Cryptology

by Leonard Michaels

Genres: Short Stories, Audiobook

5 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Leonard Michaels was an American writer of short stories, novels, and essays, and a Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first story by Leonard Micheal’s’ I have read. I read this story via the New Yorker Fiction podcast. This short story was well narrated by Rivka Galchen. I honestly felt sorry for the main character Nochman who is purposefully humiliated by the woman and her husband that he meets up with in New York City while intending to prepare for a job interview that like many things in life doesn’t turn out like he is hoping or expecting. In addition to this, Nachman is also planning on attending a cryptology conference but this doesn’t go as the reader expects either. This story was stressful for me to read as much of this story involves Nachman meeting up with a female acquaintance and her husband in their home and having them belittle, mock and trash talk him in what they think is a subtle and private way. Unfortunately, the reader at least, discovers that Nachman has understood and overheard every petty, cruel, negative comment perfectly. This part of the story was very uncomfortable for me to read as I have personally had this experience many times unintentionally due to having exceptional hearing. Having lived through this experience, I felt that Leonard Micheal’s captured the awkward, embarrassing, self conscious and conflicting feelings about whether or not to confront someone over their tactless, repugnant behavior perfectly.

I feel that Nachman’s eventual choice to not confront the couple over their poor behavior is the only realistic and logical choice for the mathematician Nachman to make as in my own experience, tactfully calling someone out on their rudeness and inappropriate behavior has rarely made any meaningful difference in their behavior and if anything has more often than not made them behave even more atrociously. In my experience I have found that many people are simply incapable of either admitting to themselves that their behavior is cruel or inappropriate to begin with, and even fewer people are able to sincerely change their personality or behavior if they manage to recognize their own hatefulness towards others.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on the podcast "Selected Shorts" read by David Rakoff and was so impressed and riveted that I will now read more Leonard Michaels.