A Christmas Pageant

by Donna Tartt

Hazel Eyes is the story of an adoption where the reader experiences feeling of love, joy, and pain. It speaks of the heartache of farewells, of the security of ties, and the search for oneself. It was envisioned from the standpoint of an adoptee that specializes in adoption. It seek to stress the significance of creating a space for dialogue about the complete history of the adoptees and to highlight the importance of integrating all of the parts.

Hazel Eyes connects us to universal emotions, those that may be uncomfortable to explore but better to reveal as a way to sooth the soul.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Christmas, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Classics, Dark Academia

30 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Donna Tartt is an American author who has achieved critical and public acclaim for her novels, which have been published in forty languages. In 2003 she received the WH Smith Literary Award for her novel, The Little Friend, which was also nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction. She won the Pulitzer Prize and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction for her most recent novel, The Goldfinch.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was funny, how ignorant they all were. Tonight they had seen the work of the Lord and understood it not; they had seen a miracle, and yet had not believed...

Grande writer, Donna Tartt. I never knew she wrote short stories but ran into this one in the great goodreads community. I love her writing. Either you love or hate her I think... And she does write long long books. So this is a strange exception, a short story by Donna Tartt, but I felt the darkish Donna Tartt atmosphere and again really good writing. Great little story about the probably 'self-educated'-religious girl Sally, who has to go to the Christmas Pageant at her school. And then things get out of hand....
Will tweek this review a little in the next days. Recommended short story!
ps I really need to read The Secret History again soon.

Everybody was dressed up, and some of the little girls looked as though they had been at the beauty parlor, but Sally's hair was short and she hadn't gone. She was wearing a plaid pinafore, a white shirt and red leotard, and black patent-leather shoes. Usually she liked this outfit but tonight she had not wanted to wear it because it seemed irreverent. In her room, before leaving home, she had searched about hastily for something that would make her look more religious; at last, she draped a white dresser-scarf over her head. It made her look like a bride, or the Virgin Mary. For a while she practiced supplicant poses in the mirror--holding her hands out, palms up, eyes fumed to heaven. Then Leah, the maid, had come in without Sally seeing her and laughed.... Sally's part was the letter T in the word Christmas. Each child was to wear a big sign with the proper letter, and they were to step forward and explain what their letter meant when the time came....Sally had wanted to be M because that stood for Mary, but she was glad that Mrs. Mills had picked Kenny Priddy and not her because Mrs. Mills had made it mean mistletoe, and that meant kissing, and people would laugh....

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!

last year, amy(other amy) tipped me off to this cool thing she was doing: the short story advent calendar, where you sign up to this thingie here and you get a free story each day.

i dropped the ball and by the time i came to my senses, it had already sold out, so for december project, i'm going rogue and just reading a free online story a day of my choosing. this foolhardy endeavor is going to screw up my already-deep-in-the-weeds review backlog, so i don't think i will be reviewing each individual story "properly." i might just do a picture review or - if i am feeling wicked motivated, i will draw something, but i can't be treating each short story like a real book and spending half my day examining and dissecting it, so we'll just see what shape this project takes as we go.

and if you know of any particularly good short stories available free online, let me know! i'm no good at finding them myself unless they're on the tor.com site, and i only have enough at this stage of the game to fill half my calendar.

DECEMBER 7

My mother is prettier than you, Sally wanted to say to them, lots prettier, she has more money and her hair is really red, not dyed like yours is. They would be sorry for this. She would go home and tell Leah and Leah's husband would go out and shoot them. Leah's husband was named Jackson. He had been in jail before.

i am so excited that there are TWO donna tartt short stories eligible for this project! this short story advent calendar thingie has been a gem-discovery (or potential gem-discovery - there are many i am excited to get to!) thanks to everyone who has given me suggestions so far!

this is just a really excellent christmas story that's festive and funny and then devolves into a farcical romp. kind of. a very fine character study that reminds us that perspective is everything. it's donna tartt - no matter what, you're gonna read it.

read it for yourself here:

http://languageisavirus.com/donna_tar...

