Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Short Story WednesdayA Tangle by the Rapid River, Anthony Doerr


 I have always admired writers who can describe nature well: the sounds, the smells, the look of it, even the feeling. This is so well done. This is about a man going fishing. Sometimes his fishing is an excuse for meeting up with his lover. His lover is giving him an ultimatum. This day he is just fishing. First he gets tangled in his fishing lines and nearly drowns. Then he gets in a battle with a fish. Beautifully written.

 Jerry House 

Kevin Tipple 

George Kelley 

8 comments:

  1. Not really into nature description.

    Currently reading Ray Bradbury, KILLER, COME BACK TO ME: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury. I also read a Tor Original, Mary Robinette Kowal's (23 page) "In The Moon's House," a tie-in with her Lady Astronaut series that cannot help but remind one of the great Joan Cusack scene in IN AND OUT: "Is everybody gay?"

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  2. I have never read Bradbury's crime stories.

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    1. There are a couple of collections out, at least. The ones I've read are pretty good.

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  3. Kowal picked up her married surname from one of my high-school classmates, so any citation of her byline tends to trigger a flood of memories. (George has a post up, too.) I've read a few of Bradbury's crime fiction stories...I'd agree they aren't too shabby, the ones I've read. "The October Game" alone leads to some fond (grim!) memories.

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    1. http://www.davidglensmith.com/lonestar/1302/PDFs/Bradbury-October.pdf

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    2. Or, to see it in original context (along with other fine stories by his peers): https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tales_v40n03_1948-03_Gorgon776/mode/2up

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  4. Diane is a big Anthony Doerr fan and so is her Book Club! My Wednesday's Short Stories post is up on my blog.

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  5. I like descriptions of nature. Almost all of Victor Cannings mysteries and spy fiction include wonderful descriptions of nature. I cannot think of other authors like that off the top of my head.

    I will look for this story or try to find one of his collections at the book sale.

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