Short Stories Books

A woman on holiday goes in search of her friends who didn't return during the night. She runs into an invisible wall which surrounds her apparently, and every living thing on the opposite side is dead. Struggling to keep her wits and to survive, she must change from the rhythms of living with other people to living according to the seasons and the animals she must take care of (a dog, a cow, some cats, others). Haushofer's stellar tale is a concise, powerful indictment (much like Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale") on the destructive capabilities of our world as run by men. It's through the rhythms of women and of nature that survival is possible through any adversity. My favorite quote: "Loving and looking after another creature is a very troublesome business, and much harder than killing and destruction. It takes twenty years to bring up a child, and ten seconds to kill it."

The Wall is a story about one woman's isolation in a forest. She starts out at a hunting lodge with friends who leave for a visit into town. They never return and she is forced to live by herself because a wall has suddenly been built that surrounds her.They say this is a story about a female Robinson Crusoe and I liken her to a female warrior fighting the war within.An excellent well done book with lots of thoughts for discussion. A great bookclub book.

I cant say enough about this book. I read it 10 years ago and I still am reeling about the way the book affected the way I think.

Years ago I was looking for a "fiction" book to read, after having read so many self-help type books and I came across The Wall. I had no idea what a fabulous read I was in for on that day. I was drawn into the story in a way that is difficult to describe. I truly felt that I was there experiencing every single moment. The pictures were drawn so deftly, my mind came alive! One minute it was all peaceful and calm, and the next minute there was a horror and a fright -- then this was followed by a resolve and an inner strength. This is a most beautiful "woman's" story - to me. I read this book in the 80's, and in all that time, I have been looking for it again - as I must have given it out for another to read and never got it back. The Wall has haunted my life since -- and today I waded through 100's of titles trying one more time to find the book and there it was..... Any book that can stay with a person for 15 or more years, has to be a book that touches a true place. Brava!

I read The Wall because it was assigned to me as part of a German Women Writers in Translation course. Wait... don't stop reading, quite yet... I had reservations about the novel when I first started it, because I thought it would either be dull and boring, or it would be too much like science fiction/fantasy or a nature novel, two genres I don't enjoy most of the time. It is neither.

This novel is actually a portrait of courage. As others have said, the unnamed author finds that she is the last person left after a nuclear holocaust. She is protected by an invisible shield and must learn to survive on her own.

The woman copes by writing a diary of her situation. She tell us, on the first page: "I'm not writing for the sheer joy of writing; so many things have happened to me that I must write if I am not to lose my reason."

The narrator comes across as very honest and the story is very moving. As she writes, "I can't think who I should lie to today. I can allow myself to write the truth; all the people for whom I have lied throughout my life are dead."

There are wonderful passages throughout the novel; my book is covered in highlighter pen because so many lines stood out. The process the author goes through to come to terms with what has happened and survive is realistic and gripping. The portrait of nature is quite captivating.

Overall, this novel has an important message about what it means to be human. It speaks to the need to work for peace; to come together to avoid creating a situation where this novel could actually take place. It is an important work that I believe everyone who is concerned for the future of our planet should read. You will be moved and you will be changed by this book.

I was introduced to this book through my high school literature class and thoroughly enjoyed. It's description of parts of early Trinidadian culture was my first glimpse into that world.
The story illustrates the social and cultural norms of the day and I read it with great curiousity.
Life has pushed Tiger and Urmilla into a new phase and we journey with them as they explore life and the small world in which they live.

I first read this book when I began teaching at a boy's school in Barbados 20 years ago, and I have ordered or taught excerpts of it to my classes in three other schools over the years. The book sets itself up for comparison between the two locations, London and Trinidad, and between the creole and the immigrant experiences. The stories range from the longer "Johnson and the Cascadura", which Selvon would expand into the later novel "Those Who Eat the Cascadura", to the stream-of-consciousness piece which ends the collection, "My Girl and the City", a style he would further explore in "The Lonely Londoners". Read separately or collectively, this is a delightful book of short stories that captures moments in time and for all time.

