As part of Penguin's mini modern classics collection, Margret Drabble's The Gifts of War is a svelte collection of two short stories: The Gifts of War and Hassan's tower.
The Gifts of War tells of a brief journey through the barren wasteland of the human condition. Focusing on the how survival instinct demands we cling to whatever meaning we can find in the chaotic seas of humanity, the story revolves thematically around violence, and its place in the heart of our personal, social, and educational dimensions.
Hassan's tower is a tale about alienation and its effects on isolating people and debasing the shared context of human relationships. It is also a tale about joy and how the simplest pleasures can bridge the fearful chasm that can form between strangers.
Drabble writes sharply and simply, and the format of two short stories belies a depth of meaning that is missing from many a larger tome, humbly demonstrating the richness of being that we all experience in our everyday lives. 0141195959 Two short short stories by a writer I've never read before. I really enjoyed both but I preferred the first one The gifts of war. Both stories talk about very mundane every day life situations which leave a lot of room just for the writing to shine. I definitely want to a read a novel by her now.
»It was as though she said to herself: If my little boy doesn't mean it when he shouts at me, perhaps my husband doesn't either; perhaps there's no more serious offence in my bruises and my graying hair then there is in those harmless childish moans. 'In the child, she found a way of accepting the man.'«
0141195959 due racconti molto belli e delicati che hanno, in modo completamente diverso, a che fare con l'infelicità. scrittura limpida. 0141195959 More like 3.5 stars actually. 0141195959 The two short stories in this collection follow the relatively mundane activities of the main characters, such that their behavior reflects on the nature of their lives. Her characters are so consumed with themselves that they lend themselves to study. It's a surprisingly effective method, and by the end of these short stories there are plenty of viable readings. 0141195959
In these two stories of lives colliding, a mother buying a birthday gift has her dreams destroyed, and a honeymoon leads to an unexpected epiphany. The Gifts of War
Two short stories - liked one, not the other. Think she's a better full-length novel writer. 0141195959 I enjoyed the first story, but I thought Hassan's Tower was spine tinglingly brilliant! 0141195959 The Gifts of War--3
Hassan's Tower--3 0141195959 U0David coperfield
I enjoyed the second story I only choose this book because I have always enjoyed Margaret dribbles books I liked the bit about the tower. 0141195959