Are you new here? No problem. Scroll down to get the skinny and join the fun!
To all the returning 101’ers…welcome back!
To those that didn’t win…keep trying! Your odds are better than you think.
It’s time for this week’s Book Giveaway. But first…let’s talk about last week.
Last Week’s Book – The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
Congratulations to Joan M. Caska for winning The Death of Ivan Ilych.
Talk About the Book
Do you want to read the book and discuss it with the community? Now is your chance for some ‘book club’ style discussion. Pick up your copy and tell everyone what you think.
This Week’s Book – To Build a Fire and Other Stories by Jack London
This week’s book is recommended by our winner, Joan M. Caska. Joan had this to say about the book:
Vibrant, engaging and thought-provoking, To Build a Fire is my favorite short story of all time. London’s unique blend of supreme storytelling and literary style makes this book a must-read.
Let’s Discuss the Book
Have you read To Build a Fire and Other Stories? Are you going to read it?
Let everyone know what you think about the book in the comment section below.
How Does the Book Giveaway Work?
Simple. We give away one book every single week.
Why? Because books are awesome and we love our 101’ers.
How? That is also simple:
- Make sure you are signed up to get our stories delivered to your inbox. Existing subscribers do not need to enter their e-mail again. That’s a relief!
- Now, sit back and read some stories! I know you like reading.
- Check your email every Friday for the Book Giveaway. That e-mail will guide you to a page just like this one. It’s sort of a loop!
- Read the book description. Are you Interested?
- The next day I will send you an email about the Book Giveaway. All you have to do is reply to that e-mail. Done!
- You have until Monday at 12PM PST to reply.
Joan, this is a great selection. I love Jack London. “To Build a Fire,” is a master class in story telling and everyone here should read it if they haven’t. The way he brings in detail, almost casually, as it is needed for the story. Not forced in any way. The sublimness of observation synthesizing perfectly with the whole of the story; skin of ice associated with human skin. Really, I feel kind of silly commenting on all he can do as a writer, it is just that it excites me. His philosophical outlook comes here and there in a way fully integrated into the story and reminds me a bit of Hemingway, sort of natural and from the gut, unadorned, except with brilliance. But then he lets loose a bit going somewhat abstract… for lack of a better word, and it gives a full and complete feeling to the writing. And the way the whole thing builds, sort of like a fire, a bit at a time till it comes to a full flame and we are left basking in its light and kept warm.
Thanks for this,
Richard
Hi Richard,
I’ve been excited with London, too, ever since I first read him. Excellent observations about his work, beautifully said. Natural and from the gut, yes! He utilizes the skills he mastered as a writer to add layers of depth and that fullness you mention, yet none of it feels heavy-handed. There is a tremendous amount of energy that does build in what seems like a rather quiet work! Like Hemingway, too, his style is unique and unmistakable. Re-reading “To Build a Fire” is as fresh and magical an experience for me as the season’s first snowfall.
Joan
It does feel quiet, like a first snowfall, fresh and magical like when it snows in the middle of the night and you wake and look out your window and see all the white. A subtle jolt of pleasant surprise. It sneaks up on you. I love how he describes his trying to pick up the matches, I was like – common common!!! I think that great prose can sometimes be poetic without being overtly poetic like say Fitzgerald or Thomas Wolf. I like how you can put it together and the situation and context can be as poetic as any poetry. Bukowski occurred to me, though many may not relate the two, but they both tell a story without much use of metaphor and create situations that move you as much as anything by Rilke, Lorca, or Dickinson. I think ultimately there is no right or wrong just personality. Personality is everything in art and it is the simplest things that cannot be taught. Learn to be yourself, then be yourself, know what that is and then all the other things will come. I think a lot of writers put the cart before the horse because it is easier. When we look at something like lets say, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, it is not the Sunflowers we are responding to, we are responding to the man himself. It is him coming through. It is a safe connection to another person. A wholly and full connection. To me that is art. Like John Lennon’s work.
This is kinda fun talking on here! I am usually very shy, but I become someone else when it comes to art. I was thinking of recommending a book on here, but I am not sure which. Maybe Richard Brautigans “Revenge of the Lawn.” Or Virginia Woolf’s “The Waves.” Or Oscar Wilde’s “De Profundis.” Or Van Gogh’s letters. The last two not being fiction but important knowledge and lessons for writers/artists, that could help people.
Sincerely,
Richard
One of the hardest things for me as a writer is learning to write great prose without relying too much on the obviously poetic. I love language and words, details, descriptions and metaphors — all the trappings. That is one of the reasons I love flash fiction and micro-fiction, and haiku/the Japanese poetry forms. It forces me to be concise and move beyond relying on the poetic. And I agree about Bukowski.
It’s true what you say about personality, too. It’s strange how creating art really can bring on a bit of an identity crisis eventually, forcing you to make some decisions (or honest observations at least) and either accept who you are or stop moving forward. I do think you reach a certain point sooner or later where there is just no other way to be in whatever it is you create. And yes, that is what leads to the good stuff – the connection with others. Not everyone, but it doesn’t matter ‘how many’ – it’s the quality of the connections that counts.
I thought about Virginia Woolf, too, for a recommendation–her short stories, but Waves is a great choice, too! — and I am a big Brautigan fan. I think these are all must reads!
As for Van Gogh’s letters, you’re the second person to recommend them to me within about 2 weeks time. I haven’t read them yet but now will because I am too curious not to…
I think it’s always fun when writing/art stimulates a spontaneous conversation among strangers :).
Joan