Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


May 10

31

The Accident by Gao Xingjian

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 31, 2010
Posted in Short Story Read in 2010  | 5 Comments

John of The Book Mine Set reviewed this short story back in April.

A man is riding a bicycle with a baby carriage mounted to the front. Not a real safe thing to do anywhere, let alone the busy city streets of China. As bus collides with the man, the baby and carriage are thrown. The man’s legs are caught under the wheel of the bus.
This isn’t a story about the man, as one may expect. It is about the reaction of the people who saw the accident or happened upon it later. It is also about the people in the city that were effected by it indirectly. For instance, “The street cleaners have no way of knowing that an accident took place here a few hours ago.”
The story unfolds slowly but not in a boring sort away. There are details of significance but the story moves forward. Xingjian’s writing is beautiful prose and with it he invites the reader to share in the story with him. Reading it for myself, was like sitting down to a cup of tea with the author, himself. I defiantly want to read more by him. Gao Xingjian won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year of 2000.  You can read this story on The New Yorker website, here.
If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays or just find out about some great short stories, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story reviews. Come join in the fun!
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

May 10

24

The Second Bakery Attack, by Haruki Murakami

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 24, 2010
Posted in Short Story Read in 2010  | 6 Comments

Haruki Murakami is an author that has been on my list to try for a long time. This is another short story in which I can’t remember where I heard about it. Therefore, please let me know if you reviewed it.
The Second Bakery Attack opens with a newly married couple wakeing up in the middle of the night totally famished. They scour their kitchen for food and only find 6 cans of beer and some old onions. They have the beer but are still starving.
The husband suggests that they go out to an all night restaurant but the wife said, “We can’t. You’re not supposed to go out to eat after midnight.” The husband just takes her word for it. He then tells her about the time that him and a friend attacked a bakery with a friend, “ten years ago.”
He said, “All we wanted was bread, not money. We were attackers, not robbers.”
The two friends weren’t successful in taking the bread. he said, “The baker gave us the bread before we could take it from him.”
The wife decided that that is why they were so hungry. He was cursed back then for not actually taking the bread and now the curse is on her as well. She said that they must attack another bakery right away. They get in the car and look for an all night bakery.
I won’t tell you any more because I don’t want to spoil it for you. This is a really fun story. It a very unique plot and is very humorous. I highly recommend it. You can read it here. 
If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays or just find out about some great short stories, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story reviews. Come join in the fun!
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

May 10

17

Breaking Fast by Michael Redhill

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 17, 2010
Posted in Short Story Read in 2010  | 3 Comments

I’m not sure how I came across this short story.  Perhaps a fellow blogger reviewed it or perhaps I saw it while looking through other short stories posted on The Walrus.

The story opens, “She hasn’t eaten like this in years. She’s ordered the quiche, two pancakes with local maple syrup, and then, a few minutes ago, she went back up to the counter and ordered a bag of day-old lemon cream scones.”

She appears to be lost in her newspaper but she is really, lost.  She doesn’t live by the diner and she is staying in a hotel nearby.  She has left with her husband’s blessing to think things over and decide what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

The man at the next table over can’t help but notice her.  “She weighs 120 pounds.”  How can she eat all that.  He would like to start up a conversation with her but all he can think to say is “Hungry huh?” He knows that’s lame and remains quiet.

This story could have just as easily taken place in a bar.  The woman and the man sitting close by are obviously lost souls.  She could have just as easily been drowning her sorrows in alcohol as she was in quiche and pastries.  The story doesn’t really go anywhere however, it is worthwhile.  It is written in crisp and thought provoking prose, with an interesting character study.  This is the first thing I have read by Michael Redhill but it certainly wont be the last.  Click on the link to read “Breaking Fast.”

If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays or just find out about some great short stories, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story reviews. Come join in the fun!

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

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