This is a short story by the American novelist and short story writer Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941). It was included in The Best American Short Stories of the Century (John Updike-Editor)
Often autobiographical, works of American writer Sherwood Anderson include Winesburg, Ohio (1919).
He supported his family and consequently never finished high school. He successfully managed a paint factory in Elyria before 1912 and fathered three children with the first of his four wives. In 1912, Anderson deserted his family and job.
In early 1913, he moved to Chicago, where he devoted more time to his imagination. He broke with considered materialism and convention to commit to art as a consequently heroic model for youth.
Most important book collects 22 stories. The stories explore the inhabitants of a fictional version of Clyde, the small farm town, where Anderson lived for twelve early years. These tales made a significant break with the traditional short story. Instead of emphasizing plot and action, Anderson used a simple, precise, unsentimental style to reveal the frustration, loneliness, and longing in the lives of his characters. The narrowness of Midwestern small-town life and their own limitations stunt these characters.
Despite no wholly successful novel, Anderson composed several classic short stories. He influenced Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald and the coming generation.
Currently Clare Keegan holds my attention as short story writer who says little and trusts the reader to infer the rest. She seems to pull those stories out that lurk in crevices, the sort of stories told reluctantly, in bits and pieces, somehow hiding from the narrator or the protagonist. This is the way we all live. In that hinterland behind the display with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings we attempt to deny. Sherwood Anderson does the same.
Here's a man who has acted as a confessional to another needing to explain again and again how much he loves his wife. How much he never thinks about a brief encounter with someone outside the safe boundary of his class. How much he has definitely moved on. In the telling of the story, of course, he relives again and again the pleasure of that sanctified encounter, the dissonance it creates in his self image and the certain knowledge that his marriage is never going to compare Forbidden fruit.
It was good. It's about a crush on a market woman the protagonist is attracted to. I can't remember if it is an actual affair possibly turned into later, I read in my (second year)attempt at uni, where I transferred, and well, blar blar. Trickster titles, they can be misleading. And I'm turning 45 soon. He died while on cruise by choking on a toothpick eating hor d'ouevres. I went investigating his literature, some I bought some from library. Just because I liked Winesburg, Ohio. I think he also had trouble with alcoholism which isn't uncommon in writers.
Sherwood Anderson is the author of Winesburg, Ohio which is included in the Modern Library Top 100 books.
The Other Woman is a short story about, well…The Other Woman. There are three main characters involved, though this not about a ménage a trios. The hero and narrator is in love with the woman he is married to, but wants the wife of the tobacconist in his arms-
“I am in love with my wife “this how the story begins. It doesn’t seem that the interest in another man’s wife is just an infatuation. He was going to get married when he started thinking about this woman. Actually, it seems he is in love with both, in different ways, for he knows he wants to spend his life with his future wife. His bride-to-be writes him an emotional letter; in fact the whole story leaves with a feeling of warmth, delicacy, love, compassion and human feeling.
I have just read a list of movies and human strengths, with Buddha at spirituality, where else and about 50 other films. It would be interesting to have a list of books and human strengths- good books that teach, help you develop one strength or more.
The hero lacks self –control or his passion for the other woman is too powerful- he wants to dream, think of his future wife, but he cannot, he thinks about a love affair with the tobacconist’s wife.
His love for the bride-to-be was strangely unaffected, there was only one woman he wanted to spend his life with, but…he still wanted someone else in his arms. I have been married for about 17 years, what can I say…is this possible?
The story was included in a short story collection that John Updike edited. It reminded me of a criticism of him from a youtuber turned war reporter who said "Updike is the kind of writer your professor would like..."
Really underwhelmed by this short story. I think it was more due to the subject matter that I didn’t find a real connection and also I felt as though the protagonist was constantly on the defensive about what he felt.
This is a great short story written with calm suspense and great psychological insight into the mind of a man on the eve of his marriage and yet, apparently, in love with another woman.
For a short story, it packs a lot of twists and turns, all believable, twists and turns that run the constant risk of losing the reader as they twist first this way and then that but, thanks to the skill of the writer and his awareness of the listener/reader, Anderson, the writer, keeps both audience and narrative close to each other until the tale's very satisfying, playful end.
This is a story and a writer worthy of careful study.
the main context here ,, is he really in love with his new wife ?? And does he love the tobbocaonist's wife ??
and the actual differences between them ,,
the relation between his new success , and to believe in himself or not ,, reflected on his love ,, to believe in his love or not ,, I mean his wife ...
I think the moment he will gain trust in himself will gain trust in his actual love ( his wife ) that he sometimes deny !