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“When 900 years old, you reach… Look as good, you will not.” – Yoda, Return of the Jedi
I was (re)watching The Return of the Jedi the other day, and this exchange between Yoda and Skywalker made me gasp for breath. As usual, I exaggerate. Surprisingly, it was not the image of my looks at 900 that disturbed me the most, and I think that had to do with the world average mortality rate of… Read more
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The Vintage Man – How Well Do You Know Your Cars?
Now and then, I would have an urge to figure out my IQ, driven mainly by ubiquitous android or iOS Logo quiz apps on every website I am on. They claim to tell you your IQ based on your performance on their quizzes. Guess the company names by looking at their logos- what better way… Read more
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What’s with your accent?
It happens to be dinner time, and I am eating AND watching this TV series. In one of the scenes, this guy is going about telling people that he is a cop/a Fed/a spy, whichever is convenient in the situation. At best, people throw a confused look, and at worst, they exclaim, “Oh yeah? What’s… Read more
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Do You “Speak Easy”?
I love the sitcom Seinfeld very much, at least the first few seasons. A lot of wisdom in my life comes straight from the TV show. The Contest aside (the most famous episode of Seinfeld), there are lots of things worth remembering from that show, but one that hit home was the one from Seinfeld’s comic… Read more
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Have You Ever Had Yourself a Bazinga! Moment?
There is a good chance that you would have heard about Big Bang Theory, and I don’t mean the scientific phenomenon that formed our universe, but the famous American TV series. You probably would have seen it too. And if you have, you either loved it or hated it immensely. For some reason, there are… Read more
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Why Take a Chance?
There is a good chance you have come across either of the following cliches : No gain without pain Success comes with sacrifice I think the idea behind these thoughts being so commonplace is that we all tend to see at least some value in them. After all, who wouldn’t describe practicing WWE moves at… Read more
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The Lottery by Maria Edgeworth: Summary and Review
Did you know they had lotteries back in the 1800s? I didn’t. So I was intrigued when I laid my eyes on The Lottery, written by Maria Edgeworth. And thus began my 48-page journey into the exploration of lottery and its perception amongst the masses – then and now. The Lottery by Maria Edgeworth: Summary and… Read more
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Do you take a break from doing ‘Nothing’? I do!
Every now and then, I indulge my mind’s whims. Let it run wild. Not that you don’t know it already if you are a working individual, but Monday blues are the worst! Unless you are one of the unicorns that love the work they do, in which case, I hate you. But this is about… Read more
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Shit , Shit, Shittttt!!!!!
You probably imagine something went (horribly) wrong when I say this. It’s only natural to use expletives to let the frustration out. Isn’t it? And you would be right in drawing that conclusion. 99% of the time. Just not this once. Fast forward, or rewind if you please, to the scene in the movie Aviator, where… Read more
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Are you watching closely?
I call myself a Nolan fan, mostly of his earlier works (to be clear, I fully comprehend what went down in Interstellar and Tenet. wink, wink). The Prestige happens to be my favorite Christopher Nolan movie of all time. I must have seen it more than five times. And given how obsessed I am with it, that number… Read more
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Ladies by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Let’s consider the following two statements: I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner! Listen, here’s what I can offer you.. Next week the clerk at our orphanage is going to retire.If you like, you can take his post! There you are! I have no post for you! None, none! Leave me alone! Don’t torment… Read more
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Before the Wedding by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Unmarried girls are crazy to get married, but they are the only ones, because it is no good at all. I’m married, I should know. Give it time; you’ll see for yourself. If you are interested in reading plenty of (good) advice like the one above, you should pick up Anton Chekhov’s short story called Before… Read more
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A Little Joke by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
This is the time of the year when love is everywhere, absolutely everywhere! You just can’t miss the red roses, the greeting cards lining up the aisles everywhere you go. You might also be getting those subtle hints from your partner, your love interest, in anticipation of the gifts they are expecting, come the 14th… Read more
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Grisha by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Chekhov’s short story Grisha explores the innocent and colorful world of a toddler. The heartwarming story is one of his earlier works, published in 1886. It is also available as part of a short story collection called Fifty Two stories published by Alfred A Knopf, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Grisha: Summary and Plot Analysis The story… Read more
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Reading by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Reading means a lot! A whole lot! Read, and you’ll see at once how sharply your horizons change. And you can get hold of books anywhere. This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story Reading is a hilarious take on reading and people’s perception about this habit. The story is one of his earlier works, published in 1884. It… Read more
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Spring by Anton Chekhov: Review and Analysis
Gustav Mahler, the famous Austro-Bohemian romantic composer, once said: “Spring won’t let me stay in the house any longer. I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” I see myself nodding at this; I bet you do, too, in all likelihood. But not Chekhov’s protagonist from his short story called the Spring. This excerpt… Read more
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Anguish by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
My son’s dead, but I’m alive…It’s a wonder, death mixed up the doors, instead of coming to me, she went to my son… This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story Anguish explores the themes of grief, loneliness, and poverty in an indifferent society. The story is one of his earlier works published in 1886. It is also available… Read more
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“And How Do You Make That?”
