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readingwhilemommying
I don’t know how an English major in college and graduate school never read this before, but it has happened. What a story!
Muriel Glass is vacationing in Florida with her husband Seymor who is suffering from PTSD from World War II. In a powerful master class on showing not telling, Salinger gives hints throughout the story that something is just not right with Seymour. Muriel’s mom calls her up and begs her to leave and come home, worried that Seymour’s odd behavior is way more serious than Muriel seems to think it is. But Muriel blows it off, saying that even though a psychiatrist staying at the hotel (who watched Seymour play piano and felt there was something off about him) asked if he was OK, she still thinks he’s alright. Well, aside from him being pale and wearing a robe all the time to, as he says, hide his tattoo (which he doesn’t have). We see Seymour in action when he’s lying on the beach in his robe and befriends a young girl, who he ends up taking out on a float. He compliments her blue swimsuit (it’s really yellow) and tells her about the bananafish who swim into banana-sized holes and eat bananas. It’s an ominous scene b/c you think he’s going to do something to her, but thankfully he doesn’t. He does end up going back to his room, where Muriel is asleep.
I won’t spoil the ending but WOW...again. The tension is strong in this story as the fear for everyone in Seymour’s path keeps increasing. Salinger does a great job building the suspense. Also the little (tattoo, swimsuit color) and big (bananafish, robe) signs of Seymour’s illness as well placed and add to the overall suspense. This is truly a great short story. Compact, wonderfully written, compelling, and entertaining. Just perfect from start to finish.
Muriel Glass is vacationing in Florida with her husband Seymor who is suffering from PTSD from World War II. In a powerful master class on showing not telling, Salinger gives hints throughout the story that something is just not right with Seymour. Muriel’s mom calls her up and begs her to leave and come home, worried that Seymour’s odd behavior is way more serious than Muriel seems to think it is. But Muriel blows it off, saying that even though a psychiatrist staying at the hotel (who watched Seymour play piano and felt there was something off about him) asked if he was OK, she still thinks he’s alright. Well, aside from him being pale and wearing a robe all the time to, as he says, hide his tattoo (which he doesn’t have). We see Seymour in action when he’s lying on the beach in his robe and befriends a young girl, who he ends up taking out on a float. He compliments her blue swimsuit (it’s really yellow) and tells her about the bananafish who swim into banana-sized holes and eat bananas. It’s an ominous scene b/c you think he’s going to do something to her, but thankfully he doesn’t. He does end up going back to his room, where Muriel is asleep.
I won’t spoil the ending but WOW...again. The tension is strong in this story as the fear for everyone in Seymour’s path keeps increasing. Salinger does a great job building the suspense. Also the little (tattoo, swimsuit color) and big (bananafish, robe) signs of Seymour’s illness as well placed and add to the overall suspense. This is truly a great short story. Compact, wonderfully written, compelling, and entertaining. Just perfect from start to finish.
This story definitely has the small-town details and relatable emotions that most Stephen King stories do. Ray and Mary are in their car heading to the Walmart to get gifts for Mary’s niece. She asks for him to stop at the Quik-Pik so she can get a purple ball for her niece. Their dog Bizznezz is in the back seat. Ray and Mary argue a lot, especially over his smoking. She goes in the Quik Pik to get the ball (and the cigarettes Premium Harmony he wanted). Eventually a worker comes out and tells him that Mary has collapsed and died. Ray goes in and ends up talking for a while with the people in the store, the EMTs, and forgets about Bizz in the car. He goes back out to find Bizz dead, and that’s when he finally cries.
This slice of life story is very detailed (the arguing and little fights between the husband and wife are relatable). I found it interesting that Ray seems shocked about his young wife’s death and really only “feels” when he finds the dog dead. Is it because it is his fault? Is the dog’s death more acceptable b/c dogs die young and his wife’s death at the tender age of 35, seems unbelievable?
My main takeaway from this story is the tragedies of life and how things can happen very quickly and throw you for a loop. Life is short and precious. Arguing, even over the mundane things Ray and Mary do, shouldn’t be what most of your life is.
This slice of life story is very detailed (the arguing and little fights between the husband and wife are relatable). I found it interesting that Ray seems shocked about his young wife’s death and really only “feels” when he finds the dog dead. Is it because it is his fault? Is the dog’s death more acceptable b/c dogs die young and his wife’s death at the tender age of 35, seems unbelievable?
My main takeaway from this story is the tragedies of life and how things can happen very quickly and throw you for a loop. Life is short and precious. Arguing, even over the mundane things Ray and Mary do, shouldn’t be what most of your life is.