DECEMBER 1: FABLE - CHARLES YU
DECEMBER 2: THE REAL DEAL - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 3: THE WAYS OF WALLS AND WORDS - SABRINA VOURVOULIAS
DECEMBER 4: GHOSTS AND EMPTIES - LAUREN GROFF
DECEMBER 5: THE RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DUKE - NEIL GAIMAN
DECEMBER 6: WHEN THE YOGURT TOOK OVER - JOHN SCALZI
DECEMBER 8: DEEP - PHILIP PLAIT
DECEMBER 9: COOKIE JAR - STEPHEN KING
DECEMBER 10: THE STORY OF KAO YU - PETER S. BEAGLE
DECEMBER 11: THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES - ALAN BEARD
DECEMBER 12: THE TOMATO THIEF - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 13: THE JAWS THAT BITE, THE CLAWS THAT CATCH - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 14: ROLLING IN THE DEEP - JULIO ALEXI GENAO
DECEMBER 15: ANTIHYPOXIANT - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 16: THE AMBUSH - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 17: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A TRAITOR AND A HALF-SAVAGE - ALIX HARROW
DECEMBER 18: THE CHRISTMAS SHOW - PAT CADIGAN
DECEMBER 19: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS - PAUL CORNELL
DECEMBER 20: THE TRAINS THAT CLIMB THE WINTER TREE - MICHAEL SWANWICK
DECEMBER 21: BLUE IS A DARKNESS WEAKENED BY LIGHT - SARAH MCCARRY
DECEMBER 22: WATERS OF VERSAILLES - KELLY ROBSON
DECEMBER 23: RAZORBACK - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 24: DIARY OF AN ASSCAN - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 25: CHANGING MEANINGS - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 26: SHOGGOTHS IN BLOOM - ELIZABETH BEAR
DECEMBER 27: THE CARTOGRAPHY OF SUDDEN DEATH - CHARLIE JANE ANDERS
DECEMBER 28: FRIEDRICH THE SNOW MAN - LEWIS SHINER
DECEMBER 29: DRESS YOUR MARINES IN WHITE - EMMY LAYBOURNE
DECEMBER 30: AM I FREE TO GO? - KATHRYN CRAMER
DECEMBER 31: OLD DEAD FUTURES - TINA CONNOLLY

come to my blog!

[Kirsten Jany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tartt is an incredible writer. If you've read any of her books, you already know that. She is one of the few who don't even need a plot to draw you in. Absolutely nothing can happen for pages on end, and you'll find yourself completely hooked. I wasn't aware of this short story until I came across it here on goodreads, and I'm glad I did!

[ліда лісова · Rating 4 out of 5]

це дуже дотепна коротка історія про самотню ученицю молодшої школи, що вдарилася у релігію на фоні неприйняття матір'ю — але це не фанатизм, вона просто знає. мені подобається яка холодна і точна ця маленька леді, гг — яким чином вона поводиться й думає. хоча й видко як через усе це просвічується травма стосунків з матір'ю (так ненав'язливо, але влучно передано!)
і я просто в захваті від того, як тартт бачить різдво і як її аж тіпає від його маркетингу)

англійською:https://www.languageisavirus.com/donn...
мій вкрай аматорський переклад (видалю його, якщо вийде офіційний): https://drukarnia.com.ua/articles/riz...

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant short story with a nod to the true meaning of Christmas.

[serena maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the title fool you for there is only a minute amount of 'festivity' in this short story. Rather, Tartt introduces you to savage kids with savage humour.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Donna Tartt fans, I found the link to this very short story, written in 1993, online. Here it is:

http://www.languageisavirus.com/donna...

Not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting a little more Christmas and got a lot more dysfunction. Which was not disappointing. I liked it but needed a little more to really like it or love it. If I really review this, my review will be longer than the short story itself and I don't want to spoil anything about it for those of you who want to read it. It's better going into it not knowing what it's about since it is so short. So if you are a Donna Tartt fan, I recommend taking the 10-15 min needed to read this and see what you think. 3.5 stars.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a short story that had the potential to be good. Unfortunately for me it wasn't. I would have enjoyed to know more about Sally's religious beliefs and also life in general but we did not learn much. At one point I just think that the situation got a bit out of hand and just became unrealistic.

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sally had drawn Tammy aside from a game of jump rope especially to explain how Mrs Mills had left all mention of Christ out of the Christmas pageant, and why the Christmas pageant was sacrilege. . ."

This dark work is definitely not a typical warm, fuzzy Christmas story. "A Christmas Pageant" is a well-written story that introduced me to Donna Tartt's writing.

