.com/2009/12/christmas-memory.html

À La Carte by Jeffrey Archer — Review

The story “À La Carte” by Jeffrey Archer carries an idea of the importance of family values. The main character works as a lowly hotel porter to please his father, then unexpectedly … - the readers can know about it after reading this story.



This is the link to the text of the story:

https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/jeffrey-archer/page,53,39541-collected_short_stories.html

A Family Supper by Kazuo Ishiguro - Review

The story “A Family Supper” by Kazuo Ishiguro tells about what can happen during a typical family dinner. It can affect the fate of people who spend time together, talking and discussing ordinary, everyday things.

The main character returns to Japan, his mother died of fugu poisoning. His father and sister are expecting him for a family dinner. After, the father feeds the children fish, then serves himself.

Nothing hints at the seriousness of what is happening, but the conversations of the characters gradually become more personal and frank. The problems that the heroes kept to themselves for a long time, but which they are no longer able to hide from loved ones, become known.

Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://magicbarrel.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/family-supper_ishiguro.pdf

Sea Oak by George Saunders — Review

“Sea Oak” by George Saunders is a horrible story. This conclusion is not for the theme of zombies. This story is a trigger which is a warning for many things: cruelness of society, poverty etc.

The story takes place in a dystopian housing development, Sea Oak (United States), and centers around the narrator (male stripper) and his family. They are trying to become successful and enable themselves to move out of dangerous Sea Oak.



This is link to the text of the story:
https://barcelonareview.com/20/e_gs.htm

The Things They Carried By Tim O'Brien — Review

The story “The Things They Carried” By Tim O'Brien is about the soldiers of the American army in Vietnam. The author describes what exactly they take with them and this description refers not only to physical things (photos of girlfriends and letters from home, a flask of water etc) but also to moral settings.

Tim O'Brien is a veteran of the Vietnam War, to which he was called up at the age of 20, from his student days. It becomes frightening how the young people become cruel killers of civilians.



This is the link to the text of the story:
https://lessonbank.kyae.ky.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/TTTC_Full_Text.pdf

Symbols And Signs by Vladimir Nabokov— Review

The story “Symbols And Signs” by Vladimir Nabokov" is written in the genre of family drama.

The plot centres on an unnamed husband and wife who are about to visit their terminally ill son in a psychiatric hospital.

What should they bring him for his birthday which wouldn’t offend him or provoke a nervous attack?


This is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1948/05/15/symbols-and-signs

Runaway by Alice Munro — Review

The story "Runaway" by Canadian writer Alice Munro is about relationships between people. It seems they reached a dead end, but after a real threat of losing a loved one they rekindled their relationship again.

The main characters of the story are ordinary women whose desires can’t match with their dreams. The theme of escape (escape from life) is presented as a main idea of the story.


A distinctive feature of Munro’s story is unpredictability. As soon as readers expect a logical outcome, the author turns to the opposite direction and everything goes upside down.





This is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/08/11/runaway-4

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings: A Tale For Children — Gabriel Garcia Marquez — Review

In the short story “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings: A Tale For Children '' prominent Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez described the appearance of an angel to ordinary people.

The desire of people to see magic results in some unpleasant things such as consumerism, obsession with money, inadequate attitude to old age, and absence of gratitude.

The author perfectly describes the character of human nature in a crowd of people using the character of an angel.



Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol/CreativeWriting/323/MarquezManwithWings.htm

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri — Review

The story "Interpreter of Maladies" is about an Indian tour guide who communicates with a client, a woman who tells a shameful secret from her past.

The laconic style and deep psychologism of Jumpa Lahiri depicts the inner world of the characters. The subtle humour of seemingly insignificant events in the life of ordinary people acquire a deep meaning.

The story is included in the debut book of Jhumpa Lahiri. This book won the Pulitzer Prize.


Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/jhumpa-lahiri/page,5,36922-interpreter_of_maladies.html

Go See Eddie by J.D.Salinger — Review

The short story “Go See Eddie” by J.D. Salinger is written in a form of dialogue between brother and sister. The reader immediately immerses in the story’s events, a kind of everyday scene from life, and is able to observe what is going on.

Salinger does not express his opinion, he allows readers to think about the characters and their actions.





This is a link to the text of the story:

https://www.ae-lib.org.ua/texts/salinger__early_stories__en.htm

The Geranium by Flannery O'Connor – Review

In the short story "Geranium" O'Connor addressed to the readers several important issues:

One of them is longing for the native land. The story talks about an elder man who has moved from a small village into a big city and he can’t find a place for himself. The city is too big for him, everything here is different;from the trees to the greenery.

The familiar world is lost forever. There is no river here, and he doesn’t notice the smell of the earth and warmth of the sun.

Everyone seems like a stranger to him. The only thing that reminds him of his native South is a pot of geraniums, which stands by the window of the house across.



This is a link to the text of the story:
https://biblioklept.org/2014/02/24/the-geranium-flannery-oconnor/

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury — Review

The main theme of the story “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” by Ray Bradbury is a feeling of the upcoming bloody battle during the Civil War of the North and South in the USA.

The general and the little drummer are talking on a spring evening in a military camp. In a day or two the Battle of Shiloh will take place, and everyone is afraid in their own way. The story was wtitten by Bradbury after he read in the newspaper about an person whose great-grandfather was known as the drummer boy of Shiloh. The story represents a ganre of a psychological sketch on the theme “before the battle”.

Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://mrhay.weebly.com/uploads/8/2/5/3/8253688/drummerboy_story.pdf

Penal Colony by Franz Kafka - Review

The story “Penal Colony” by Franz Kafka has no plot. It is a rather detailed, in fact a very detailed, description of execution. The description is so naturalistic and cruel that some readers may want to halt reading.