Oh I liked this one! It’s suspenseful and a sad but true commentary on man vs. nature and man vs. dog.
An American man is walking through the snowy Yukon Territory. He was warned by a native man to take the journey more seriously, but blew him off, thinking he knew how best to survive in snow and ice. He even refused to take a face covering. He has a native dog with him, a dog who doesn’t have a strong relationship with the man. The man ends up getting into serious trouble trying to get to his destination. He builds a fire numerous times, the second one for after he falls through ice. As things get more desperate and he makes more mistakes, the dog’s thoughts are relayed regarding what he’s thinking of this man who’s taking off his gloves too often and even, at one point, calls the dog over to try and kill it so he can stay warm inside it’s carcas.
This story is a fascinating tale of man being ignorant and dismissive of nature’s power and not taking it seriously to his own detriment. It’s also shows the difference between dog and man. The man sees the dog as his slave, to walk with him and provide company and help. The dog sees the man as his protector. For all his advanced brain power, the man is too ignorant to survive, while the dog knows what to do. It’s a wonderful way to speak of the natural relationship b/t the two and the relationship of each with nature. I recommend this one! I think you’ll get a lot out of it.
An American man is walking through the snowy Yukon Territory. He was warned by a native man to take the journey more seriously, but blew him off, thinking he knew how best to survive in snow and ice. He even refused to take a face covering. He has a native dog with him, a dog who doesn’t have a strong relationship with the man. The man ends up getting into serious trouble trying to get to his destination. He builds a fire numerous times, the second one for after he falls through ice. As things get more desperate and he makes more mistakes, the dog’s thoughts are relayed regarding what he’s thinking of this man who’s taking off his gloves too often and even, at one point, calls the dog over to try and kill it so he can stay warm inside it’s carcas.
This story is a fascinating tale of man being ignorant and dismissive of nature’s power and not taking it seriously to his own detriment. It’s also shows the difference between dog and man. The man sees the dog as his slave, to walk with him and provide company and help. The dog sees the man as his protector. For all his advanced brain power, the man is too ignorant to survive, while the dog knows what to do. It’s a wonderful way to speak of the natural relationship b/t the two and the relationship of each with nature. I recommend this one! I think you’ll get a lot out of it.
So here I sit, crying at my computer because this story is just so SO good. Before I write about it, I will say you need to read it if you haven’t. It’s amazing; I'd give it ten stars if I could.
Kan is a young Chinese-American boy whose mother was brought over from China as a mail-order bride. To soothe him one day, his mother uses wrapping paper to make an origami tiger. When she breathes into the design, it comes to life (this is her magic) and becomes Kan’s friend, a tiger named Laohu. Kan’s mother eventually makes him an entire menagerie of animals, all which come to life and become his playmates.
As Kan gets older, the lure of “real” toys like Star Wars figurines, his schoolmates’ and neighbor’s ridiculing about his mother being a “bought” wife, and the vestiges of his Chinese heritage in his own appearance all combine to make him become resentful towards his mother. Add to that her not speaking much Chinese with the usual distance that happens between parents and kids as time goes on and by high school, Kan isn’t talking much to his mother at all. He’s more concerned about his pursuit of the American dream.
Tragedy strikes and, well, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, this story manages to break your heart, uplift your spirit, and make you believe in magic all at once.
Using a relatable trope (the natural distance and embarassment that usually forms between parents and children as the child gets older and has to make their own way in the world), Liu puts his own fantastical spin on it by making it a story about assimilation, communication, and love. And, in the end, he makes you realize that while life is littered with heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy, and people mistreating others, in the end a glimmer of love can shine through and possibly heal some of the wounds.
Kan is a young Chinese-American boy whose mother was brought over from China as a mail-order bride. To soothe him one day, his mother uses wrapping paper to make an origami tiger. When she breathes into the design, it comes to life (this is her magic) and becomes Kan’s friend, a tiger named Laohu. Kan’s mother eventually makes him an entire menagerie of animals, all which come to life and become his playmates.
As Kan gets older, the lure of “real” toys like Star Wars figurines, his schoolmates’ and neighbor’s ridiculing about his mother being a “bought” wife, and the vestiges of his Chinese heritage in his own appearance all combine to make him become resentful towards his mother. Add to that her not speaking much Chinese with the usual distance that happens between parents and kids as time goes on and by high school, Kan isn’t talking much to his mother at all. He’s more concerned about his pursuit of the American dream.
