Short Fiction

This week I have enjoyed re-reading some short fictions which I wanted to share with you :)

"The Guest," from Exile and the Kingdom (1957), a collection of stories written by Albert Camus, presents a protagonist torn between hiw own ideals of justice, integrity, and compassion, and his loyalty to his nation. It is a wonderful fiction! Camus, born and raised in Algeria by immigrant parents, convincingly portrays the tension the protagonist feels as he considers the demands of the French officials, his own love for the Algerian land and people, and his recognition that the "GUEST" is human like himself, though feared and despised by the French.

In the story "The Accident," the Chinese writer Gao Xingjian emphasizes the existential loneliness and alienation of humanity through a factual and spare description of a fatal accident juxtaposed against the trivial chatter of onlookers.

The Colombian writer Garcia Marquez includes in his stories and novels the folklore and mythology of Caribbean Colombia. I have enjoyed reading "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings". Garcia Marquez shares an avid interest in political protest, rebellion, or political and social advocacy. He views fiction as a vehicle for social and political change and for personal expression.

"Civil Peace" by Achebe, another great short story, written after the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). His work depicts the cultural conflict and change in Nigerian society.