The majority of employees are allowed an hour in the middle of the day to get something to eat and relax. Some shop at the mall or hit the gym for a short workout. Still others like nothing more than to sit somewhere quiet and read one of their favorite lunchtime short stories. Sometimes it is easier to read something through to completion rather than try to read a few pages that are part of a larger work. There are many classics that can be absorbed in less than an hour.
Margaret Atwood is known for her quirky characters and fantastical plots. "Stone Mattress" is the title story in a collection of nine. Verna, the protagonist, is about to embark on a cruise to the Arctic when she catches sight of a fellow passenger she recognizes. It turns out to be an old flame who did her wrong years earlier. Verna has already killed four husbands, and she is not adverse to adding an old lover to her collection.
Readers either love Hemingway or hate him. There doesn't seem to be any in between. A good story for those unfamiliar with it is "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Harry, a writer, and his socialite wife, Helen, are in Africa. It turns out Harry is dying of gangrene because he neglected to take care of a thorn prick. During Harry's last hours, he muses about his wasted life and loves.
Leo Tolstoy is known for his lengthy Russian novels, but he wrote shorter works as well. "Three Questions" is a simple parable about a king on a quest for answers to the most important questions in life. He visits a hermit and nurses a wounded traitor. Eventually the king realizes the answers were lying within him all along.
Mark Twain is one of America's most beloved storytellers. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is the work that brought him to the public's attention. His story of a big talking gambler is a cautionary tale. Jim Smiley will bet on anything including the height his frog can jump. He makes his claims to the wrong stranger, who tricks him and takes off with the ante. Ironically the story resulted from a bet Twain made himself.
"The Diamond As Big As the Ritz" is F. Scott Fitzgerald's tale about John Unger who meets Percy Washington at an exclusive prep school. Percy boasts his is the richest family in the world because they are sitting on top of a diamond as big as the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Those familiar with Fitzgerald will recognize the theme of a youthful man destroyed by a woman's wealth.
James Joyce was a prolific short story writer. One of many examples is "Eveline". It's the tale of a young woman who has to choose between her brutal family life and picking up and taking off with her lover. She has to decide between what she knows and the unknown possibilities she is being offered.
Book lovers find it easy to get lost in the stories they read. These may be novels of a thousand pages or short stories of a thousand words. As long as a story is well told, it doesn't really matter.
Margaret Atwood is known for her quirky characters and fantastical plots. "Stone Mattress" is the title story in a collection of nine. Verna, the protagonist, is about to embark on a cruise to the Arctic when she catches sight of a fellow passenger she recognizes. It turns out to be an old flame who did her wrong years earlier. Verna has already killed four husbands, and she is not adverse to adding an old lover to her collection.
Readers either love Hemingway or hate him. There doesn't seem to be any in between. A good story for those unfamiliar with it is "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". Harry, a writer, and his socialite wife, Helen, are in Africa. It turns out Harry is dying of gangrene because he neglected to take care of a thorn prick. During Harry's last hours, he muses about his wasted life and loves.
Leo Tolstoy is known for his lengthy Russian novels, but he wrote shorter works as well. "Three Questions" is a simple parable about a king on a quest for answers to the most important questions in life. He visits a hermit and nurses a wounded traitor. Eventually the king realizes the answers were lying within him all along.
Mark Twain is one of America's most beloved storytellers. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is the work that brought him to the public's attention. His story of a big talking gambler is a cautionary tale. Jim Smiley will bet on anything including the height his frog can jump. He makes his claims to the wrong stranger, who tricks him and takes off with the ante. Ironically the story resulted from a bet Twain made himself.
"The Diamond As Big As the Ritz" is F. Scott Fitzgerald's tale about John Unger who meets Percy Washington at an exclusive prep school. Percy boasts his is the richest family in the world because they are sitting on top of a diamond as big as the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Those familiar with Fitzgerald will recognize the theme of a youthful man destroyed by a woman's wealth.
James Joyce was a prolific short story writer. One of many examples is "Eveline". It's the tale of a young woman who has to choose between her brutal family life and picking up and taking off with her lover. She has to decide between what she knows and the unknown possibilities she is being offered.
Book lovers find it easy to get lost in the stories they read. These may be novels of a thousand pages or short stories of a thousand words. As long as a story is well told, it doesn't really matter.
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