Do you happen to have a friend that defies all logic, all natural laws of human sustenance, and dare I add, all sanity? The bond between their couches (or beds) and their bodies are so strong that nothing other than an immediate threat to their life will cause them to break it. Unless you are… Read more
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A Slip-Up by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
Be happy, my dears! Oh! You are taking from me my only treasure! Love my daughter, be good to her! Something you would expect to be said in a marriage ceremony. And it almost was. Welcome to another Chekhov short story with a twist. This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story A Slip Up is a hilarious take… Read more
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An Educated Blockhead by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
I don’t know about you, but I have had the privilege of seeing many of these creatures over the years—more than I would like. Having said that, I think I have the full potential to be one, too; I have proven to myself on occasions that I might be worthy of the crown. Hopefully, that… Read more
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The Exclamation Mark by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
In the closed eyes of a dozing Perekladin, a fiery comma flew like a meteor. The golden commas spun around and raced off to one side. They were replaced by fiery periods. This excerpt is from Chekhov’s short story Exclamation Point and is one of his earlier works, published way back in 1885. It is also available… Read more
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In a Foreign Land By Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
You are talking to a friend from a different country. And suddenly, he mentions something about your country that makes your jaw drop. Your friend seems sensible enough in all other areas of his life. You wonder to yourself: maybe just this one time, I would let it slip. Some days pass, you meet again,… Read more
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The Cook Gets Married by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Why do you want to get everyone married? What business is it of yours? Let them get married as they like. This might sound familiar from a sitcom, or a movie, or a drama. This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story ‘The Cook Gets Married’, a.k.a ‘The Cook’s Wedding’, is a hilarious take on marriages in general and arranged… Read more
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Fat and Skinny by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
Every now and then, I would see some images being circulated in the media, beginning with ‘Happiness is..’ so and so. Eating, drinking, sleeping, talking, you name it. All of those apply to me, by the way. Occasionally, all at the same time. Aside from that, maybe, meeting an old friend I haven’t seen in a… Read more
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Joy by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
If I say imagine ‘trading room’, what images come to mind? Every time someone says the words, if you ask me, a very consistent set of images appear before my eyes. Phones ringing everywhere, some papers stacked at desks and some flying around, everyone stressed, clocks displaying times from all major time zones, someone going… Read more
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1001 Passions, or a Dreadful Night by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Yesterday my second son was born, I was so happy I hanged myself. I read this, and I was completely creeped out. What! Really? Until the dormant little me kicked in, saying it could have been a dream.. and yes, it was. Thankfully! Not mine, but of the protagonist from Chekhov’s short story 1001 Passions or… Read more
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In a Train Car by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Travel is so delightful. You get to know people so quickly and so well. So intimately, when you travel. I just adore travel! Being a colossal travel freak, I found myself nodding like crazy when I read this, and it is never a dull ride with Chekhov on the side! ( Sorry, bad rhymes! I… Read more
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A Letter to a Learned Neighbor By Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
For if man, the ruler of the world, the smartest of all breathing creatures, descended from the stupid and ignorant ape, then we would have a tail and a beastly voice. It sounds like something an innocent kid might ask before having been introduced to evolution. Or probably a very, very older person, whom you… Read more
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Temperaments by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Scamps, Ramp Scallions and ne’er-do-wells are all of sanguine temperament. It is not recommended to sleep in the same room with anyone who is a sanguine: He’ll tell you jokes all night, and if he does not know any jokes, he will criticize his relatives or else tell lies. He will die of a disease… Read more
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A Sinner from Toledo by Anton Chekhov: Review and Analysis
A Sinner from Toledo, the short story from Anton Chekhov, was first published in late 1881 in an illustrated literary, art and humor magazine called the Spectator. It is now available as part of a short story collection called Prank published by The New York Review books translated by Maria Bloshteyn. A Sinner from Toledo: Summary and Plot… Read more
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Confession – or Olya, Zhenya, Zoya: A Letter by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
Everything in the world, and my life, in particular, is governed by chance. Only chance! And chance is a despot. Sounds like a ‘why me?’, doesn’t it? This is a remark by the protagonist of Chekhov’s short story called Confession – or Olya, Zhenya, Zoya: A Letter. It was first published in March 1882 in Alarm Clock,… Read more
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Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
No, this is not a treatise on efficient goal-setting. Or is it? Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None is a short story by Anton Chekhov that was first published in May 1880 in a magazine called Dragonfly. It is available as part of a short story collection published by New York Review books translated by Maria Bloshteyn.… Read more
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St. Peter’s Day by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
The story St. Peter’s day was published in June 1881. He initially called it 29th of June and very playfully dedicated it to hunters that don’t shoot well and the ones that don’t shoot. This story from Chekhov’s early writing days is part of a short story collection called ‘The Prank.’ For those of you curious ones out there,… Read more
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Papa by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