It is a pity that this book is no longer in print. I was first exposed to it when I taught it as part of the CXC curriculum in Barbados in the mid-80s. It is a delightful sequence of short stories arranged in two parts - Trinidad and London. Some stories are in dialect, others are in 'Queen's English' but for dialogue. The stories, though set in the 1950s, are universal in appeal, as witnessed by the fact that I have taught them to high school classes in British Columbia, New Brunswick, and now Ontario. The opening story, "Johnson and the Cascadura", and the final story, "My Girl and the City", are equal to any short story written anywhere by anyone. The latter story, being a stream-of-consciousness type, is far more accessible for high-school students than James Joyce! If you can get your hands on a copy of this short-story compilation, I don't think you will regret the effort or money expended!

It is a shame that this book is no longer in print. I first taught it in Barbados where it was part of the CXC curriculum, but I have been able to teach selected short stories from it to high school students in British Columbia, New Brunswick, and now Ontario. There are particular stories, such as the first - "Johnson and the Cascadura" and the last - "My Girl and the City" which stand against any short story, anywhere. The latter story is a stream-of-consciousness piece which is accessible for adolescent readers (far more than Joyce!). The collection is divided into two parts - Trinidad and London. If you can get a copy of this book, and are interested in the Caribbean experience, you will not be disappointed with your purchase.

This book is absolutely brilliant. It captures the true multi ethnic fabric of Trinidadian society through the trials of an Indian boy struggling to make it in early 20th century Trinidad. This book brings to light many ethnic and cultural issues that are a now inherent part of Trinidadian life, and is not only a brilliant piece of literature that should be cherished, but a piece of Caribbean history.

Ever since I read A Heartbeat Away, I did not think it could get any better, but was I wrong. From chapter one this book pulls you in. I don't know why it's listed as a contemporary romance and not a romantic suspense. Rafe and Korrine's story is so passionate that you will have to put the book down and give yourself a moment.

I can't believe that this woman has managed to stay out of my radar. I usually don't take chances with writers I've never heard anything about, but am I glad that I picked this one up. She has totally spoiled me. After reading her stuff, I find myself being so much more critical of other writers. Even my initial fav writer is being critqied. Mrs. Smith can write a book like it's nobodys business. Oh my goodness. This book has so many cute moments and so many "Let me put the book down for half a second and fantasize" moments that it's not funnt. Rafe was so damn perfect. My only problem with her is that she know's she aint right writing about men that we can't find. It's not fair. But anyway, Rafe was smart, attentive, virile. MMM, perfect. I also liked that Korrine wasn't the usual can;t break a nail woman that Arabesque has made the norm. There story is beautiful and it'llbe something that I look to any time I'm in need to getting away.

I am a fan of all Maureen Smith books. She is a great author. I was so excited to read this book from the back cover. So glad I purchased this book. From beginning to end, this was a great read. Never a dull moment. I wish i had read this when it first came out. I definitely recommend this book.

What can I say?....I love Mrs. Maureen Smith's books!!!! Very well written, with suspense and romance. I love how Rafe spoke Spanish to Korrine at the perfect time making her melt. And the love scenes (OH MY GOD), they rocked eachothers world even though there were only a couple scenes. I loved how the characters played out in the story, the book was long but not long enough. I wanted to know how things were going months later. Very very very good book, although Taming the Wolf is my all time favorite. I suggest every reader read that book including A Legal Affair!!!! Thanks for a wonderful book Mrs. Smith.

This was a great book. It was suspenseful to the very end. I enjoyed the romantic scenes as well. Being from the South Texas area I can also state that the descriptions given are very accurate. I have never read any of Ms. Smith's previous books but I am now going to read them. Very good job the reader's will enjoy this book.

This compelling new novel by Joyce Carol Oates may be her best. Lives stretched on by days and degree, Oates portrays five great American writers as heroes, rather than victims of their own collective demise. I was contemplating a favorite chapter but found myself coming up short. They're all good. Really good.

Poe and Hemingway seek a certain sort of attractive solitude, Dickinson is pumped full of oxygen, James, ever-needy, finds a way to fulfill his desires while Twain attains a new conquest of the sort we might expect. This is a wonderful book and Oates has captured each writer magnificently. I highly recommend "Wild Nights" for it is just that... a lasting look at what might have been.

Reading one of her novels is - according to one critic "...like becoming a peeping tom, staring without guilt into the bright living rooms and dark hearts of America". An exciting book set against the backdrop of Niagara Falls, where she grew up. The author deals with the desecration of natural beauty, in one case a violent gang rape witnessed by the victim's daughter, in the other industrial pollution. Read this book! You will enjoy it!!!

