Category: Fiction

  • The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida: A Review

    The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida: A Review

    The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida won the Booker Prize in 2022, and it is a captivating read that will engross you in its world. The book explores various themes, such as the afterlife, the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, the importance of true friendship, and national and international politics. It also touches on the issue…

  • Miss Temptation by Kurt Vonnegut: Summary and Review

    Miss Temptation by Kurt Vonnegut: Summary and Review

    Kurt Vonnegut’s short story Miss Temptation was first published in the 1950s by Saturday Evening Post. It also appeared later in an anthology called Welcome to the Monkey House.  Miss Temptation by Vonnegut: Summary and Plot Analysis Miss Temptation, if the name doesn’t give it away, revolves around a temptress, a young actress named Susanna, who lives in a…

  • Mammon and the Archer by O.Henry: Summary, Analysis and Review

    Mammon and the Archer by O.Henry: Summary, Analysis and Review

    Mammon and the Archer is one of the more popular short stories by O. Henry. Published more than a century ago, the story is about wealth, love, and time and how one of those enables the others.  It is centered around a wealthy businessman who, by means of his wealth, creates circumstances for his son to…

  • The Last Leaf by O.Henry: Summary, Analysis and Review

    The Last Leaf by O.Henry: Summary, Analysis and Review

    The Last Leaf is one of the most popular short stories penned by O.Henry. First published in the early 1900s, this was part of his short story collection, The Trimmed Lamp. The Last Leaf by O Henry: Summary and Plot Analysis The story, set in Greenwich village, revolves around the lives of two young female artists –…

  • A Dollar’s Worth by O.Henry: Summary and Analysis

    A Dollar’s Worth by O.Henry: Summary and Analysis

    This short story by O.Henry, published in the early 1900s, explores the theme of justice, compassion, and love. A Dollar’s Worth: Summary and Plot Analysis The story opens with a letter. The letter is a threat from one of the convicts to the judge Mr. Derwent, who had presided over the case leading to his…

  • A Retrieved Reformation by O Henry: Summary and Analysis

    A Retrieved Reformation by O Henry: Summary and Analysis

    Originally called Retrieved Reform, this short story was first published more than a century ago in Cosmopolitan magazine.  A Retrieved Reformation: Summary and Plot Analysis The story opens in prison, where an inmate, Jimmy Valentine, is diligently working in the prison shoe shop. The man is serving a four-year sentence but is freed much earlier, apparently owing to his…

  • The Ransom of the Red Chief by O Henry: Summary and Review

    The Ransom of the Red Chief by O Henry: Summary and Review

    In 10 minutes, I shall cross the central, southern, and middle western states and be legging it trippingly for the Canadian border. What comes to mind when you read this? Hot air balloons? Spaceships? Science fiction? The answer will come to you in the form of Ransom of the Red Chief, a short story by celebrated…

  • The Dead by James Joyce: Review and Analysis

    The Dead by James Joyce: Review and Analysis

    The Dead is a part of James Joyce’s short story collection called The Dubliners, first published in 1914. The Dead is one of the most celebrated short stories of James Joyce, frequently adapted into plays and movies. It had a broad appeal – in and outside Ireland. The Dead by James Joyce: Summary and Plot Analysis The story opens in…

  • A Painful Case by James Joyce: Summary and Review

    A Painful Case by James Joyce: Summary and Review

    Friendship between man and woman is impossible because there must be sexual intercourse. If you thought this was straight from the Meg Ryan-movie When Harry met Sally, you are as wrong as I was. This is a quote from a short story A Painful Case by famed Irish author James Joyce.  This was featured in his short story…

  • Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome: Summary and Review

    Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome: Summary and Review

    Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) is a humorous account by the renowned British author Jerome K Jerome, detailing a boating holiday spanning a couple of weeks.  Funnily enough, the book was initially meant to be written as a serious travel guide, but the comic element in the presentation ended up…