Three more mini reviews (17 - 19 out of 52) in Back entries: 2013 - 2015

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (48 pages) contains three short stories - The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado and the title story. In the title story, a man tries to convince the world he’s not going mad - while describing how he’s committed a murder. The Fall of the House of Usher describes two old friends meeting after one writes to the other, stating he’s unwell. In The Cask of Amontillado, revenge is served after a supposed slight.

The only story I couldn’t get into was The Fall of the House of Usher - not sure why, but I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as the other two. An interesting read though.

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (55 pages) covers three short stories. The title story is about a couple staying in a vacated mansion for a few months, so that the wife could have a “rest”. The Rocking-Chair tells of a couple of friends who rent some lodgings from a mysterious landlady after seeing a beautiful woman sitting in a rocking chair in one of the rooms. But the chair’s in their lodgings - just who is she? And the last story is Old Water, where a young woman finds herself courted by a poet with a dramatic conclusion.

It took me a little while to get into this, but I think that was more because I’m trying to get over a cold (and therefore subsequently distracted). Otherwise, a really good read - I thought The Rocking-Chair was by far the best story of the three. Very thrilling.

Lips too chilled by Matsuo Basho (56 pages) is a selection of haikus, written by a Japanese Buddhist poet. Combining nature and human emotion, it’s definitely worth the read. Some lovely little snapshots…highly recommended.

Books Read: 19/52

Last updated December 21, 2015