In a recent phone conversation I had with a friend, she informed me that she had just finished Joyce Carol Oates' latest book. I replied that I had heard her read from it at an event in Atlanta not long ago. She asked: "What short story did she read from?" I find out then that THE GRAVEDIGGER'S DAUGHTER is not Ms. Oates' latest and have learned since then that WILD NIGHTS will be followed by a new novel to be published in June, MY SISTER, MY LOVE: THE INTIMATE STORY OF SKYLER RAMPIKE. She is nothing is not prolific. This collection of short stories is Ms. Oates' twenty-second book of short stories according to the list in the front of her latest. The publisher does not even bother to list novels, nonfiction, etc.

Ms. Oates has chosen five of America's best writers, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Henry James and Ernest Hemingway, to include in WILD NIGHTS (the title comes from an Emily Dickison poem). I would love to know how she selected these five and wonder what she would do with the "last days" of Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Faulkner and Anne Sexton, for instance. Historical fiction-- if that's the word for it-- is not new to Oates. Her BLONDE, the fictional account of the tragic life and death of Marilyn Monroe is astonishing for how good it is and one of my favorite ten novels by an American writer.

Since it has been years since I have read either Poe or Twain, I cannot say as to whether Ms. Oates mimics the writing styles of those two writers-- I suspect she does-- although she certainly captures the horror of Poe's descent into madness reminiscent of his short stories. In what has to be the most macabre of any of the tales, "EDickinsonRepliLuxe," the poet comes alive in all her enigmatic reclusiveness. Ms. Oates is pitch perfect with the language in her stories about James and Hemingway from the former's dense, complex-worded prose to the latter's famous, often-copied terse, short unadorned sentences. Hemingway in his last days is the man we have come to think of, a chauvinist, in impotent depression, obsessed with guns and his reputation as the "greatest writer of his generation." His once womanizing good looks replaced by thinning, white hair. His definition of a wife cannot be written about in a g rated review. Clemens is old, tired of performing as Mark Twain, afraid that his writing muse has left him, is in perpetual grieving over the deaths of his wife and daughter and obsessed with young girls. In James, however, we see a loving, sympathetic side not usually associated with him as he volunteers at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London in World War I. James is chagrined that there are no odors "of human waste, gangrenous flesh" or "no names for such things" in either his novels or those his companions wrote. "In all of the Master's prose, not one bedpan." At first reticent to read to the wounded soldiers Walt Whitman's "more robust yet controversial verse, preferring Tennyson, Browning and Housman, James eventually comes to read Whitman aloud to the men, finding his work both "thrilling" and "suggestive."

Finally "EDickinsonRepliLuxe" rivals the chilling awfulness of Kazuo Ishiguro's brilliant novel NEVER LET ME GO. The Krims, a couple married for nineteen years who now sleep in double beds, select a RepliLuxe, a life-like, almost life-sized replica of Emily Dickinson to bring new life to their sad existence. "There is an hour when you realize: here is what you have been given. More than this, you won't receive. And what this is, what your life has come to, will be taken from you. In time." What follows is a story like nothing else you will read.

In a recent interview Ms. Oates said that all these stories are about "wild nights - inchoate longings." I would add that each of these characters, although totally different, is terribly lonely. Surely no living writer writes so much so well and never repeats herself. Ms. Oates is one of our best.

"Poe Posthumous; or The Light-House". Off Chile a lonely morose Poe kept a dairy while tending a lighthouse as its keeper even though he died a few months ago.

"EDickinsonRepliLuxe". In futuristic New Jersey, the mouse and the louse Krim couple buy an android of Emily Dickinson expecting poetry to brighten their lives, but instead the author finds them tedious and wants her freedom.

"Grandpa Clemens & Angelfish 1906". The famous author is being sued for his platonic relationships with teenage girls while his outraged adult daughter plans to testify against her father.

"The Master at St. Bartholomew's Hospital 1914-1916". Henry James does not want to enter the hospital ward filled wounded soldiers, but has no choice as he volunteered to help these "dear boys".

"Papa at Ketchum 1961". Hemingway is planning his last word, suicide.

The concept is brilliant and the execution superb as each tale provides insight into five of America's most famous authors. All her well written although the Clemens piece is by far the most disturbing and the Poe entry perhaps the weakest (still enjoyable). Fans of the American classics will relish this fine anthology as Joyce carol Oates proves a fabulous impersonator who emulates the writing styles of five of the greats.