In the beginning, the reader hates the officer conducting the execution, who is so proud of it, and explains it in such detail and with such passion. Yet, the denouement is very unexpected.  It seems like the world has changed.

Definitely, it is a brutal book, but interesting with a rapidly changing main idea and course of events.

 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~raha/793CA_web/PenalColony.pdf

The Dead by James Joyce — Review

The story "The Dead" is the last in the book "The Dubliners" by the most prominent Irish writer James Joyce. The author shows in this work the inner world of Irish people. Readers watch on as one emotion replaces another.

 

In the centre of the story is a Christmas ball, which is given by three sisters, ladies of mature age, to whom relatives and friends have gathered. The story takes place during one evening.  

Through the title of the story "The Dead" the author attributes it to the stage of human existence. 

 

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/greatworks540spring2013/files/2013/03/James-Joyce_The-Dead.pdf

God's Thunder - Movie Review

Despite being an old back and white film (1965) - it is magnificent, soulful, with a deep meaning.

Gabin’s character is an elder misanthrope, who at the same time heals animals and helps mares deliver. The protagonist's wife, a wise woman who may seem cold-blooded and lifeless at first, turns out to be more of a kind person. The young heroine, Michelle Mercier, is a beauty with an easy character.

The movie creates a feeling of melancholy, with a cheerful mood. Even negative characters here do not lose heart, and the pacifying effect of the film is noticeable.

A Story Without A Title by Anton Chekhov— Reviews

The very short story with the title “A Story Without A Title”  by Anton Chekhov is an anecdote disguised as a historical legend about a wise monk.  He went to the city to instruct those lost and mired in sins. Three months later, the old man returned.

Among other possible conclusions, readers may agree that sometimes anti-advertising arouses more interest than purposefully praising the positive qualities of something.

 

This is a very funny work, thoroughly saturated with sarcasm.  

This is a link to the text of the story:

https://americanliterature.com/author/anton-chekhov/short-story/a-story-without-a-title

The Tent by Liam O' Flaherty — Review

In the short story “The Tent” the Irish writer Liam O' Flaherty described the circumstances when people are ready to help each other but their actions might lead them in another direction.

The author showed the features of human characters from outside, without expressing his own opinion. He stayed neutral and it gives readers the space for interpretation.

The story was published in the “The Oxford Book of Short Stories”. Here is the link:

https://vn1lib.org/book/1179853/587fec

The Destructors By Graham Greene — Review

The short story “The Destructors” by Graham Greene might give rise to many negative emotions. The author put a rhetorical question to his readers and himself: what is the purpose of destroying? Some would say that destruction is a form of creation, which also requires imagination, planning, hard work and clear organization.

There are many details included in the narration which can be taken into account for analyzing the plot: 

- there was only one house which was not ruined during the war, “a smaller bomb and some incendiaries had fallen beyond so that the house stuck up like a jagged tooth and carried on the further wall relics of its neighbor”

- the main character was a son of a former architect and he understood the beauty of the house;

-  nobody had a feeling of hatred against a person who consequently suffered.

After the reading, we can look at these circumstances and maybe find more information for analyzing this story.



Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://100mudcats.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/destructors.pdf

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman — Review

The short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is about a mentally unstable lady who examines the yellow wallpaper in the bedroom of a rented house. The author created a very oppressive, unpleasant but also very intriguing atmosphere.

 

During the narration, the story gradually builds up and increases the tension. In the end, it already seems that the words are electrified. The meaning in the text is very important. Finally, it left behind a very oppressive feeling.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/theliteratureofprescription/exhibitionAssets/digitalDocs/The-Yellow-Wall-Paper.pdf

Telemachus, Friend by O.Henry — Review

 

The short story O. Henry "Telemachus, Friend" can not only be called a humorous miniature, but also its attributes to the category of anecdote.

 

It talks of how absurd friends maybe if they strictly adhere to equality in communications with their loved ones. The courtship begins strictly according to the rules, there are no advantages over each other. Only possible dates together.

 

Interesting are the statements of one of the characters about two ways to conquer a woman's heart, as well as about his experience in seduction and flirting.

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/telemachus-friend

A Christmas Tree and a Wedding by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Review

According to the plot of the short story “A Christmas Tree and a Wedding” by Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the main characters were attending a Christmas party, where some children were given gifts. Those who were richer got better gifts.

The narrator witnessed one scene where one character counted the money of a little girl, which she may receive when she marries in the future. 

The second part of the story happened five years later.

 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.berfrois.com/2013/12/two-christmas-short-stories-fyodor-dostoyevsky/

The Record of Badalia Herodsfoot by Rudyard Kipling — Review

The Record of Badalia Herodsfoot by Rudyard Kipling is a stunning, dramatic, heartbreaking story of a woman-martyr, in words - an atheist, in deeds - a righteous woman. 

 

The narration allows readers to look at life from new points of view. The characters of the story don’t look attractive. The narration is written frankly, fiercely, mercilessly.  

 

The ending makes readers shudder at the same time with horror and delight.

 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/ManyInventions/badaliaherodsfoot.html

The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad — Review

"The Secret Sharer" by Joseph Conrad presents a genre of a marine narrative. It is also a psychological thriller with the dominant character focusing on the hero's inner drama. The narrator tells the story not only about the others but also about himself and becomes the subject and object of the story.

 

The author uses the technique of split personality to bring suspense and to sharpen the psychological conflict of the story.

 

Here is the link to the text of the story:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/220/220-h/220-h.htm