Short Story Reviews
In Meteor by John Wyndham we have the theme of hope, connection, destruction, acceptance and loss. Narrated using a dual narrative of both a third person human narrator and a first person alien (Onns) narrator the reader realises after reading the story that Wyndham may be exploring the theme of hope. Onns through his journal […]
Read moreIn The Signalman by Charles Dickens we have the theme of uncertainty, fear, isolation, madness, trust and respect. Narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader after reading the story that Dickens may be exploring the theme of uncertainty. The narrator unlike the signalman does not believe in […]
Read moreIn The Taipan by W. Somerset Maugham we have the theme of wealth, appreciation, loss, racism, bitterness, arrogance and fear. Taken from his Collected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that the main protagonist doesn’t appreciate the life […]
Read moreIn The Destructors by Graham Greene we have the theme of control, pride, power, acceptance, change, jealousy and insecurity. Set in the 1950s the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Greene may be exploring the theme of control. When Blackie loses […]
Read moreIn Attila by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of trust, faith, loyalty, persuasion and luck. Taken from his Malgudi Days collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Narayan may be exploring the theme of trust. Attila cannot be trusted […]
Read moreIn Chike’s School Days by Chinua Achebe we have the theme of tradition, modernity, religion, change, language and conflict. Taken from his Girls at War and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Achebe may be exploring the […]
Read moreIn A Work of Art by Anton Chekhov we have the theme of gratitude, poverty, perception, morality, independence, paralysis and social opinion. Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Chekhov may be exploring […]
Read moreIn The Promise by W. Somerset Maugham we have the theme of independence, strength, courage, love, honesty, change and acceptance. Taken from his Collected Short Stories collection the reader realises after reading the story that Maugham may be exploring the theme of independence. Lady Elizabeth though she may have previously been the talk of everybody […]
Read moreIn The Escape by W. Somerset Maugham we have the theme of pity, dishonesty, escape, selfishness, dignity and freedom. Taken from his Collected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Maugham may be exploring the theme of pity. […]
Read moreIn The Tiger’s Claw by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of reliability, fear, ego, pride and honesty. Taken from his Malgudi Days collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that the Talkative Man may not be a reliable source of […]
Read moreIn Fellow-Feeling by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of conflict, class, tension, bravery, bitterness and disbelief. Taken from his Malgudi Days collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story it becomes clear to the reader that Narayan may be exploring the theme of conflict. […]
Read moreIn Five-Twenty by Patrick White we have the theme of confidence, freedom, guilt, identity, control, isolation and escape. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader after reading the story that White may be exploring the theme of confidence. Ella lacks any sort of confidence. Her life appears […]
Read moreIn An Englishman’s Home by Evelyn Waugh we have the theme of identity, class, connection, control and pride. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator it becomes clear to the reader from the beginning of the story that Waugh may be exploring the theme of identity. Metcalfe though he is new to the […]
Read moreIn Georgia Hall by Maeve Binchy we have the theme of jealousy, insecurity, confidence, pride, fear, selflessness and image. Taken from her A Few of the Girls collection the story is narrated in the first person by a young woman called Margaret (Moggie) and after reading the story the reader realises that Binchy may be […]
Read moreIn Journey by Patricia Grace we have the theme of change, powerlessness, frustration, responsibility and acceptance. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the story that Grace may be exploring the theme of change. The old man can remember travelling into the city by steam train. Also when […]
Read moreIn Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy we have the theme of wisdom, knowledge, awareness, kindness, forgiveness and acceptance. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the story that Tolstoy may be exploring the theme of wisdom. The King longs to know the answer to three questions which will […]
Read moreIn Mayhew by W. Somerset Maugham we have the theme of freedom, change, independence, bravery, confidence, isolation, conflict and individualism. Taken from his The Collected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Maugham may be exploring the theme […]
Read moreIn The Taste of Watermelon by Borden Deal we have the theme of guilt, connection, acceptance, honesty and bravery. The story itself is a memory piece and is narrated through the eyes of a sixteen year old boy and after reading the story it becomes clear to the reader that Deal may be exploring the […]
Read moreIn Home by W. Somerset Maugham we have the theme of letting go, respect, connection, doubt and honesty. Taken from his Collected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises that Maugham may be exploring the theme of letting go. […]
Read moreIn An Avenger by Anton Chekhov we have the theme of infidelity, trust, revenge, shame and pride Taken from his The Complete Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Chekhov may be exploring […]
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