Harriet Klausner

In this book, Joyce Carol Oates, (JCO), really shows her skill as a writer. In these five tales, Oates alters the final years of five writers: Edgar Alan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens; Henry James and Earnest Hemmingway. She writes a tale that for some of them is a shocking view, but never without merit. Oates shows truly unique and incredible talent, as each one of the stories is as if written in the hand of the author she is describing.

For example, in E. A. Poe's case, she changes the scene of his death to a lighthouse off the coast of Chile. But the real beauty is in the way she imitates Poe, writing about Poe. In her story about Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens, she imitates his writing style, while being both autobiographical and biographical, inventing some very interesting outside interests that Mr. Twain indulged himself in, but not in an improper or truly ethically aberrant manner, if at least a little inappropriate. Twain's story is significantly epistemological as she utilizes a letter format in much of the story to move her point along, and since there is such a plethora of Twain correspondence, JCO can more easily transport herself into Twain in that writing style.

While her stories of Dickinson and James are equally fabulous pieces, she truly outdoes herself in her depiction of Hemingway, in his later life, married to wife number four, describing his suicidal ideations and attempts in a highly autobiographical tone, with a truly polished `Hemingway' manner that only a true expert in the writings of the man and the history of the man, could conjure eloquent execution of another author's writing style, while still keeping within her inner framework of the psychological school of writing. She analyzes and exposits the thoughts of that old and famous mind in her story, truly creating a manuscript that is worthy of Hemingway himself, and perhaps if the reader was unaware that it was not written by Hemingway, such a distinction might not ever be made, so fine is her imitative authorship and literary craftmanship.

This truly is a classic piece of JCO's writing talent and should be highly prized by JCO readers and literary students of all types, considering the 5 authors she has depicted. It truly is a fine work of creativity, which should be read and even studied for the things that Joyce finds within the minds and the hearts and the words of these great literary figures.

Prolific novelist (Legends of the Fall), screenwriter, poet (The Theory and Practice of Rivers), and short story writer, Jim Harrison embeds people in landscape and weaves through torque of narrative, prose, and emotional import a web of intricate and compelling design. The Woman Lit by Fireflies, the final novella of this collection, powerfully explores ingenuity, freedom, and loyalty.

Harrison is a master of his art. His insight into the heart of men and women, is loving but incisive. The first story "Brown Dog" is infinitely re-readable. Harrison's characters are bluntly, and hilariously honest. The main character, a drunk bumbling through the woods of Michigan's upper penninsula is someone I never would have thought I would feel interest in but Harrison brings a humanity and intelligence to this unsympathetic picture that enthralls the intellect and engages the heart.

The other stories are beautifully done as well--the portrait of a middle-age woman breaking out of a stultifying relationship by camping overnight in a cornfield is touching and inspiring. Harrison's insight and empathy enable him to convincingly portray the world through his character's eyes.

This book is actually a collection of three novellas. My favorite, by far, is "Brown Dog". The main character, BD, is a man not very smart, but not too dumb, not very honest but not a bad person either. Bumming his way through life, he gets into more than one bind, and is able to tell the stories in a very self-deprecating tone that immediately endears him to the reader. This is a fantastic story, and the book is worth it just because of it.

"Sunset Limited" was OK, maybe a bit too formulaic for my taste. "The Woman lit by Fireflies" i liked the least. I simply didn't have any sympathy for the woman in question.

I was first introduced to Jim Harrison when I took an Intro to Fiction class taught by Harrison biographer/critic Edward Reilly. The book that I read was The Woman Lit by Fireflies. "Brown Dog" is, by far, my favorite novella in the collection. He is an underdog that simply wants to live off the land and be left the hell alone. Admirable qualities in my opinion. "Sunset Limited" and the "Woman Lit by Fireflies" are also excellent, but "Brown Dog" makes me hurt from laughter.

Not the most insightful review, I'm sure. However, how can a person be critical about something he or she enjoys?

i came on my copy of this book a few days ago. i was unpacking after a move and there was a lot to do. i had fond memories so i started reading. two hours later i was still sitting on a box reading. the title story remains one of the most engaging stories written by a man about a woman.

Gus Jones, the once successful author and writing instructor of Geoff Schmidt's WRITE YOUR HEART OUT, attempts to reestablish himself through his last manuscript. In developing this writing manual, however, he examines the decline of his life as he offers his own experiences to illustrate how one should write well. We see his yearning for understanding from those who would read his manual (his "dear readers" should feel compassion for him) and his near-tragic stature as well; he never fully understands all the contributing factors of his failure, although he unwittingly leads us readers to see them.