Tragedy strikes and, well, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, this story manages to break your heart, uplift your spirit, and make you believe in magic all at once.
Using a relatable trope (the natural distance and embarassment that usually forms between parents and children as the child gets older and has to make their own way in the world), Liu puts his own fantastical spin on it by making it a story about assimilation, communication, and love. And, in the end, he makes you realize that while life is littered with heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy, and people mistreating others, in the end a glimmer of love can shine through and possibly heal some of the wounds.
Well, that was terrifying. What a story! I’m shocked I’ve never heard of this one before. While scary and foreboding, I loved it.
George and Lydia live in a futuristic house with their two kids. The house does everything for them. Gets food, shoots them through air portals to move them around the house, does their hair, shines their shoes, etc. Their children have a “nursery” where they are able to conjure up scenes and the room creates a lifelike vision of the landscape/environment. George and Lydia hear screaming in the nursery and go to find the landscape of an African veldt. Lions are finishing up eating something. George finds an old wallet of his with blood on it. The parents start to worry that the kids are conjuring the dangerous veldt too often. After calling in a psychologist to inspect the nursery they decide to take a vacation from the house, fearful that the nursery has altered their kids’ psyches. The psychologist says to move out all together. He’s very worried about the kids. He also finds Lydia’s scarf in the nursery with blood on it. The parents confront the kids and they are not pleased, whining and begging to get one last time in the nursery.
I won’t spoil the ending but MAN if this wasn’t Bradbury foreseeing the effect of technology on children’s behavior, I don’t know what is. For a story published in 1950, this is an eerily accurate premonition. It depicts a world further along than we are, but you can see this happening. Bradbury puts a truly terrifying spin on it. Yet, it’s not so unbelievable. I bet it was in 1950 but not now. I LOVED this story. So inventive, so creative, so on-point of where people’s connection to tech might go. You should definitely read this if you haven’t already. One of my faves of the year so far.
George and Lydia live in a futuristic house with their two kids. The house does everything for them. Gets food, shoots them through air portals to move them around the house, does their hair, shines their shoes, etc. Their children have a “nursery” where they are able to conjure up scenes and the room creates a lifelike vision of the landscape/environment. George and Lydia hear screaming in the nursery and go to find the landscape of an African veldt. Lions are finishing up eating something. George finds an old wallet of his with blood on it. The parents start to worry that the kids are conjuring the dangerous veldt too often. After calling in a psychologist to inspect the nursery they decide to take a vacation from the house, fearful that the nursery has altered their kids’ psyches. The psychologist says to move out all together. He’s very worried about the kids. He also finds Lydia’s scarf in the nursery with blood on it. The parents confront the kids and they are not pleased, whining and begging to get one last time in the nursery.
I won’t spoil the ending but MAN if this wasn’t Bradbury foreseeing the effect of technology on children’s behavior, I don’t know what is. For a story published in 1950, this is an eerily accurate premonition. It depicts a world further along than we are, but you can see this happening. Bradbury puts a truly terrifying spin on it. Yet, it’s not so unbelievable. I bet it was in 1950 but not now. I LOVED this story. So inventive, so creative, so on-point of where people’s connection to tech might go. You should definitely read this if you haven’t already. One of my faves of the year so far.
Wow, wow, wow! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this story before. I read Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo and enjoyed it, but I liked this story even better.
In the not-too-distant future a man writes down daily diaries of his family’s struggle to try and keep up with their rich friends. Their family doesn’t have much money but after he wins $10,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket, they go a little wild planning for their daughter’s extravagent party to which they’ll invite their rich neighbors whose affluent life they envy. The one key symbol of status these affluent people possess? Lawn ornaments/decor that are literally poor immigrant girls (Semplica Girls) who are strung up & displayed. The family’s youngest daughter Eva is the “sensitive” one who is very bothered by this.
“At window, Eva quiet. Deep well. So sensitive. Even when tiny, Eva sensitive. Kindest kid. Biggest heart. Once, when little, found dead bird in yard and placed on swing-set slide, so it could 'see him fambly.' Cried when we threw out old rocking chair, claiming it told her it wanted to live out rest of life in basement. But I worry, Pam worries: if kid too sensitive, kid goes out in world, world rips kid’s guts out, i.e., some toughness req’d?"
Her father explains that the immigrant girls sign up for this life in order to make money to send home to their families. There is even a lawn service that comes and feeds them and takes them to the bathroom during the days.
