The New The Rejected Realms Book Club

[Chef Big Dog]

After I learned that there was a previous TRR Book Club where everyone came together and read short stories I decided that I want to revive the concept. This will be the same as the previous iteration in that we'll just read short stories since with differing levels of IRL busyness, timezones, ect reading a full book probably isn't the most realistic.

If you're interested post below and if you've got a short story you'd like us to read, suggest it! We'll take a vote on what to read once we have a few suggestions in.

[Hoffania]

I’d like to suggest All Summer In A Day

[Chef Big Dog]

I'll suggest "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce

[thechurchofsatan]

The Skeleton Creek books, by Patrick Carman. They're available online via archive.org if you register an account there for free. They have a vast depository of literature. You can only borrow access for an hour at a time, but it's still a great option.

[Catalyse]

"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick to go with the sci-fi(?) trend of the last club.

[Minskiev]

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway because that's the only one I can remember rn

[W&S]

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin is one of my favorites. I also have some more I'll go dig up.

Also I have some old short stories I wrote that I could post. I took creative writing in college and I used to TA a creative writing class when I worked in Austria. I have some stuff lying around in my drive from those. If there's interest in a lil writing workshop after doing these that could be fun!

[Chef Big Dog]

Ok. I think we've got enough suggestions. Let's vote on what to read. I vote for "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
Post your vote if you wanna read.

[Hoffania]

I vote for An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

[Minskiev]

I also vote for Story of an Hour

[Salem]

I also vote for Story of an Hour

[Catalyse]

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.

[TheKeyToJOY]

I vote for Story of An Hour.

[Chef Big Dog]

Okay, based on the votes that have come in we'll read Story of An Hour this week and then An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge next. We'll take the next 7 day period to read and then the week after that to discuss. I found a PDF of the book here: https://my.hrw.com/support/hos/hostpdf/ ... xt_219.pdf

[TheKeyToJOY]

What about for next time, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Zeus?

[Chef Big Dog]

Discuss what you thought about the story! I liked it. Her attitude towards her husband's death kind of surprised me and I found the ending pretty ironic.

[Hoffania]

I’m not entirely sure, was her attitude more a temporary loss of sanity, or genuine happiness? I kind of interpreted it as the first, but it may have been the second.

[Chef Big Dog]

I’m not entirely sure, was her attitude more a temporary loss of sanity, or genuine happiness? I kind of interpreted it as the first, but it may have been the second.

I think that she realized that she actually felt happiness/relief after she thought about the fact that her husband died it what it meant.

[Hoffania]

I’m not entirely sure, was her attitude more a temporary loss of sanity, or genuine happiness? I kind of interpreted it as the first, but it may have been the second.

I think that she realized that she actually felt happiness/relief after she thought about the fact that her husband died it what it meant.

Ah, I see, I suppose that’d make sense.

[Hoffania]

I know it can be chalked up to a plain mistake, but any theories as to why the husband’s death was reported? I put forth “Mail courier hated her and knew she would do that”

[Minskiev]

I'll post my thoughts tomorrow, sleeping now

[frattastan]

Definitely genuine happiness. I was wondering if it was also a realisation for her too, rather than something she had been longing for ("She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her"). Crushing ending after that moment of hope.

I know it can be chalked up to a plain mistake, but any theories as to why the husband’s death was reported? I put forth “Mail courier hated her and knew she would do that”

It was a railroad accident so maybe there were many victims. If the kind of situation where misidentification of bodies can happen early on, especially if he worked there or was supposed to be there.

[TheKeyToJOY]

Come guys please Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Zeus.

[Chef Big Dog]

Sorry for my lateness in posting. We're going to read "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce since it's what got the second most votes.
I found a PDF of it here
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... jfAX9Fko8N

[Minskiev]

I'll post my thoughts tomorrow, sleeping now

Ok hi, definitely tomorrow.

I'd say it's happiness, yeah. She loved her husband but she had never felt this way ("What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name") . She hadn't felt freedom before and knew her husband loved her but I'd say it's a realization that struck her that she wanted to live for herself in the coming years. There's a lot of rhetorical language here ("the sounds, the scents, the color" that's creeping out of the blue sky) about feeling and sense.