https://www.newyorker.com/books/flash-fiction/scab-painting
This is one I would have expected by Murakami. Twins are born. One is initially smaller but over time becomes the larger twin. This larger twin collects newspaper articles on imposters and is an expert at removing scabs. His sibling indulges this activity until he is grown and no longer has scabs. The brother then learns how to hurt himself enough to produced scabs. Over time, he fashions artwork from his scabs and when he dies his sibling presents them to the mourners as tokens.
Perhaps the flash fiction length produces stories like this that are more an idea than a story. I am not even entirely sure of the sex of the more normal twin. The writer never says they are both boys but in fact, refers to this twin as a tomboy. Or maybe I missed the reference. An odd one indeed.
5 comments:
Now I have to read more of these flash fiction stories.
I do have a short story post this week:
https://bitterteaandmystery.blogspot.com/2024/03/short-story-wednesday-three-captain.html
More stories from LEOPOLD'S WAY by Edward D. Koch.
This does sound like a different sort of story, Patti. I sometimes think short stories allow the author to explore things in different ways like that.
That story sounds very creepy.
Currently read three collections:
Nathan Ballingrud, North American Lakes Monsters. Mostly horror with some fantasy elements. "The Crevasse" is set in the Antarctic on a long ago expedition. When a crevasse suddenly opens up and takes one of the sled dogs, the expedition's doctor climbs down (to put the dog out of its misery) and sees steps cut into the rock, leading down. But a lot of these stories have muted or ambiguous endings, if they have an ending at all.
Jeffrey Marks, Under Investigation. The conceit here is, the "detective" in these stories is Ulysses S. Grant. The first story takes place in the White House just after the Civil War, but all the others (so far, at leas) take place during the war, mostly around the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863, with Grant using common sense to solve the murders or other crimes (stealing papers). They are short, fast reads.
Elizabeth Strout, Olive Kitteridge. This Pulitzer Prize winner is actually a collection of interconnected stories, about former teacher Kitteridge, her husband and others in her circle.
Diane and her Book Club read OLIVE KITTERIDGE. They loved it. I've been catching up on Sherlock Holmes pastiches but I'm on the edge of burn-out. The game is NOT a-foot for me right now. Too much binging.
Love Olive and the series with Frances McDormand is good too.
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