Schmidt has written an admirable book with accessible complexity. The novel appears to be a manuscript of a writing manual. Yet, Gus Jones habitually breaks his own rules in the manuscript. Further, we learn from the "Foreword" that a prominent, award-winning author, Andrew Shay, has decided to bring about the manuscript's publication. Shay, Jones' former student, has not only played prominent roles in Jones' life, but he also admits to some manipulation of the manuscript in preparing it for publication. It is difficult to resist offering spoilers in this review in order to demonstrate the intricacies of the relationships among characters; I'll just say that reading the novel again offers new rewards.

Of course, it's good the first time through. It's a spot-on parody of writing manuals. It offers rich character development, undercutting Jones' assertion that the "writing of the future" will rely almost solely on plot. It also conveys the challenge of facing a blank page as honestly as it depicts the desire to revise not only our work but our mistakes. I recommend this book highly, but I think writers and aspiring writers will get special pleasure from it.

And if you wonder whether the book is convincing, just notice that Amazon.com has attributed the afterword to a fictional character.

This excellent novel is also a how-to book that manages to be funny and heart-wrenching, sarcastic and sweet and playful but not offensive all in one. A clever parody that never belabors readers like other, ordinary how-to write books, this is a gem that meets your entertainment and your craft needs.

I had Geoff Schmidt as a teacher and sort of a mentor, and have waited for this book from him for quite awhile. Now that it is here, I don't really know what to say about it other than to recommend it to others.

Not just about writing, this is what writing is about. It was pure joy to read and still plays in my mind. A previous reviewer is exactly right: learn from the narrative, although the instructions are so off-beat that they made me think about writing from an altogether new direction. The narrative takes the form of an autobiography of a washed up writer and is entertaining in its own right with poignant characters and clever wording. The "authors" obviously had fun writing this book. In the process, they made the world a better place and made some money. What could be better.

Geoff Schmidt wrote an amazingly funny and sad and good and everything else I can't think to say novel. And the parody of a how-to book never became mean-spirited. I heard him read recently, and he cracked me up. And then he made me very, very sad. Read this one folks. Get your hands on it as quickly as you can.

A charming, witty and touching book that never insults its young readers' intelligence. It is certain to delight children and parents alike. I look forward to the next installment in what I hope will be a series of books about the loveable, good-natured and clever Wuffy, the dog with a heart of gold. More, please!

Excellent book! I couldn't put it down either of the times I read it. It's funny, touching, and extremely well-written. Adults and children alike will (and do!) love it.

Very funny book about very sunny dog and his "Family".
I was smiling as long as I was reading.
Wuffy, You made my day.

What a sweet book! Wuffy is charming, innocent, and funny, he instantly wins you over. The book manages to be both adorable and educational, and it will be enjoyed by both the children and parents. The book is broken into short stories that are perfect size for a bedtime reading.

Wuffy the Wonder Dog is a collection of short stories featuring Wuffy and his best friend, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a well-educated and sophisticated cat, and Wuffy never stops trying to impress her with his many talents. Wuffy always means well, but he gets into more scrapes than any dog I've ever met. In one story, he is a scientist experimenting on chocolate. In another, he's a doctor who cures sick little girls better than chicken soup. Each story has another unique situation exploring the many facets of this adorable but somewhat arrogant little dog. This is a wonderful read-aloud book for all ages, or a read-alone book for elementary readers. The gorgeous illustrations compliment the well-written story. I can highly recommend this book to any and all.

Yesterday's Yarns is an incredible collection of western stories. This is one of those books that you just can't put down. Ken Overcast has a unique writing style that gives you the best of both worlds. You'll get a life-like view of what the "real west" was really like and all the humor he incorporates into his writing makes it an incredibly fun book to read. This is one the whole family can enjoy and I've found that it has made a great gift for family and friends!

I think it is the way he puts the stories together. His writing style itself adds to the humor of the stories. Only a real cowboy could ever think and write this way. It is worth having in your library.

Ken's humor and history are sure to keep you smilin. It's a cinch!

