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In Praise of the Sloth
Of all the deadly sins, slothfulness is the least problematic. In fact, most people would benefit from becoming more like a sloth, not less.
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Strawberry Spring by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
“Strawberry Spring” is a short “Jack the Ripper” story by American writer Stephen King. But rather than Jack the Ripper, King utilises Victorian folklore around a figure known as Springheel Jack.
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Click Clack the Rattle Bag by Neil Gaiman Analysis
“Click Clack the Rattle Bag” is a short Halloween story by British author Neil Gaiman. The author first published it on in 2012 as part of All Hallow’s Read.
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Hunters in the Snow by Tobias Wolff Analysis
“Hunters in the Snow” (1976) is a short story by American author Tobias Wolff. Find it in Wolff’s collection titled In the Garden of the North American Martyrs.
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Encounter by Noel Hilliard Short Story Analysis
“Encounter” is a 1971 short story by New Zealand author Noel Hilliard (1929-1996). Find it in New Zealand’s famous 20th century literary magazine Landfall, which is now available online. LANDFALL, VOLUME TWENTY-FIVE, NO. 3, 1971 p. 270 NOEL HILLIARD’S WRITING STYLE As you read “Encounter”, consider if you agree with the following assessment of Hilliard’s…
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Gravity by David Leavitt Short Story Analysis
“Gravity” is a short story by David Leavitt, born 1961. I’m reading it in The Oxford Book of American Short Stories edited by Joyce Carol Oates (1992), though it was first published in 1990 in Leavitt’s A Place I’ve Never Been collection. This gay writer had his first collection published at the age of twenty-three…
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Raven and Crow Symbolism
What does the raven symbolise in art and literature? Also, how do different cultures view ravens, and how are ravens different from crows?
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Cookie Jar by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
What do you imagine of when you think “cookie jar”? Grandmothers? Buttery, sweet snacks? Cosy kitchens? Sesame Street?
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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Analysis
“An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” is an 1890 short story by Ambrose Bierce, one of Bierce’s most famous works and an American classic.
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Tell Me Yes Or No by Alice Munro Short Story Analysis
“Tell Me Yes Or No” is a short story by Canadian author Alice Munro. Find it in Something I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You (1974).
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Heat by Joyce Carol Oates Short Story Analysis
“Heat” is a short story by American author Joyce Carol Oates, and an interesting example of omniscient first person narration.
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The Way Up To Heaven by Roald Dahl Short Story Analysis
“The Way Up To Heaven” is a short story by Roald Dahl. Find it in Dahl’s Kiss, Kiss collection (1959). If you don’t much like elevators, this story won’t do you any favours. WHERE TO LISTEN You may be able to unearth the BBC dramatization of this short story somewhere e.g. on YouTube. “The Way…
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The Raft by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
The Raft (1982) is a short story by Stephen King, a modern example of cosmic horror about the dangerous desires of youth.
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The Symbolism Of Trees In Stories
Trees in storytelling are symbolically interesting. Some trees have unusual characteristics (distinctive foliage, unusual flowering patterns). These are the trees most heavily mined for their symbolic meaning across culture and therefore narrative.
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The Landlady by Roald Dahl Analysis
Have you ever arrived alone in a new town at dusk, faced with the task of finding a safe and affordable place to spend the night? If so, did you manage this without the use of a smartphone, the Internet and Google reviews? One of my favourite narratives about this experience is by Bill Bryson,…