Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Oct 11

31

The Apostate by Jack London

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on October 31, 2011
Posted in Short Story Read in 2011  | 4 Comments

I came across this short story by Jack London awhile ago and finally got around to reading it.  I have a faint recollection of someone reading The Call of the Wild to me but I’m not sure.  It is a book on my TBR.

There are no dogs in The Apostate but it is a good social commentary on child labor.

Johnny is just 12 years old when the story opens.  He is working in a factory to help support his mother and siblings.  His mother works in a factory as well, in fact it was twelve years ago the she gave birth to Johnny on a factory floor.

“It was Johnny, born with the pounding, crashing roar of the looms in his ears, drawing with his first breath the warm, moist air that was thick with flying lint. He had coughed that first day in order to rid his lungs of the lint; and for the same reason he had coughed ever since.”

Johnny is a very hard worker and he get promoted to other tasks the earn more money.  He does best with tasks that pay per piece because he is very fast, almost like a machine, himself.  
There were childhood labor laws in place by this time but Johnny was taught to lie and the factories ignored the fact that many of there workers were under age.  When his brother Will turned 12, Johnny asked his mother why Will couldn’t work for awhile so he could go to school but she refused and said he was too young.  Johnny knew that she actually had plans for Will to stay in school so he could get a better job.
One day Johnny…
Yeah, you’ll have to read the story to knows what happens.  Like I said, it is a good social commentary of the days back in the U.S. when children worked in factories.  It’s well written and engaging.  From the descriptions of the tasks that Johnny did, I felt like I was a child working along side him.  You can read it here.
Did you review this story or another by Jack London?  If so, please leave the link in the comments.

Short Story Monday is hosted by John at The Book Mine Set.
Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Oct 11

10

The Bet by Anton Chekhov

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on October 10, 2011
Posted in Short Story Read in 2011  | 6 Comments

 
The banker threw a party and among the guests were intellectuals and journalists who were against the death penalty.  The banker claimed that the death penalty was more humane than life in prison.

“Which executioner is the more humane, he who kills you in a few minutes or he who drags the life out of you in the course of many years?”

A young lawyer of 25 years of age claimed that if he had a choice he would choose to live.
“To live anyhow is better than not at all.”
The banker bet him 2 million dollars that he would not last in solitary confinement for 5 years.  The young lawyer took his bet but wagered that he could live 15 years in solitary confinement.  If he left the confinement even 2 minutes before the time was up, he would loose the bet and get nothing. 

“It was agreed that for fifteen years he should not be free to cross the threshold of the lodge, to see human beings, to hear the human voice, or to receive letters and newspapers. He was allowed to have a musical instrument and books, and was allowed to write letters, to drink wine, and to smoke.“

The confinement started on November 14, 1885 at 12:00 noon.  Can you guess how it went?  You will have to read the story to find out.
The idea of spending almost all my time sitting around reading books without worrying about day to day troubles of the outside world would be appealing to me.  However, I wouldn’t last very long without being able to go outside and not being able to socialize.  How about you?
I really enjoyed this story.  It is well written and thought provoking.  You can read it here.
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Short Story Monday is hosted by John at The Book Mine Set.


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

Oct 11

3

Chickens by William Lychack

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on October 3, 2011
Posted in Short Story Read in 2011  | 4 Comments

Back in May I reviewed Stolpestad, from the short story collection by William Lychack titled, The Architect of Flowers. Today I am reviewing another story from that collection, Chickens.


Anna drove by a farm that had baby chicks for sale and decide to buy a box of them, they were only 2 for a dollar.  She figures that she has a big yard and it would be nice to have fresh eggs.  When her husband, Bob gets home, he thinks it’s one of her impulsive ideas and they never work out.
Anna said, “Could always be worse, couldn’t it? I told him. I mean, I have been thinking a lot about milk lately. Found myself following an ice cream truck through town the other afternoon.”
Nonetheless, Bob helps her build a coup for her new project. However, his prediction came true.
Anna narrates: Next morning became next week became end of June became a dozen and a half roosters, one hen, and a sharp shining hatchet in our future. What started as two dozen of my sweetest little whims all sunny and cartoon-cute — peep, peep — soon became a nightmare of roosters all mottled and nasty and mean.
She went to the library and checked out chicken cookbooks.  That night she made the rooster, Larry for dinner and called around to the Elks Club, the VFW, and theKnights of Columbus.  They all claimed Bob wasn’t there and she ate Larry by herself.  He was tough and stringy.
She ended up eating a lot of the roosters herself.  She also got through her pregnancy mostly by herself and to top it all off, the one hen never produced one egg.  
You will have to read the story if you want to know the end.  It is a story about spending time alone and a relationship that needs work.  It is well written with a touch of humor and thought provoking. Though I don’t believe in the eating of animals, this story works on many levels.  If found a link where you can read it for free, here.
Did you review this story?  Please leave the in the comments.
Short Story Monday is hosted by John at The Book Mine Set.


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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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