No dumpling, not a word about punishment, this is not our boy’s fault. They are all out to get him. I don’t mean to brag here, but I can’t thank my stars enough for having a mother who specializes in overlooking all my faults. This excerpt from Chekhov’s story Papa is such a pleasant reminder of that.… Read more
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Artists’ Wives by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
You know what single girls and young widows? Don’t you go marry an artist. “May tarnation strike them,” As the Ukrainians say. This is Chekhov’s closing advice from Artists’ Wives. This short story, first published in late 1880 in St. Petersburg daily paper, was written under the pseudonym “Don Antonio Chekhonte,” The story, sometimes assumed… Read more
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Dreams by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
“The peasants called up a picture of a free life such as they had never lived; whether they vaguely recalled the images of stories heard long ago or whether notions of a free life had been handed down to them with their flesh and blood from far-off free ancestors, God knows!” Isn’t it funny that… Read more
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The New Villa by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
We treat you humanely, repay us in the same coin. What comes to mind when you read this? Who do you think would have said this in a conversation between a rich and a poor man? Enter Anton Chekhov’s The New Villa. This is a short story Chekhov wrote way back in 1899. It is… Read more
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The Post by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Have you ever been in a one-sided conversation with someone? You might have been the enthusiastic participant or the disinterested one. I apologize in advance if it brought back memories of such a misfortune striking you on a date night! Let me grab my scattered thoughts and try to paint a better picture for you.… Read more
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Peasant Wives by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
“I took him for my soul’s salvation” – Matvey Savitch tells Drudya, in Chekhov’s Peasant Wives. You might read such a thing and your first guess would probably be that the character must be a highly conscientious person. Aren’t you in for a surprise! Peasant Wives, is a short story by Anton Chekhov, that was… Read more
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The Witch by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
“A witch is a witch” – Savely, the Sexton says to his wife Raissa, in Chekhov’s ‘The Witch’. Husband calling the wife a witch, is nothing we haven’t heard before. What’s new and refreshing, is a little Chekhov spin on it. “The Witch” (Vedma) was first published in March 1886 in Novoye Vremya (Issue No.… Read more
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No Act of Kindness, No Matter How Small, is Ever Wasted: Aesop
Growing up, Aesop’s fables were my constant companion- in and out of school. The very first illustrated copy that I owned was an abridged version for kids that contained a dozen short stories. The Hare and the Tortoise, Crow and the Pitcher, Bell and the cat were some of the predominant few that are probably… Read more
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The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman: Summary and Review
Imagine a room. Now imagine living there for a long time without having anything to do. For those of you who are millennials – Imagine a world without phones or any electronic devices. If you are one of those very social people – your knee-jerk reaction would be, “No way in hell am I going… Read more
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The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde: Summary and Review
Has it ever happened to you that you tipped someone you shouldn’t have tipped in the first place, or that you asked a saleswoman for help who you thought was one, but was actually a shopper like you? Do you remember the look on their faces when you did that? It’s likely that they stared… Read more
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Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang: Summary Explained and Review
“It is true that we work with the purest of aims, but that doesn’t mean we have worked wisely.” With his award-winning short story, Tower of Babylon, Ted Chiang takes us on an exhilarating exploration of the age-old myth of the Tower of Babel. In this science fiction short story, Ted Chiang challenges the principles… Read more
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Happiness by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
You may not be an Eckhart Tolle fan, but you do not need to be one to see the meaning in this. “Don’t seek happiness. If you seek it, you won’t find it, because seeking is the antithesis of happiness. Happiness is ever elusive, but freedom from unhappiness is attainable now, by facing what is… Read more
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Crazy Glue by Etgar Keret: Summary, Analysis and Review
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you read these two words: Crazy glue I bet you can recall at least an incident or two about crazy glue – maybe you were the victim to whom the ‘crazy glue’ happened, or you were the one that gave someone their ‘crazy glue’ moment. There… Read more
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Charles by Shirley Jackson: Summary, Analysis and Review
For those of you that loved The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, here comes another tale, less fictional and more realistic, atleast to the relatively new parents out there. It’s about Shirley Jackson’s early trysts with raising children that were, more often than not, outside her comprehension and control. Loosely based on events from her own… Read more
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The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro: Summary and Review
Where would your mind take you if someone said the words ‘the love of a good woman’ to you? If your mind quickly takes you to classic romantic movies of yore, a wife tirelessly sacrificing her life for her husband, you are the same as the rest of us. What’s more is that this titular… Read more
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Taming the Bicycle by Mark Twain: Summary, Analysis and Review
I wonder what your first thoughts were looking at the title of the story. Maybe a memory from childhood or a snapshot of some TV program where the protagonist ended up in a ditch, not able to control their bicycle? Well, just when you thought you had seen it all and laughed all you could at… Read more
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The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde: Summary, Analysis and Review
The Happy Prince is a short story written by Oscar Wilde. It is the story of a compassionate statue and how it falls in love with a bird which is separated from its flock. Every now and then, I feel myself drawn to children’s books – mostly because I am drawn to children; things about… Read more