Nothing removes a person from the humdrum of eveyday life faster than a good book. One such good book, "Yesterday's Yarns," will entertain anyone who delves between its covers, whether the reader is a rancher weathered by years on the range or an urban grandmother who has never seen a cow pie in her life.
Yesterday's Yarns, written by Montana rancher and cowboy Ken Overcast, provides good entertainment for readers from all backgrounds. The short stories and vignettes contained in the book consist of both factual and fictional tales of life in the west as observed from a true cowboy's point of view.
Overcast's stories explore family history, repeat tales concerning colorful Montana villains and good guys that helped shape the west, and bring everyday events, such as a pesky neighbor child or an unruly cow, to vivid life.
In his fictional stories, Overcast has the ability to take an ordinary situation, see the humor contained in the predicament, embellish the facts and the characters, and turn out a rollicking good yarn. His factual stories depict life as it was in the old west as well as life in the modern west today. He shares with the reader small gems of little-known Montana history, written in a way that makes a person either want to laugh out loud or weep in despair.
Some of the stories blend fact with fiction. "It's all true except for the part I made up," Overcast observes at one point in the book.
Those of us who live in the west can identify with nearly every story or situation described in the book, such as coming out on the losing end in an argument with a cow, or sleepwalking through a night calving check. The beauty of Overcast's work, however, lies in the fact that those not familiar with our way of life can still read and enjoy the book. They may not understand how to ride a fence line, or recognize a prairie oyster when they see one, but they can still empathize with the situations in the book, appreciate the humor and the eccentrics they meet, and learn a bit about the American west in the process.
I highly recommend this book for urban and rural folks alike.

This collection of humorous anecdotes, little histories, little mysteries, regional folklore, cowboy philosophy, and intimate glimpses into family life on the Northern Ranges is a rewarding cultural tour of the Highline region of Montana.

Ken Overcast himself is the real deal. A real cowboy from a real ranch family in one of the least hospitable agricultural environments in the world, his is the voice of the real West. Unquenchably optimistic, friendly, and as familiar and reassuring as Grandma's oatmeal cookies, his warmly conversational style immediately involves the reader in circumstances sometimes quirky, sometimes profound and with characters who are wise or good or naïve or comically villainous or deadly as a prairie rattlesnake.

These little stories cover just about every topic you could name, from the best excuse ever for being two hours late for school, to an unsolved murder mystery, to advice on what to do if you drop your favorite shovel into the irrigation ditch and then you spot your wife swathing hay in a bikini less than a quarter mile away.

No matter whom you are and no matter where you are, you will find yourself at home with Ken. His delightful stories take you far away from your ordinary day-to-day experiences. He puts you, willing or no, onto the vast Montana ranges or high among the peaks of the Bearpaw Mountains and among people you wish you could know.

A strange book, written by a Japanese author in 1960. Later, he committed ritual suicide, as seen in the movie "Mishima". In some ways, it is so uttterly immersed in the Japanese culture, describing in exquisite detail nature and Kazu's kimonos. It seems to be about the clash of two polar opposite natures, who, nevertheless, marry, and then discover who they really are, as revealed in the campaigning of a political election. In the end, Kazu chooses life over the very real peril of an untended grave, which was then a horror to any Japanese. It got better the further along it went.
A stunning sentence - ". . . her words were not slipping through his face as through a sieve, but sinking deeply and certainly . . ."

This is actually one of the easier to understand writings from the infamous Mishima. The provocative sentiments he evokes in this story gives timeless relevance in every corner of the earth in this romance between an entrepreneuring new rich with noble spirit to elevate her loved one, an aristocrat who ran out of money.

Mishima wrote After The Banquet well into the second half of his career. It was one of his last books before The Sea Of Fertility. So, his worldview was surely fully formed by this point. Yet, the book breaks quite a few of the stereotypes that surround Mishima's work.

First of all, the main character is a woman. This is rare for Mishima, who had quite a reputation for manliness. The last time he had a female protagonist was in Thirst For Love, his second novel. But there, the woman was obviously a cardboard cut-out more than a character, a hysterical "repressed housewife" type who lost her head over a strong, manly young man. Not in After The Banquet, though. Dig this quote: "Kazu...realized that for all her headstrong temperament, she had never loved a man younger than herself. A young man has such a surplus of spiritual and physical gifts that he is likely to be cocksure of himself, particularly when dealing with an older woman, and there is no telling how swelled up with self-importance he may become. Besides, Kazu felt a physical repugnance for youth. A woman is more keenly aware than a man of the shocking disharmony between a young man's spiritual and physical qualities, and Kazu had never met a young man who wore his youth well. She was moreover repelled by the sleekness of a young man's skin." (31-2)

This is a strange statement, coming from a man who allegedly worshipped youth and physical fitness, to the extent that he voiced a desire to die before he ever grew old. Not only is Mishima disparaging young men, he's doing so from the perspective of a woman over fifty. And this woman is not a decrepit and bitter shell like, say, the old Honda in the last two volumes of The Sea Of Fertility, but a vivacious, energetic hell-raiser. Well, then.

