Arousing from the most profound of slumbers, we break the gossamer web of some dream. Yet in a second afterward (so frail may that web have been) we remember not that we have dreamed.
(Poe. How delightful. Who knew?)
I think I have discovered a new (to me) delight in this season of my life: the short story. OK, OK, I'll admit it: I've been a bit of a snob about the short story. It is useful for guiding writing classes, for draining the life from high school English Lit classes, perhaps for filling the gaps in an anthology. Too short to be a novel, too long to be an essay, the short story seemed to lack purpose. It never fed a portion of my reading heart in a way that merited remark, either good or bad.
Now, before you *tut-tut* and begin making disdainful clucking noises, hear me out. (I still remember the collective gasp when I admitted I was never a big fan of fiction. We all learn. I'm learning. Growing. Bear with me.) It's not that I hadn't read Poe, Conrad, or Chesterton (although, ok, Chesterton is new to me -- within the last few years -- and it is to him I owe my latest foray into short stories). I think it's that I hadn't quite understood how best to approach a short story. By it's very name, I suppose, I always expected it to be, well, shorter. And so, I hadn't the attention to last much beyond the first page or two. Yet, to gear up for the seminar-length of a novel seemed a bit of overkill, really. So I developed my pace for reading through a short story - I'd sprint. Sprint through it, suck it up, get it over, and try very hard not peek at the last paragraph becuse honestly, is is THAT difficult to show some self-composure? Truly, when you must grasp your reading moments in the quiet lulls between needs and demands, who wants to sprint? Not I!
Children get it. Children get the thrill of a short story. They understand, almost intuitively, that the master of a short story can make his readers wonder, follow, care... all of the things a well-written novel will do, but with far fewer words and far less time to accomplish those things. How did I forget that part? It's a pretty big part. However, due to my love affair with GK Chesterton (it's okay, Zorak knows - I'm only after his words), I picked up a book of *sigh* short stories. Because one of his stories was in there. And it's one I love. Enough to read it over and over again. Enough to buy a book I'm not otherwise interested in owning.
And I began to read the other stories. I read, for the first time in my life, The Pit and the Pendulum. With a bit of context thrown in. And... and... I may not stop making adolescent "quoth the raven" jokes because of it. But I did enjoy it. Not in an uplifting-let's-read-Poe-daily sort of way. But moreso than ever before.
Did you know he wrote of hope?
In so many ways, I am thankful that I can continue my own education. I cannot imagine being in ten years the same as I am today. I am not now what, ten years ago, I thought I'd be. Yet this isn't (really, it isn't) about the journey of self-discovery so much as it is about my utter joy that I've found something I can read, and savor, and enjoy. Before they find me. (I'm running out of hiding spots.)
So, aside from Joyce Carol Oates (who I refuse to subject my soul or mind to ever again, as long as I live - I simply cannot. take. her), who are some of your favorite short stories written by? What are some of your favorite short stories?
And which do you look forward most to sharing with your children?
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
6 comments:
I read a few Joyce Carol Oates stories because she came highly recommended by someone whose opinion on such things I respect. I still respect this person's opinion, but, well, I think we have different tastes;o) It took me at least a week to recover from one story in particular.
If you want nice, hope-filled short stories O. Henry is great. You've probably already read The Gift of the Magi, but he has so many good stories and most just like that. Some people (I've heard) think he's a bit sappy and sentimental. For me, reading his stories is like watching It's a Wonderful Life--good for the soul. And I don't mind being called sappy.
I read Lord Peter this month which is a collection of Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Whimsey detective stories. They were wonderful!
Poe is another favorite. Yes, he's dark, but not in a soul-sucking way. I'll have to dig up something I read this year about his method for writing. It was very interesting and really explained why he was *the* master of the short story.
I read Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne with my literature class this year and everyone enjoyed it. I've never really appreciated his writing before.
I'll have to think about it more when my brain isn't so tired.
Jenni,
I think I remember reading your posts on Hawthorne. Or was that Hemingway? Hmm. Thank you. I'll look into that. We have a good collection of O. Henry's stories - many I've read, but not "properly", I fear. Time to go back, right?
Lord Peter - that's the one I need to just give up and order! Our library doesn't have them. They also don't have Jasper Fforde. Not that you mentioned him, but they have THREE other authors w/ the last name of Fforde. Go figure.
Anyway, I don't know where I was going with that. On Oates, I did try. I tried both short story and novel. The short stories left me dead, out of self-preservation, I think. It took me a long time to wash that novel down, though. Life's too long to walk around with those stories in my head, and my heart.
I picked up Oates on, quite possibly, the same recommendation. ;-) One bomb out of dozens of delightful, thoughtful, thoroughly enjoyable recommendations, though, certainly hasn't dampened my enthusiasm or regard for that person. I'd take a tip from her nightstand any time. :-)
Thanks!
Dy
Ernie wants to write novels, but my personal opinion is that he really excels at the short story. But he kinda has your old attitude about short stories, so he scowls when I offer up that particular opinion. The thing about a short story is that the author can make his point without having to come up with a ton of filler plot just to make it novel length. Novels are great when that much of a plot line is necessary, but filler plot sucks. I like short stories. :) I do tend to get irritated, though, when I really get into one and then suddenly, it's done. *sigh*
I've found that many people are surprised to hear that Poe wrote humor as well. He's got one humorous short story about a man's visit to an insane asylum which cracks me up. And one of my favorite short stories from an English class is The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.
Ernie would kick butt with the short story! Has he met Matt (Vanderbrew?) He does a lot of writing exercizes that make me want to scream when I realize they're only "first sentence" or "first paragraph" type writing b/c I want to know more! Ernie's writing is like that, too.
Thanks for the tip on Poe's humorous side. I don't know why teachers buy into the idea that every adolescent wants to read only angsty, morose things. Sure, some of it is fine and good, and a part of our literature. But there's more. There's so. much. more. And if you have no exposure to it while you're getting exposed to such things, and never hear that it exists at all, it's a damned sight harder to find as an adult.
OK. Not going there this morning. It's too beautiful a day. :-) *sip* There, all better...
Dy
Dy, I've said nasty things about both Hemingway and Hawthorne. They just aren't my thing. I did read a collection of Hemingway's short stories last year and I survived just fine. When I read "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", I kept wishing the character would just *die* already. I thought it was a decent story except the main character (who I saw as Hemingway's personality shining through) was just such an @$$. It reminded me of "La Traviata". Man, how I wished she would quit singing about being sick and dying and just get it over with.
I really enjoyed discussing some of Poe's works with my literature and poetry classes this year. Those morose stories and poems are great for class discussions because they often have a moral or invite closer examination of the character's thoughts, motives, and actions. (Still gotta find that quote.)
Who is this Fforde person? I'll have to look him up. And who is Ernie?
Oh I am so relieved to know that I am not the only one with a Joyce Carol Oates hang-up! I have tried. I'll stop there.
Short stories. Hmmm... I know there were many from High School Lit class that I enjoyed but durned if I can remember the titles. The Gift of the Magi is the only one I can recall. I think another one was A Prayer for Owen Meany. I think.
Sorry to be of absolutely no help! ;)
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