I haven't had time to read books lately, which is totally on me. I have a stack of unread books and an even giant stack of abandoned books. I was able to find my mojo and actually read a pretty lengthy short story today, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me realize what I have been missing with books. I just received an electronic copy of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I am so pumped to get started with it.
Today's short story was a sort of great-title typa thing. The title sounded nice, and I had a feeling it would be, and it sure as hell did not disappoint.
- Author - James Joyce
- Title - The Little Cloud
- Originally Published - 1914
- Genre - Fiction, Short Stories
PLOT
The narrator tells the story of a little chap; a city clerk with all excitement, heading to a bar to see his long friend who traveled out of the city to work. The conversation with his friend takes different turns as it stirs up old insecurities in him. The adventures, experiences, and travel stories with the demeanor and mannerisms of his friend make him feel even less of a man and question his own life. He wallows in the spiral of comparison, and as he gets to his home, he allows this to affect how he treats his son.
SETTINGS
The story was set in Dublin, Ireland. With mentions of a lot of other locations.
Thank you for reading my short story review. I try not to give spoilers, :). Everything said herein is actually my own opinion. If there is anything I might have missed out, misinterpreted, or quoted wrongly, please point me toward it in the comment. It is an online book available for anyone to read on American Literature. Till next time. Cheers.
CHRACTERS
- Little Chandler - the main character of the story, and his best mate,
- Ignatius Gallaher
- Annie - Chandler's wife; and a host of other characters.
PURPOSE
You will never know if you don't try.
This has got to be one of the best short stories I have read; ever. That is a big call, I know, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's interesting because there was no over-display of a sophisticated plot, some mind-numbing storyline, or something like that. It was just a beautiful conversation, with an incredible level of relatability. I love it. It is so easy to understand and put oneself in the shoes of the main character. His demeanor, his dreams, everything. Then there was the atom of humor in it. I mean, that got me good. This was a very refreshing read; long, but so worth it. Modern diction, relatable characters, understandable plot, humane and witty conversations, and natural ending. This one had it all and it was quite beautiful. Albeit I'd say the title was ambiguous as I struggled to find a connection. I will definitely recommend this to anyone interested in leisure reading. I will also rate it a solid 4.7 out of 5. Great piece.