So anyway, in After The Banquet, the strong and lively older woman falls in love with a sixty-year-old politician who professes radical views. This happens when she is present at a dinner attended by various old politicians, and she sees that this particular man was the only one at the gathering who still expressed some passion for the present, instead of constantly reliving past glories. This part is well in line with Mishima's supposed views. After all, Mishima was also widely considered to be an old-school nationalist radical.

But, interestingly enough, he never explains Noguchi's political views in the novel. It is stated that Noguchi is a member of the Radical Party, but that's all. There is no way to tell if this party is liberal or conservative. Mishima states that Noguchi likes to lecture his wife on socialism, but not whether he is for or against it. The one scene that depicts a political speech given by Noguchi is full of deliberate comedy. Mishima portrays Noguchi as a terrible public speaker, and the only one of his positions that the book reveals is something silly about banning bicycles in public places. In other words, Mishima is quite consciously poking fun at this principled radical.

Mishima does generally speak with admiration about Noguchi's sense of honour, but within limits. For instance, Noguchi does not allow his wife to buy him a new suit, and prefers to go about dressed in clothes that he bought decades ago. Mishima shows his approval through the wife's eyes, but nonetheless describes Noguchi's behaviour as follows: "Such childish drivel, as anyone could see, covered an undercurrent of narrow-minded dread." (170) In another chapter, Noguchi gets angry at his wife when she tells him about how his friends talk about them behind his back. Mishima's commentary: "This was Kazu's first intimation that her husband's noble mind lacked sufficient powers of discernment." (94)

There's another line of thought regarding Mishima that holds that he didn't really care about politics, he only cared about dying a glorious death when he was still in his prime as a man. This explanation can be plausible, and the book's mild mockery of Noguchi, even as it praises him, may appear to support it. But that still doesn't explain the protagonist, quite old by Mishima's standard. Kazu does think about death, like many of Mishima's characters, but there's a refreshingly convincing materialistic streak to these thoughts. She wants to die as a part of a respected family, and to be buried among dignified people. This objective is more suitable to highly motivated people who build their fortune from nothing on their own than to radical dreamers with some abstract idea of honour or national greatness. And by the end of the book, she rethinks even this position. This is quite different from, say, Mizoguchi's dreams of beauty and fire in The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion -- even though, it must be noted, Mizoguchi ends up deciding that he wants to live.

Perhaps the only aspect in which Kazu might be a "typical" Mishima character is that she never thinks about having a family. It's a bit strange that a woman of fifty would appear to feel no regret about having no children. It may be that she is too cynical to believe that she might want to have children with any man, but nonetheless, in her private moments, she might still wish that she had had children, even abstractly. However, there is a passage in the book that may imply that her thoughts about death are caused in part by her lack of family.

There's a common image of Mishima as a "philosophical" writer, interested in big ideas more than the lives of individuals. But when he had a mind to, he could write about real life with exceptional humour and attention to detail. Kazu's worldliness annoys and upsets her husband. And it seems that Mishima likes her more than him.

the main plotline of this story may not sound very compelling, but this is not the main attraction - what draws you into the story is the way that Mishima is so deft in his character portraits. he give descriptions of things like hand movements and facial expressions in such a subtle way that very early on in the novel you feel as if you intimately know and understand the main characters - so much so that you can see them clearly in your minds eye - not just their appearace, but expressions, feelings, and mannerisms. i think that this is a great strength of mishima's in the novel - in presenting a psychological portrayal of his characters.