I have to say, my mouth dropped open at the part of the story where it was revealed just what SGs meant. As immigration is a hot topic in today’s society, I found the “justification” for these girls to be actual lawn ornaments similar to the stories we hear today. It’s their fault that they’ve been degraded by this job. At least that’s how the family’s father justifies having them on his property. I was disturbed by just reading about this fictional practice. Saunders' commentary on both the frivoulousness of humans who use living-breathing people as decoration (and the justifications the father makes to his daughter for it) echo the immigration debates we hear today. It’s definitely a shocking way to portray this idea—the warped relationship between a well-off American family and the poor, foreign people they use for home decor.
If you've never read it, read it. It's terrific. One of my favorites of the year so far.
In the not-too-distant future a man writes down daily diaries of his family’s struggle to try and keep up with their rich friends. Their family doesn’t have much money but after he wins $10,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket, they go a little wild planning for their daughter’s extravagent party to which they’ll invite their rich neighbors whose affluent life they envy. The one key symbol of status these affluent people possess? Lawn ornaments/decor that are literally poor immigrant girls (Semplica Girls) who are strung up & displayed. The family’s youngest daughter Eva is the “sensitive” one who is very bothered by this.
“At window, Eva quiet. Deep well. So sensitive. Even when tiny, Eva sensitive. Kindest kid. Biggest heart. Once, when little, found dead bird in yard and placed on swing-set slide, so it could 'see him fambly.' Cried when we threw out old rocking chair, claiming it told her it wanted to live out rest of life in basement. But I worry, Pam worries: if kid too sensitive, kid goes out in world, world rips kid’s guts out, i.e., some toughness req’d?"
Her father explains that the immigrant girls sign up for this life in order to make money to send home to their families. There is even a lawn service that comes and feeds them and takes them to the bathroom during the days.
I have to say, my mouth dropped open at the part of the story where it was revealed just what SGs meant. As immigration is a hot topic in today’s society, I found the “justification” for these girls to be actual lawn ornaments similar to the stories we hear today. It’s their fault that they’ve been degraded by this job. At least that’s how the family’s father justifies having them on his property. I was disturbed by just reading about this fictional practice. Saunders' commentary on both the frivoulousness of humans who use living-breathing people as decoration (and the justifications the father makes to his daughter for it) echo the immigration debates we hear today. It’s definitely a shocking way to portray this idea—the warped relationship between a well-off American family and the poor, foreign people they use for home decor.
If you've never read it, read it. It's terrific. One of my favorites of the year so far.
I really liked this one! Like “The Yellow Wallpaper,” this story (written in 1917) explores the subjugation of women and how, in their small way, two women take control of a bad situation.
Mrs. Hale is asked to accompany Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife, to the scene of a suspected murder. Mrs. Peters is retrieving clothes, etc. for Minnie (Foster) Wright, who is in jail under suspicion of murdering her husband. When they get to the home, the lawyer Mr. Henderson and even, to a smaller degree, Mr. Hale and Sheriff Peters say sexist things to the women, regarding Minnie’s messy kitchen, how she was concerned about her canned fruit, how she requested an apron, and just an overall denigration of the women as merely housekeepers. While the men go and investigate the scene of the crime, the women talk and end up finding an empty bird cage and then the dead bird (snapped neck) wrapped up in Minnie’s sewing kit. Mrs. Hale laments how before she was married, Minnie was a glorious singer and how she herself didn’t go visit the obviously lonely Minnie very often. The women end up hiding the bird from the men, deciding that Minnie killed her husband after years of overbearing behavior and after he killed her beloved bird.
Interestingly, Glaspell wrote this after she witnessed a similar case while she was a journalist and, I’m sure, based on the realities of a woman’s life and lack of rights during her time. The dynamics between the men and the women here are fascinating and I really like how the suspense is built up: you know Minnie killed him but you want to know the why/how of it all. The sexist comments by Mr. Henderson especially get more and more infuriating and work to help the reader sympathize with Minnie and Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Glaspell does a great job hinting at the ending, how Mrs. Hale and the even more timid Mrs. Peters are going to conspire in solidarity to help Minnie out. This mix of a whodunit with an exploration of gender dynamics during the early 1900s is wonderful. I highly recommend it!