It was first published in Harpers Magazine in 1993, and can be found online at:

https://www.languageisavirus.com/donn...

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A definite must read for fans of Donna Tartt. Site: literatureisavirus.com

Sally is waiting for God's vengeance to wipe out the godless she sees around her, especially in the Christmas pageant she is a part of (T for tinsel is blasphemous to her). Worth reading for the dark atmosphere and plot twists (even within this short format).

A quick read but one I found haunting.

[Amanda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short story ☺

[Phoenix2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christmas Pageant is a short story by Donna Tartt that displays the author's mastery of words and stories. Tartt can really write intriguing characters, even in just a few pages length story. And this one truly takes a turn toward the unexpected.

[Άννα Morta ⛧⛧⛧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a short story with a dark undertone and atmosphere. The darkness within the text is intriguing.
I really enjoyed the ending/twist! Her writing is extraordinarily haunting and very well written.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donna Tartt paints a captivating portrait of forth-grader Sally's subconscience as she endures a Christmas pageant, where religious morals are not upheld so something needs to be done.

[Marijana☕✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Ova kratka priča ima "The Little Friend" vibes.
Zašto Dona, kada ne piše iz perspektive muškog lika, ume da piše samo o devojčicama koje idu u školu i odrastaju u maloj sredini?

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

...already the birth of Christ had been sadly profaned, yet somehow God allowed the pageant to go on.

Another great short by Donna Tartt - just the right amount of a good well told story and a bit of darkness.

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

At this Christmas pageant things get a little out of hand.

Unfortunately I didn't like it that much.

1.5 stars

Maybe I'll give it another try on Christmas.

You can read it here.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[talia ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

donna tartt can literally do no wrong ever.

[ouliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, she's definitely better at novels than at short stories :')

[nieva. · Rating 5 out of 5]

miss donna tartt you will always have my heart

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donna Tartt’s short story The Christmas Pageant is an example of astute observation and certainly rooted in her southern upbringing. A seemingly meaningless uneventful Christmas pageant comes to life in the detail through the eyes of an interesting strong willed child named Sally. She is upset at the lack of Christianity in the school pageant that she feels is pandering to the wrong meanings of Christmas. She asks God for vengeance upon these people as she observes the C standing for Candy and not for Christ amongst other wrongs. She overhears people talking about her being raised by “the help,” (not the word Tartt choose to use) and that’s how she became so overly religiously zealous. Tarrt’s observations of the ordinary or even mundane are what I truly enjoy about her writing and this comes out in the conversation Sally is having with her in line neighbor Kenny. Their interactions are laugh out loud funny and are the highlight of the story in my opinion. There’s a nice surprise twist ending as well.

[Joshie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing that has been keeping me from reading Donna Tartt's works is how long they are. I fear getting stuck and not finishing it with my packed work schedule. Nevertheless, it was a blessing that I discovered this little story of hers. The kid, Sally, was really believable to be a kid. Tartt writes children's inner voices very well. I loved reading the kid's mind and her conversation with this other kid named Kenny. It was a little hilarious and those mothers who gossip irritated me a lot. Take note that there were religious things going on here and Sally was rather a "Christianity fanatic" (I don't know if this term is correct). This stitched the story together. The build up of the plot was well-written. Now, I am making a mental note to buy one of Tartt's books when I pass by my favorite bookstore.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent little Christmas story ! I enjoyed it very much . A typical little school pageant spelling out the word CHRISTMAS with a meaning behind each letter becomes an ideal time for learning about the true meaning of the holiday !

[Alec]

"Tammy was like one of those bad children of Israel in captivity; she knew better and yet was happy to do wrong and show off if anyone at all approved.

Oh, gotta love the thought processes of small aggressively religious children.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Amusing Short Story by Donna Tartt. I just happened to find it. Definitely, a strange Christmas Pageant with Sally’s perspective on Religion funny and dark.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn, okay.

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there anything better, for a Christmas Eve, than reading a Donna Tartt short story about overly religious children who secretly despise everyone they know?

[Shellys Calderón Kercadó · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia ilustrada corta con un mensaje muy bonito del tema de la adopción donde de transitan sentimientos de amor, alegría y tristeza.

[anushay · Rating 4 out of 5]

she's so good at short stories, i need a collector's edition physical copy and a writing workshop from her ❤❤❤