After the banquet tells the story of a mature, successful japanese woman who gives up her restaurant business to devote herself to marriage with a politician. a politician you say - how boring - but noguchi is different, he has an honesty and vitality about him -"Why don't we drop all this talk about the old days? We're still young after all."

however the relationship is doomed because of an impotant diference - kazu has had to work very hard to gain success in life, even if it meant acting in an immoral way. her husband, on the other hand, has been born into an easier life; therefore respect and integrity are more important to him than 'commercial' success. this all comes to a head when kazu tries to revive her husbands ailing political career, using methods he cannot approve of.

even if you find the plot incredibly boring, you just HAVE to love Kazu. she's not just successful and streetwise - she can act despicably at times, causing us to wonder if she has any feelings at all. you'd think this would make you hate her, but it does just the opposite because although her behaviour can be devious and manipulative, it is at the same time chidish and has an innocence about it. if you've read Chaucer's Wife of Bath then you'll know wht i mean; somtimes you want to strangle her, at others admire her.
even if yu find yourself really not liking kazu, you have to admire her if only for the fact that she managed to make herself so successful having come from a very poor backround - she is a woman before her time.

i just gotta say one more thing - its very interesting to see hoe kazu and nouchi can both be innocent, but in different ways - noguchi in his trust in so-called 'friends', and kazu in her manipulation of people - although it could be argured this shows qualities that are anything but innocent and childish.

ultimately, kazu has to make a choice; unfortunately, she cannot have the successful career and 'wifey' role at he same time. she must choose between conforming and resisting, between acting in her own or others interests.

Kazu is a middle-aged woman and the proprietress of a successful restaurant -- the Setsugoan -- in Tokyo. During a banquet for the Kagen Club, she meets and falls in love with Yuken Noguchi, a aristocrat and retired politician. They wed, and soon, Kazu decides to secretly use her wealth to aid her husband in returning to public office, despite protestions and warnings from her friends.

"After the Banquet" is a fascinating look at love and politics. Kazu is head-strong, wealthy and not ashamed to use her money to get what she desires. Noguchi, a few years older than her, is idealistic and stubborn, wanting to stick to win the election on his own. Along with that clash, they are also torn between the modern Japanese woman and the traditional role of the Japanese wife. Kazu wants to be out and about, aiding her husband any way she can; Noguchi is determined to keep her out of politics, at one point even forbidding her to leave the house.

It's amazing to see how Yukio Mishima sets these two opposties together, how they interact with each other and with the world of politics. A great book.

My son (nearly 4) has loved Alfie since he was 2½. He wants "Alfie gets in First" every bedtime. Just beware that this edition is a US edition, and does not feature the original words, using Americanisms that feel weird if you have read the original. e.g. (Alfie's mum is called "Mom"). I think that if you want the original wording you need to look for the "Alfie Treasury".

This collection of Alfie stories stands out as one of my 13 year-old daughter's, and my own, all-time toddler/youngster favorites. The stories are heart-warming, realistic, and so very charming. The illustrations are sweet and detailed, but not over-done. I have saved my daughter's set to hand down to her own children one day. I am disappointed that this set is no longer in print, but it's a testimonial to the quality and endurance of the series that used copies are selling at a premium. I had hoped to purchase a set for my adored grand-nephews!

These stories of Alfie and his little sister, Annie Rose, are truly endearing. Children and parents alike will find the illustrations to be utterly enchanting and the stories amusing and very real. This collection is a "must have" for fans of English illustrator/author, Shirley Hughes.

I often wish I could find other books just like "Alife." We have a little boy who absolutely loves Alfie stories. There are several wonderful things about this book. First, the stories are delightful--gentle but realistic depictions of a boy who can figure things out and actually accomplish some little four-year old feats on his own. I love the interaction among the family members (although I guess the dad is a little removed for my taste...). The illustrations are so true. I agree with the earlier reviewer, I'm also comforted by the little daily messes in Alfie's house. We also love the format of this book. It's big and long (divided into several stories) and our little guy really feels like he's reading a "serious" book. He likes to consider which story to read and we've even had a chance to do some teaching about page numbers. I've bought this book for several kids in the 3-4 year old group and I've heard good things from all of them. This is one I can imagine saving for the grandkids.

My 2 and half year old asks to read this book and other Shirley Hughes' books repeatedly. They are endearing and engaging for both of us (and Dad & big brother too). These realistic and beautiful renderings of a toddler's everday dramas explore small but important truths about behavior... sharing (at a birthday party) , courage (overcoming fear of opening a door by oneself), thoughtfulness (helping a sister in need), and learning about and taking care of one's belongings. But I only came to recognize these subtle messages after several requested readings which is of course most important. In our house this book is highly requested as well as recommended.