Short Story Wednesday: "Button, Button" Richard Matheson

"Button, Button", Richard Matheson 

A package arrives at Norma and Arthur Steward's house with a gadget inside with a button on it. Shortly after a man arrives and announces to the couple that if they push the button they will kill someone in the world, and receive $50, 000 in exchange. Norma is intrigued by this, insisting that they are part of an experiment, and nothing will happen if they push the button. Except maybe they would get paid and could do the many things she was longing for. Arthur is repulsed by the idea and by his wife. This is a very well -written story although you will probably guess the ending. This was, of course, on the Twilight Zone. You can watch it on you tube. It was also the plot of the 2009 movie THE BOX.

Steve Lewis 

George Kelley 

Martin Edwards 

Jerry House 

Kevin Tipple 

Monday, Monday

 

Off to see BAD SHABBOS. A comedy is what we need. Luckily the theater near me is still trying to have some alternative films. Because everything else is for kids or action movies. 

I broke down and ordered Peacock. Decided I wanted to see POKER FACE enough to be worth it. A few other shows too. 

The first three episodes of THE BEAR were not so hot but I liked 4 although I am betting most viewers don't.

Still wading through THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE. I am just not a fantasy reader to my detriment, I am sure. It's popular with many readers, I understand. 

What do people who live in Manhattan do for the fourth of July. I mean Central Park is huge but can you barbecue there?  Although it's been a long time since I had anything barbecued. 

What's up with you guys?  

 

Good Turnout for Megan-maybe 75.

Mama to the rescue although I don't like doing it. She can't do it herself because she's in the green room. I had to correct the date on their website, make them order more books, make them get enough chairs and prepare an introduction for a clerk to read who was about to say. "Here is Megan Abbott". She was impressed enough with what she read, she bought a book.Of course I can only step in when she is in Detroit. But Indy book stores do a much better job of it because they know their customers and do it all the time. Barnes and Noble has been very good to Megan though. They did a great interview online. This store doesn't do many live events. But there were as nice as could be to the panicked Mom. Even when we tried to steal chairs from the coffee bar. 

My Choices

 

THE 100 BEST MOVIES OF THE 21st CENTURY

Reader’s Choice: My Ballot

Perfect Days

2023

Tár

2022

The Great Beauty

2013

Before Sunset

2004

The Lives of Others

2006

No Country for Old Men

2007

Moonlight

2016

45 Years

2015

Calvary

2014

Phantom Thread

2017

FFB: THE DAMNED, Andrew Pyper

 

THE DAMNED, Andrew Pyper

I was attracted to this book in my search for a ghost story and because it is mostly set in the suburb next to mine: Royal Oak. MI. Although there is technically a ghost in it I would classify it as a horror story more than a ghost story.

In order for the story to work, you must embrace the idea of a child born bad. I was never quite able to do this so that somewhat impeded my enjoyment of the book.

Twins are born to a family. From the beginning the girl is trouble although just how is never much discussed until the ending. Both almost die at birth and are brought back. At age sixteen, both die again in a fire and this time only the boy is saved. He has always been haunted by his sister in life and now in death, things don't change much. His ability to have a normal life is stopped at every turn.

This was a very well-written book and the setting was interesting to me. Pyper made good use of both Royal Oak and Detroit. But his sister never came to life for me-either alive or dead. There were lots of good plot twists in it, lots of great detail. But I guess I needed someone who didn't slip though my fingers every time I tried to understand her. Her name was Ash and that about sums up her presence

Short Story Wednesday: "The Pilgrimage" William Maxwell

 

William Keepers Maxwell Jr. (August 16, 1908 – July 31, 2000) was an American editor, novelist, short story writer, essayist, children's author, and memoirist. He served as a fiction editor at The New Yorker from 1936 to 1975. An editor devoted to his writers, Maxwell became a legendary mentor and confidant to many of the most prominent authors of his day. Although best known as an editor, Maxwell was a highly respected and award-winning novelist and short story writer. His stature as a celebrated author has grown in the years following his death. 

"The Pilgrimage" almost certainly is a story based on something experienced or something heard by Maxwell. It gets so much right about tired tourists on the road. The Ormsby's are an American couple touring France. On the way to Paris, they make a detour to find a restaurant that friends have told them about, saying "it was the best dinner they had in their life" How can the couple not have dinner at a place that specialized in truffles and also " deserts made from little balls of various ice cream in a beautiful basket of spun sugar with a spun-sugar bow." 

They drive through village after village and finally come on a place that seems right except the menu has neither of the dishes they are seeking. And neither does another place on the town square. They are completely obsessed with having the things they were told about and act in the way Americans are always accused of acting. 

This is a satirical story, of course, meant to point out the problems with tourists in foreign settings. Maxwell is a master of this sort of story. And I can't say enough about the quality of his novels, especially TIME WILL DARKEN IT, THE FOLDED LEAF and THE CHATEAU.

 TracyK

George Kelley 

Casual Debris 

Todd Mason 

Monday, Monday

 Megan begins her book tour today. She gets in Detroit on Friday but just for a day. Hoping we get a decent turnout for her. 

Saw two movies this week. THE LIFE OF CHUCK, which I didn't think much of and it hit a little too close to home for comfort.The other was a restoration of THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH with James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave. The sound was poor and we struggled to hear it. But it seemed like a nice enough film about old age. 

Ate out way too much this week: Mexican, Turkish, Thai, Thai. I don't dare stand on the scale. 

Reading THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE for a book group. It is very thick. It certainly seems like people like it so maybe I will too.  

Watching DUSTER (Max) STICK (Apple) and OUTRAGEOUS (BritBox) but nothing that really thrills me. I find myself watching compilations of various themes on You tube a lot. FOr instance, the best dancing sequences, the best crime stories. They are inserting anti-abortion commercials in some of them.  

Very hot here. Hope it doesn't last long. 

What are you doing lately?