So true about seeing different views and opinions.
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May 2022 Book of the Month Club - Short Stories
- Thread starter rubysmama
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Flowers for Algernon
I read the short story Flowers for Algernon shortly after it came out in 1959. I thought it was a great story and fine piece of writing. And so sad. To have that intelligence and know you are losing it must be so heartbreaking! On re-reading it, it is still good, but knowing the ending it was a somewhat painful read. At the age I read it, I could still be surprised at the cruelty Charly endured from his co-workers.
The short story was best. The novel was overly dramatic and the movie (Charly) even more so, though both were OK.
1/2
The Monkey's Paw
This is a story about people trying to get something for nothing, by making a magic wish. These stories almost always come to a bad end and it certainly did here. Well written, but hardly great.
On The Gull's Road
I did not finish this one. Perhaps I am not a romantic. The man met a woman. After talking to her, he found out she was happy with her marriage. And then he decided to put himself in a position to fall in love with her anyway. Is the heart such a worthless thing that we gamble it on things that are doomed to failure? It seemed worse than foolish.
Cat in the Rain
I keep looking for some deep meaning here, but I don't see much. I know that Hemingway was a cat fan and in fact, left his estate to his cats. He was very fond of polydactyl cats and they are sometimes called Hemingway cats. Most here probably know this.
I think the lady wanted the cat because she was lonely and not really to save the cat in the rain. She said to the maid, "I wanted a kitty." That sounds like any cat might do, and not strictly the one she saw in the rain. The cat was gone when the lady went outside. Did it go somewhere that the maid knew about, and was it the cat that was brought to the lady later by the maid? I guess we'll never know.
1/2 Extra star because it was about, well. CATS!
The Necklace
Stories like this seem like a fable, written to teach a lesson. The combination of avarice, jealousy, dishonesty and pride come together to ruin this couples lives. I saw the ending a long way off, as I'm sure many did. I would probably have found this interesting when I was young.
1/2
Good suggestions for shorts stories. I have enjoyed reading them and also reading others opinions. Thanks to everyone!
I read the short story Flowers for Algernon shortly after it came out in 1959. I thought it was a great story and fine piece of writing. And so sad. To have that intelligence and know you are losing it must be so heartbreaking! On re-reading it, it is still good, but knowing the ending it was a somewhat painful read. At the age I read it, I could still be surprised at the cruelty Charly endured from his co-workers.
The short story was best. The novel was overly dramatic and the movie (Charly) even more so, though both were OK.
1/2The Monkey's Paw
This is a story about people trying to get something for nothing, by making a magic wish. These stories almost always come to a bad end and it certainly did here. Well written, but hardly great.
On The Gull's Road
I did not finish this one. Perhaps I am not a romantic. The man met a woman. After talking to her, he found out she was happy with her marriage. And then he decided to put himself in a position to fall in love with her anyway. Is the heart such a worthless thing that we gamble it on things that are doomed to failure? It seemed worse than foolish.
Cat in the Rain
I keep looking for some deep meaning here, but I don't see much. I know that Hemingway was a cat fan and in fact, left his estate to his cats. He was very fond of polydactyl cats and they are sometimes called Hemingway cats. Most here probably know this.
I think the lady wanted the cat because she was lonely and not really to save the cat in the rain. She said to the maid, "I wanted a kitty." That sounds like any cat might do, and not strictly the one she saw in the rain. The cat was gone when the lady went outside. Did it go somewhere that the maid knew about, and was it the cat that was brought to the lady later by the maid? I guess we'll never know.
1/2 Extra star because it was about, well. CATS!The Necklace
Stories like this seem like a fable, written to teach a lesson. The combination of avarice, jealousy, dishonesty and pride come together to ruin this couples lives. I saw the ending a long way off, as I'm sure many did. I would probably have found this interesting when I was young.
1/2Good suggestions for shorts stories. I have enjoyed reading them and also reading others opinions. Thanks to everyone!
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I love your "stars" given to the books
Boris Diamond
. Thanks for the information on Hemingway, I wasnt aware of his love of cats and actually found it more interesting than the short story. Like you, I imagined there was meaning, lesson to be learned from the story but failed to find it.
Boris Diamond
. Thanks for the information on Hemingway, I wasnt aware of his love of cats and actually found it more interesting than the short story. Like you, I imagined there was meaning, lesson to be learned from the story but failed to find it.- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #64
gilmargl
: glad you were able to read all 5 short stories. As always I enjoyed your reviews.
Boris Diamond
: glad you were also able to read the 5 short stories. I did know, but had forgotten, about Ernest Hemingway's love of cats. And Googling tells me there's even a museum which is home to approximately 60 polydactyl cats.Our Cats — The Hemingway Home & Museum
Love your "stars" too.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #65
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #66
We've reached the end of May, so that means we'll be moving on from short stories. As always, thank you to all who read and reviewed along with us. It was interesting reading the different thoughts on the various stories.
Part of me expected short story month to have a few more participants, since they were short and wouldn't take too long to read. But I know everyone is busy, especially with the nice weather finally arriving for those of us in northern parts of the world, so reading time becomes more limited.
To those of you who did read them, would you like to do short story month again, or would you prefer us to stick to books.
Tomorrow is June 1st, which means onto another book club month, where we'll be reading And Then There Were None.
June 2022 Book Of the Month Club - And Then There Were None
Hope you'll all be able to join us.
Part of me expected short story month to have a few more participants, since they were short and wouldn't take too long to read. But I know everyone is busy, especially with the nice weather finally arriving for those of us in northern parts of the world, so reading time becomes more limited.
To those of you who did read them, would you like to do short story month again, or would you prefer us to stick to books.
Tomorrow is June 1st, which means onto another book club month, where we'll be reading And Then There Were None.
June 2022 Book Of the Month Club - And Then There Were None
Hope you'll all be able to join us.
I would love to do short story month again.We've reached the end of May, so that means we'll be moving on from short stories. As always, thank you to all who read and reviewed along with us. It was interesting reading the different thoughts on the various stories.
Part of me expected short story month to have a few more participants, since they were short and wouldn't take too long to read. But I know everyone is busy, especially with the nice weather finally arriving for those of us in northern parts of the world, so reading time becomes more limited.
To those of you who did read them, would you like to do short story month again, or would you prefer us to stick to books.
Tomorrow is June 1st, which means onto another book club month, where we'll be reading And Then There Were None.
June 2022 Book Of the Month Club - And Then There Were None
Hope you'll all be able to join us.
Will will be having more short stories, they are so easy to read in one sitting.
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I liked the short stories. I may not have enjoyed all of them, but I felt they were all valuable in a way.
