Day 7: The Provincials

by Daniel Alarcon in The Best American Short Stories 2013

This is another rather long short stories.  It is hard to rate a story that is 4 pages long against a story that is 40 pages long.  I think in general I have enjoyed the longer stories simply because they are much more like a novel and this is what I normally read.

This had a couple very interesting characters in a setting that I found very interesting.  I have not read much about how Mexicans react to people who return to Mexico after leaving for the US.

Rating 7/10

Day 6: The Death of a Clerk

by Anton Chekhov from Selected Stories of Chekhov

First, I love 19th century Russian writers.  I think The Brother's Karamazov is the greatest novel ever written.  I love Tolstoy and Gogol as well.  But for some reason I had never had the chance to read Chekhov till now.

This was almost like a satire of a 19th century Russian story.  Government clerk. Check.  Internal existential crisis. Check.  Death. Check.

All the pieces are there but present in a way that to me feels satiric.

Rating: 6/10

Day 5: The Statement of Randolph Carter

by H.P. Lovecraft from Complete Writings of H.P. Lovecraft

I had read a few Lovecraft stories as a teenager but believe they were a couple of his longer works.  When I saw Lovecraft on my friends short story list, I thought this would be a good time to revisit his writing.

This was a quick story that is exactly what I would expect from a Lovecraft story. Great writing that really sets an atmosphere. 

Rating: 7/10

Day 4: Ysrael

by Junot Diaz in Drown

This is about 3 boys but only the one who we don't really know and who is disfigured is at all likable.  Maybe that is the point but the story left me feeling depressed.  Well written and a complete story but the subject of the story was unpleasant at best.

Rating: 6/10

Day 3: Semley's Necklace

by Ursula K. Le Guin in The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Sci-Fi Sunday:  I decided to read a Sci-Fi story every Sunday.

I have read only one novel by Le Guin so I was happy to add this collection of her short stories to the list.  This was a little longer the the other short stories I have read this far, but I really enjoyed this story.  It was a little slow to develop  for a short story but the resolution was well done.  Excited to read more of these stories in the coming weeks.

Rating 8/10

Day 2: Why Don't You Dance

by Raymond Carver from What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

I really enjoyed this 'story.'  I say story since it is really more of a scene that is left without answers.  But I find the lack of resolution works well in this situation.

Rating: 8/10

Day 1: Cosmopolite in a cafe

by O'Henry from 100 selected stories.

Having only read one story from O'Henry before this, 'Gift of a Magi' I was unsure exactly what to expect.  This was not my favorite story.  It was interestingly written but the story really did not interest me in the slightest.

Rating: 4/10