Mrs. Hale is asked to accompany Mrs. Peters, the sheriff’s wife, to the scene of a suspected murder. Mrs. Peters is retrieving clothes, etc. for Minnie (Foster) Wright, who is in jail under suspicion of murdering her husband. When they get to the home, the lawyer Mr. Henderson and even, to a smaller degree, Mr. Hale and Sheriff Peters say sexist things to the women, regarding Minnie’s messy kitchen, how she was concerned about her canned fruit, how she requested an apron, and just an overall denigration of the women as merely housekeepers. While the men go and investigate the scene of the crime, the women talk and end up finding an empty bird cage and then the dead bird (snapped neck) wrapped up in Minnie’s sewing kit. Mrs. Hale laments how before she was married, Minnie was a glorious singer and how she herself didn’t go visit the obviously lonely Minnie very often. The women end up hiding the bird from the men, deciding that Minnie killed her husband after years of overbearing behavior and after he killed her beloved bird.
Interestingly, Glaspell wrote this after she witnessed a similar case while she was a journalist and, I’m sure, based on the realities of a woman’s life and lack of rights during her time. The dynamics between the men and the women here are fascinating and I really like how the suspense is built up: you know Minnie killed him but you want to know the why/how of it all. The sexist comments by Mr. Henderson especially get more and more infuriating and work to help the reader sympathize with Minnie and Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Glaspell does a great job hinting at the ending, how Mrs. Hale and the even more timid Mrs. Peters are going to conspire in solidarity to help Minnie out. This mix of a whodunit with an exploration of gender dynamics during the early 1900s is wonderful. I highly recommend it!
I loved this story! It’s another short one but Vonnegut does so much with just a few pages.
George and Hazel Bergeron live in a dystopian society in the year 2081. The 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments have made all people truly equal. Meaning if you’re smart, you're given a radio handicap to wear in your ear that plays a loud sound to continuously interrupt your thoughts. If you’re too pretty, you have to wear an ugly mask. If you’re too strong, you are weighed down with bags of metal balls. These rules are enforced by the US Handicapper General. George and Hazel’s son has been taken away to jail.
They sit one night watching ballerinas on the TV. George, a smart, strong man, has a radio in his ear and bags of weights on him. The dancers on the screen have masks and only dance sort-of OK. No one is any better than the others. A news report comes on saying Harrison escaped and he shows up at the dance studio. He’s wearing ugly glasses, has basically a junkyard of metal on him, he’s 7 feet tall, and has headphones on his head, instead of just a mere speaker. Apparently he's exceptional, all around. What happens? Read this story! It’s great (and I don’t want to spoil much more).
As I said previously through my daily critiques, these dystopia sci-fi stories by Bradbury, Octavia Butler, Ursula LeGuin, and now Vonnegut are a real treat. The visionary ideas and situations that these writers devised (so long ago!) and how well they executed them are extremely entertaining (and sometimes scary!). I loved this one. The idea that in order to truly make all people equal the gov’t literally handicaps them is genius. Like the other authors, Vonnegut explores the consequences of technology, government, human nature, and society. And, like all truly great sci-fi futuristic stories, he includes a great deal of emotion, too. Hazel and George’s reaction is predictable but devastating. Definitely read this one. Highly recommended.
George and Hazel Bergeron live in a dystopian society in the year 2081. The 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments have made all people truly equal. Meaning if you’re smart, you're given a radio handicap to wear in your ear that plays a loud sound to continuously interrupt your thoughts. If you’re too pretty, you have to wear an ugly mask. If you’re too strong, you are weighed down with bags of metal balls. These rules are enforced by the US Handicapper General. George and Hazel’s son has been taken away to jail.
They sit one night watching ballerinas on the TV. George, a smart, strong man, has a radio in his ear and bags of weights on him. The dancers on the screen have masks and only dance sort-of OK. No one is any better than the others. A news report comes on saying Harrison escaped and he shows up at the dance studio. He’s wearing ugly glasses, has basically a junkyard of metal on him, he’s 7 feet tall, and has headphones on his head, instead of just a mere speaker. Apparently he's exceptional, all around. What happens? Read this story! It’s great (and I don’t want to spoil much more).
As I said previously through my daily critiques, these dystopia sci-fi stories by Bradbury, Octavia Butler, Ursula LeGuin, and now Vonnegut are a real treat. The visionary ideas and situations that these writers devised (so long ago!) and how well they executed them are extremely entertaining (and sometimes scary!). I loved this one. The idea that in order to truly make all people equal the gov’t literally handicaps them is genius. Like the other authors, Vonnegut explores the consequences of technology, government, human nature, and society. And, like all truly great sci-fi futuristic stories, he includes a great deal of emotion, too. Hazel and George’s reaction is predictable but devastating. Definitely read this one. Highly recommended.
